THEORIES OF INTERNATIONAL

ORGANISATION
LIBERALISM
• Human nature is basically good, social progress possible
• Human behaviour is malleable and perfectible through institutions
• Aggressions, war injustice according to liberals are result of corrupt
social institutions and misunderstandings among the leaders
• Founded on the roots of Grotian tradition, enlightenment and
concept of political and economic liberalism
• Hugo Grotius (17th century) Immanuel Kant (18th century) and
Woodrow Wilson (20th century)
• Give importance to state as actors but not individual- collective and
pluralistic
• Preferences of state based upon- moral cultural transnational and
ethical principles.
• Cooperation between states possible and will grow over time
1. States learn from each other in international settings- helps them
grow
2. Mutual interest to increase interdependence knowledge
communications and spread of democratic values,
• The liberal theoretical approach to IR is based on 4
assumptions.
• 1. both state and non state actors are important in IR. Liberals
see nonstate actors as important because these actors have
independent as well as indirect influences on the domestic and
foreign policies of state.
• 2. State is not a necessarily a unitary and rational actor.
Governments are composed of individuals, bureaucratic
agencies, judicial and legislative bodies that can have differing
and competing interests..)
• 3. the nature of IR is a composite one – a combination of
conflict and cooperation. Complex interdependence is a
defining characteristics of IR a characteristic that conditions the
behavior of state and nonstate actors.
• 4. a variety of issues can come to dominate the international
agenda (not only security or military issues, but others like
economic, political, social, etc
• the increase in transnational ties has led to integration and
interdependence which in turn has led many societies to share
common problems.
• Many problems can be managed only through IO, necessitating the
creation of specialized international agencies with technical experts.
• Cooperation in narrow nonpolitical (economic and social) issues
areas leads to spillover into large more politicized issue areas such
as defense or monetary policy. As cooperative behaviors become
institutionalized IGOs can evolve into supranational organizations
such as EU or WTO, the authority of nation-state would be displaced
incrementally by supranational institutions.
NEO- LIBERALISM
• Take more state centric view of international relations
• Regards state to be rational actor in generally a anarchic world
• Cooperation is common occurrence and not the rare exception
• Importance of institutions as actors- helps in deciding and
cooperations
• Robert axelrod and Robert Keohane- prisoners dilemmas
• LIBERALISM AND NEO LIBERALISM HAS SPAWNED SEVERAL MIDDLE
LEVEL THEORIES
1. FUNCTIONALISM
2. REGIME THEORY
3. RATIONAL DESIGN
4. COLLECTIVE GOOD
FUNCTIONALISM
• GOVERENACE ARRANGEMENT ARISES OUT OF BASIC OR FUNCTIONAL
NEED OF STATES AND PEOPLE
• THEY ASSERT THAT INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL
COOPERATION IS PRE-REQUISITE FOR POLITICAL COOPERATION AND
ELIMINATING WAR- WHOSE CAUSE ACCORDING TO THEM LIES IN
POVERTY HUNGERIGNORANCE AND DISEASES
• TASK OF FUNCTIONALISM IS “ NOT HOW TO KEEP NATIONS
PEACEFULLY APART BUT HOW TO BRING THEM ACTIVELY TOGETHER
• A SPREADING WEB OF INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES AND AGENCIES
THROUGH WHICH LIFE OF ALL NATIONS WILL BE INTEGRATED
TOGETHER
• POLITICAL RIVALRIES CAN BE BY PASSED THROUGH HABITS OF
COOPERTION IN NON-POLITICAL AND ECONO,IC SPHERE
• HELPED IN EXPLAINATION OF EVEOLUTION OF EU
• WEAKING OF NATIONALISM
REGIME THEORY

• INTERNATIONAL REGIMES ARE DEFINED AS A ‘SET OF IMPLICIT OR

EXPLICIT PRINCIPLES, NORMS, RULES, AND DECISION-MAKING
PROCEDURES AROUND WHICH ACTORS' EXPECTATIONS CONVERGE’
(KRASNER 1983).
• THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A REGIME RESTS ON THE OPERATIONS OF
INSTITUTIONS, ORGANIZATIONS, GOVERNMENTS, AND
INTERNATIONAL BODIES THAT SHARE A SET OF PRINCIPLES, RULES,
AND NORMS IN A PARTICULAR AREA OF INTERNATIONAL ACTION
THE STUDY OF IO AS REGIMES IS OFTEN CONJOINED WITH A
RECOGNITION THAT THE ACTUALLY OPERATING SET OF RULES
RELEVANT FOR ANY PARTICULAR QUESTION WILL NOT END WITH
FORMAL INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION
REGIME ON REFUGEE
CURRENCY FLOW ACROSS BORDERS
UN USE OF FORCE- IN US AND IRAQ CONTEXT
RATIONAL DESIGN
• USING A RATIONAL DESIGN APPROACH- EXPLORE FIVE
FEATURES OF INSTITUTIONS - MEMBERSHIP, SCOPE,
CENTRALIZATION, CONTROL, AND FLEXIBILITY –
• AND EXPLAIN THEIR VARIATION IN TERMS OF FOUR
INDEPENDENT VARIABLES THAT CHARACTERIZE
DIFFERENT COOPERATION PROBLEMS: DISTRIBUTION,
NUMBER OF ACTORS, ENFORCEMENT, AND
UNCERTAINTY.
