Nation States
Descriptions
Are states still relevant?
Realist, cooperative, liberal and critical theories of international relations
The realist theory of international politics views states as 'black box' actors. The possibly competing interests of citizens and bureaucrats within the state are ignored. Realism holds that "at its most fundamental level, the national interest is generic and easy to define: all states seek to preserve their political autonomy and their territorial integrity. Once these two interests have been secured, however, national interests may take different forms. Some states may have an interest in securing more resources or land; other states may wish to expand their own political or economic systems into other areas; some states may merely wish to be left alone" (Ferraro 2011). Another synonym for realism is 'rationalism.' States are assumed to be able to rationally pursue their own interests in the international community.
Of course, realists understand that the world does not always behave according to rational notions of behavior. Rather, realists contend that given the multiplicity of influences upon state behavior, focusing upon self-interest is the only really viable way to predict or understand how states act in a meaningful fashion. Only by studying externally observed facts can conclusions be reached, the rest is surmise. However, critics contend that the virtue of the philosophy is also its deficit: it is overly simplistic in explaining state behavior, and the influence of non-states upon the international community. It also tends to over-emphasize the virtues of having states as the main international 'unit' of interaction. Because of the demand for observable behavior as a mode of realist analysis, its theorists focus on formally-recognized states.
Without states, realists believe the world is an anarchical environment. "All states have to rely upon their own resources to secure their interests, enforce whatever agreements they may have entered into with other states, or to maintain a desirable domestic and international order. There is no authority over the nation-state, nor, for the realist, should there be" (Ferraro...
United Nations -- Criticisms Description of the United Nations The United Nations (UN) has a security council that consists of 15 members. The main purpose of this council is to resolve any issues and conflicts in order to maintain peace among the nations in the world. This council was initiated in 1946. The formation of this council happened at the time when the League of Nations failed. The main reason given for
However, with this mandatory sentence comes seemingly excessive punishments for being afflicted with a real disease. These types of solutions to the drug problem in the United States fail entirely to grasp drug problems as a real medical issue and therefore throw out medical treatment over punitive punishment, (Nadelmann 2007). Not to mention many of these programs go only so far, failing to provide the support and structure many
Stress: Regulation of Wetlands in the United States Regulation of Wetlands in the United States Defining Wetlands and their Value A wetland refers to a place where water covers the soil. A wetland is a saturated land that comprises of swamps or marshes. Lewis defines a wetland as, "an ecosystem that depends on constant or recurrent, shallow inundation or saturation at or near the surface of the substrate" (p.3). He further ascertains that
Globalization and National Security While the economic benefits of globalization have been frequently discussed, the very serious national security vulnerabilities which have arisen as a result of increase interconnections, both economically and socially, has garnered much less attention. The current literature on globalization either omits national security discussions entirely, or conducts them from a relatively myopic perspective The 2010 National Security Strategy attempts to rectify this, but its seems to have little effect
political framework of EU and OCT European Union (EU) and Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) are in association with each other via a system which is based on the provisions of part IV of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU), consisting of detailed rules and measures which are laid down in the document issued on 27th November 2001 title Oversees Association Decision. The expiry date of this
Summary of the three most important leadership lessons learned What one can and should learn from studying the life and thinking of Thomas Jefferson is that leaders are not necessarily born, but they are also shaped. What is takes to be a leader in those days, is similar to these. One needs constant learning and interest in different fields of activity that will cultivate not only a good understanding of their
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now