Introduction: Foundations of International Politics

Study

Chapter Summary

The introduction presents Bueno de Mesquita's approach to world politics. In short, this is not an ordinary introductory textbook. This is a textbook with an opinion: Principles argues that world politics is best understood through the strategic perspective and best studied using social scientific methods. Leaders pursue their own self-interest and consider both international and domestic factors in their choices.

Study Questions

• What is international relations? Why do we study it?
  
  

• Why does Principles argue that leaders are the key actors in international relations? What is the book's argument against seeing states as the central actors?
  
  

• From your own knowledge of history or current events, identify an example of a state's power affecting its preferences, a state's preferences affecting its power, or a state's preferences affecting its perceptions.