• BRABARA KOREMENOS, CHARLES LIPSON AND DUNCAN
SINDAL
COLLECTIVE OR PUBLIC GOOD THEORY
• THE TRAGEDY OF THE COMMONS
ROLE OF IO AND LIBERALISM
• Liberalism is more optimistic than realism about the contributions and
independence of IO in IR. Five interrelated roles can be discerned from the
liberal approach.
1. IO help states overcome collective action problems.
2. Promote economic prosperity and global welfare.
3. IO help societies develop shared values and norms. Interdependence
may reduce the chances of violent conflict. IO foster certain values and
help establish certain norms that are conducive to the peaceful
settlement of disputes, such as compromise, reciprocity, multilateralism,
and rule of law. IO promote democracy and democratic institutions,
protect human rights, promote liberal international economic order.
4. Integrative and performed principally by MNCs common global market.
5. provide assistance to the victims of international politics, poor, refugees,
epidemics, disasters, war, economic crises
REALISM/NEO-REALISM
• BASED ON THAT INDIVIDUAL ACT RATIONALLY TO PROTECT THEIR
OWN INTEREST
• SEE STATE AS PRIMARY ACTORS- ACTS UNITARY IN PURSUITS OF THEIR
NATIONAL INTEREST
• MAXIMIZING THEIR POWER AND SECURITY
• REALISM'S CENTRAL FOCUS IS THE ACQUISITION,
MAINTENANCE AND EXERCISE OF POWER BY STATES.
POWER CAN BE HARD (MILITARY CAPABILITIES), POWER
CAN BE SOFT (POLITICAL, ECONOMIC INNOVATION)
• HANS MORGENTHAU- SAID IN ABSEBCE OF INTERNATIONAL
AUTHORITY-FEW RULES AND NORMS TO RESTRAIN STATE
• IOS ARE TOOLS OF STATE TO BE USED WHEN DESIRED
• CAN INCREASE AND DECREASE THE POWER OF STATE- DO NOT
EFFECT THE BASIC CHARACTERSTICS OF INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM
• THEY IN ESENCE REFLECT THE DISTRIBUTION OF POWER AMONG
STATE- NO MORE THAN SUM OF MEMBER STATE
• HAVE NO INDEPENDENT EFFECT ON STATE BEHAVIOUR
• THUS REALISTS ARE PESSIMISTIC ABOUT THE INDEPENDENT
ROLE OF IOS, ARGUING THAT IOS CAN NEITHER CONSTRAIN
NOR PREVENT WAR.
• IOS, FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, TOOLS THAT
POWERFUL STATES USE TO CONTROL WEAKER COUNTRIES.
AND IF IOS ARE EXTENSIONS OF GREAT POWERS, THEY
RESPOND ONLY TO GREAT POWERS INTERESTS AND
DIRECTION.
• WHEN THE SECURITY INTERESTS OF THE GREAT POWERS
CONFLICT, IOS ARE EITHER DISCARDED, IGNORED OR ARE
MARGINALIZED BY THE STATES THAT CREATED THEM.
ASSUMPTIONS OF IOS
1. THE STATE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ACTOR IN IR.
2. THE STATE IS A UNITARY AND RATIONAL ACTOR.
3. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS ARE ESSENTIALLY
CONFLICTUAL. ANARCHY COMPELS STATES TO ARM
THEMSELVES FOR SELF-DEFENSE. IR IS CHARACTERIZED
BY ANARCHY AND THE BALANCE OF POWER. STATES MUST
ADJUST THEIR POLICIES TO ACCOUNT FOR CHANGES IN
THE BALANCE OF POWER.
4. SECURITY AND GEOSTRATEGIC ISSUES OR HIGH POLITICS,
DOMINATE THE INTERNATIONAL AGENDA. NEOREALISTS
MODIFY THE TRADITIONAL REALIST POSITION BY
ASCRIBING GREATER IMPORTANCE TO ECONOMIC ISSUE
• REALISTS ARGUE THAT NO HIERARCHY OF AUTHORITY
EXISTS IN IR. THE IR IS CHARACTERIZED BY ANARCHY,
WHERE AUTHORITY RESIDES WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL STATE.
• THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM IS QUITE ORDERLY BECAUSE A
POWER HIERARCHY DOES EXIST AMONG STATES. REALISTS
TEND TO CLASSIFY STATES IN TERMS OF THIS HIERARCHY AS
SUPER-, GREAT-, MIDDLE-, LESSER POWERS.
• HEGEMONIC THEORY IS AN EXPLANATION FOR THE
CREATION AND BEHAVIOR OF IO. ONE TYPE OF POWER
DISTRIBUTION IS A UNIPOLAR, HEGEMONIC SYSTEM IN WHICH
A SINGLE POWERFUL STATE CONTROLS AND DOMINATES
LESSER STATES IN THE SYSTEM.
• THE DOMINANT STATE OR HEGEMON CREATES IOS AND
REGIMES TO FURTHER ITS OWN INTERESTS AND VALUES
IN THE IR. T
• HE HEGEMON ALSO PROVIDES INCENTIVES, SUCH AS
SECURITY GUARANTEES OR ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE IN
ORDER TO GET OTHER STATES TO JOIN.
• THE EFFECTIVENESS OF IO IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO
THE HEGEMON’S POWER. (UN-US-USSR-NATO) IF GREAT
POWERS WISH TO USE FORCE, NO IO IS GOING TO STOP
THEM. (SOVIET-AFGHANISTAN; BRITISH/FRENCH/ISRAELI-
EGYPT (56), US-GRENAD
Realism and roles of IO
• IO PLAY LITTLE OR NO ROLE IN MAINTAINING INTERNATIONAL
PEACE AND SECURITY. BALANCE OF POWER REALITIES
DICTATE OR NOT, WAR WILL BREAK OUT. STATES WILL
BYPASS OR IGNORE IO IF THEIR IMMEDIATE SECURITY OR
IMPORTANT NATIONAL INTERESTS ARE AT STAKE.
• IO HAVE SEVERAL IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS:
1. IO PROVIDE A MECHANISM FOR GREAT POWER COLLUSION.
2. 2. IO ARE USEFUL FOR MAKING MINOR ADJUSTMENTS
WITHIN THE EXISTING ORDER WHILE THE BASIC
UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES AND NORMS REMAIN
UNCOMPROMISED.
SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVISM
• Constructivism sees the world, and what we can know about
the world, as socially constructed. This view refers to the nature
of reality and the nature of knowledge that are also called
ontology and epistemology in research language.
• EXAMPLE OF US NORTH KOREA AND BRITAIN
• Constructivists argue that agency and structure are mutually
constituted, which implies that structures influence agency and
that agency influences structures. Agency can be understood as
the ability of someone to act, whereas structure refers to the
international system that consists of material and ideational
elements.
• Another central issue to constructivism is identities and interests.
Constructivists argue that states can have multiple identities that are
socially constructed through interaction with other actors. Identities
are representations of an actor’s understanding of who they are,
which in turn signals their interests.
• For example, the identity of a small state implies a set of interests
that are different from those implied by the identity of a large state.
The small state is arguably more focused on its survival, whereas
the large state is concerned with dominating global political,
economic and military affairs. It should be noted, though, that the
actions of a state should be aligned with its identity. EXAMPLE
GERMANY
• Social norms are also central to constructivism. These are generally
defined as ‘a standard of appropriate behaviour for actors with a
given identity’ (Katzenstein 1996, 5). States that conform to a certain
identity are expected to comply with the norms that are associated
with that identity. This idea comes with an expectation that some
kinds of behaviour and action are more acceptable than other
• For example, constructivists would argue that the bulk of states have
come together to develop climate change mitigation policies because
it is the right thing to do for the survival of humanity. This has, over
decades of diplomacy and advocacy, become an appropriate
behaviour that the bulk of citizens expect their leaders to adhere to.
IOS AND CONSTRUCTIVISTS

• SEEKS TO UNCOVER THE SOCIAL CONTEBT OF ORGANISATIONAND

DOMINANT NORM THAT GOVERN BEHAVIOUR
• IOS SERVES AS AGENTS OF SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION
• CAN BE TEACHERS AS WELL AS CREATORS OF NORMS- SOCIALIZING
STATE TO ACCEPT NEW VALUES AND POLITICAL GOALS
• EXAMPLE WORLD BANK AND POVERTY
• IGOS HAVE REAL POWER AS THEY CONSTRUCT THE SOCIAL WORLD
IN WHICH COPERATION AND CHOICE TAKE PLACE
• IOS ARE PURPOSIVE ACTOR WITH INDEPENDENT EFFECTS ON
INTERNATIONAL RELATION,
• IMPORTANT TO THE PROCESS OF CHANGING UNDERSTANDING AND
BEHAVIOUR WITH RESPECT TO POVERTY HUMANTARIAN SLAVERY ETC
•
CRITICAL THEORIES
• FEMINISM
• MARXISM
FEMINISM
• IN DECONSTRUCTING INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
THEORY, FEMINIST ANALYSTS ARGUE THAT
THE THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS ARE
MALE-DEFINED, AND ARE CONSTRUCTED AROUND MALEFEMALE
DICHOTOMIES, WHICH DEFINE FEMALE AS "OTHER" AND ASSIGN GENDER-
SPECIFIC ROLES THAT EXCLUDE WOMEN FROM THE PUBLIC SPHERE.
