PSC 1003 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Arms Control, Democratic Peace Theory, Security Dilemma
Document Summary
Among states, war is the continuation of politics by other means not end politics. War is always governed- and limited- by the political objective. War is a costly way for states to achieve their political aims. Hypothesis: statement of expected relationship between two variables. Theories explain laws: statement of relationship between x and y, causal logic for why x causes y. Provide explanation for those relationships: x (cause) y (effect) States should (cid:271)e(cid:272)o(cid:373)e (cid:373)ore likel(cid:455) to target ad(cid:448)ersar(cid:455)"s (cid:272)i(cid:448)ilia(cid:374)s (cid:449)he(cid:374: likelihood of victory decreases, costs of fighting increase. Is the logic sound: explanatory power- does it predict or explain real world events? (since we cannot do worldly experiments in ir, less is more- parsimony. Realism: anarchy, power, recurring conflict, assumptions. States are main actors, like units, unitary rational actors, want to survive. But are u(cid:374)(cid:272)ertai(cid:374) a(cid:271)out others" i(cid:374)te(cid:374)tio(cid:374)s: a realist world. Increase in your security decreases security in others. Anarchy but state of nature is not state of war.