• FEMINIST THEORY HAS CHALLENGED WOMEN’S NEAR COMPLETE ABSENCE
FROM TRADITIONAL IR THEORY AND PRACTICE. THIS ABSENCE IS VISIBLE
BOTH IN WOMEN’S MARGINALISATION FROM DECISION-MAKING AND IN
THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE REALITY OF WOMEN’S DAY-TO-DAY LIVES IS
NOT IMPACTED BY OR IMPORTANT TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS.
• IN MAKING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN VISIBLE, AN INTERNATIONAL
SYSTEM THAT TACITLY ACCEPTED A LARGE AMOUNT OF VIOLENCE AGAINST
WOMEN AS A NORMAL STATE OF AFFAIRS WAS ALSO EXPOSED.
• FOR EXAMPLE, FORMER UN SECRETARY GENERAL BAN KI-MOON’S ‘UNITE’
CAMPAIGN TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ESTIMATED THAT UP TO
SEVEN OUT OF TEN WOMEN WILL EXPERIENCE VIOLENCE AT SOME POINT
IN THEIR LIVES – AND THAT APPROXIMATELY 600 MILLION WOMEN LIVE IN
COUNTRIES WHERE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS NOT YET CONSIDERED A
CRIME.
• VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IS PREVALENT GLOBALLY AND IS NOT SPECIFIC
TO ANY PARTICULAR POLITICAL OR ECONOMIC SYSTEM.
• IN MAKING WOMEN VISIBLE, FEMINISM HAS ALSO HIGHLIGHTED
WOMEN’S ABSENCE FROM DECISION-MAKING AND INSTITUTIONAL
STRUCTURES.
• FOR EXAMPLE, IN 2015 THE WORLD BANK ESTIMATED THAT
GLOBALLY WOMEN MADE UP JUST 22.9% OF NATIONAL
PARLIAMENTS.
• ONE OF THE CORE ASSUMPTIONS OF TRADITIONAL PERSPECTIVES
THAT FEMINISM HAS CHALLENGED IS THE EXCLUSIONARY FOCUS ON
AREAS THAT ARE CONSIDERED ‘HIGH’ POLITICS – FOR EXAMPLE,
SOVEREIGNTY, THE STATE AND MILITARY SECURITY.
• Traditional perspectives that ignore gender not only overlook
the contributions of women and the impact global politics has on
them but also perpetually justify this exclusion. If women are
outside these domains of power, then their experiences and
contributions are not relevant. Feminist theorists have worked to
demonstrate that this distinction between private and public is
false.
MARXISM
• Marxist approaches still retain an economic deterministic point
of view which places the functions of international
institutions to create class antagonisms, rather than
understanding how neoliberal institutions have wider effects
upon the environment and global health
• The Marxist approach to IR makes several important
contributions to understanding IR and IO. 1. Marxism provides a
critique to the dominant approaches liberalism and realism.
• 2. M.offers a comprehensive critique of capitalism as a mode of
production. Marxist analyses of capitalism have identified issues
that lead to conflict within and between societies.
• 3. M. has articulated significantly different roles for IO – they are
tools of capitalism that undermine and exploit subordinate
classes.
• As a theoretical approach rests on several assumptions.1. Global
capitalism determines the position and behavior of actors in
international affairs. Capitalism (an economic and political system in
which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners
for profit, rather than by the state) explains the dynamics of IR.
• 2. Principal unit in IR is economic class (state, one class-
bourgeoisie- dominates the government)
• 3. IR is essentially conflictual. Capitalism fosters violence, inequality.
• 4. Economic, not political or strategic, factors are most important to
understanding IR.
Marxism and role of IO
• Marxist approach suggests 3 interrelated roles for IO.
• 1. For IGOs like UN, they are political complements to
capitalism. Financed and controlled by capitalist states they
promote a capitalist agenda.
• 2. Related role of IO is that of mechanism of domination. IO are
tools that core states use to exploit and control weak states.
• 3. both private and public IO is as developers of hegemony.