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Introduction: Foundations of International Politics Walk-through Main
Themes of the Book The line
of reasoning and argument presented in Principles
is based on three core assumptions. 1. Leaders are motivated by personal
interests--more specifically, staying in office--rather than by national
interests. A key point to highlight here is that
leaders are the primary actors in world politics in the strategic perspective.
Like all other individuals, leaders are self-interested. As individuals as
diverse as Mel Brooks and Puumba (from The
Lion King) have noted, “It’s good to be da king.” For a leader,
protecting his (or her) own interests requires taking steps to ensure that he
or she remains in power. 2. International relations and
domestic politics are fundamentally inseparable. Leaders can be toppled by
international or domestic
forces. Because they act with an eye on retaining office, they must juggle
policies to satisfy--or at least avoid antagonizing--both of these key groups.
Sometimes, to please domestic supporters, leaders must pursue policies that are
not popular internationally. A good example here might be Iran’s nuclear
program, which does much for national pride and prestige domestically but which
leaves most other states concerned. Other times, to please other states and
international actors, leaders must pursue policies that are not popular
domestically. In 1997, during the Asian financial crisis, the leaders of
Thailand, Indonesia, and other East Asian countries did not want to cut the food and
transportation subsidies that placated urban workers. The International
Monetary Fund, however, refused to provide desperately needed loans unless the
governments agreed to certain conditions, such as cutting budget expenditures
on such nonvital social benefits as the subsidies. 3. Relations between states and other groups or bodies in the
international system are driven by strategic considerations. By “strategic considerations,” we mean
that leaders choose policies or actions in light of the potential or probable
reaction to them. Nonstrategic individuals pursue their largest goal and act
without regard to the likely reaction of others. A nonstrategic individual,
known as a “sincere” actor, might want as his or her highest preference to
annex the country next door. If the leader does this without considering the
likely reaction of the leader and population next door--both probably disagree
with his decision to annex them--the invading leader is likely to get quite a
shock and end up with an outcome substantially less valuable to him than his
starting point. A strategic actor, on the other hand, would consider the likely
reactions and weigh the costs and benefits (and the likelihood of incurring
either) before deciding to act. Principles takes a scientific approach to the
study of politics. It asks not, “How should
the world work?” or “What events have happened and what actors exist in the
world?” Instead it asks, “How does
the world work?” The kinds of arguments made in Principles, and the kinds of tools this text provides, all lend
themselves to this kind of empirical approach to social science. The results
and arguments presented here are the product of several generations of intense,
data-driven research. Scholars propose various explanations for types of
behaviors or classes of events. Then they and other scholars devise stringent
tests, often involving statistical tests of large numbers of cases, to see if
the theory or prediction is supported in reality. If not, we have a good case
for eventually rejecting that argument in favor of another argument that does match reality. Helpful
Tips for Using This Textbook Read the math. Principles often uses a
mathematical-looking notation to describe or explain things. This type of
notation allows for both more precise and more concise writing of abstract
concepts or relationships. Don’t think of it as math; it’s just an
abbreviation. Be sure that you understand what these abbreviated expressions
are saying. Also, a pencil and paper are generally more useful than a
highlighter when you read this text, especially if your instructor has informed
you that you will be learning the modeling skills presented in the book. Work
your way through any math-like notation as much as you can. Check with your
instructor if you get stuck or are having difficulty translating from math
notation to regular language. Use the resources on this Web site. The summaries, reading questions, quizzes,
walk-throughs, and Web exercises on this site were specifically designed to
accompany the third edition of this text.
Don’t sweat the details. Principles
illustrates its points using a large number of historical examples from a wide
range of time periods and environments. These examples are precisely that:
illustrations. Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, focus on how the
example illustrates or demonstrates the concept rather than on the details of
the examples themselves. Use Chapter 1
to gain a broad overview of key historical developments, and look for
interactions and trends over time. Then, refer back to Chapter 1 as frequently
as you want to help you place historical examples (particularly ones that are
new to you) in the proper international context. Use your instructor’s office hours. Principles
offers a sophisticated and fairly nuanced set of insights into international
affairs. It does this using a set of abstract conceptual tools that are new to
most students. If this is you, do not hesitate to visit your instructor during
his or her office hours, or make an appointment to visit outside of regular
hours if necessary. Instructors all had to learn this material at one point or another,
and it wasn’t that easy for us either. Your instructors can help clarify
complex or confusing concepts, and they often have supplemental exercises and
alternative explanations that they can offer. Most students admit that they
find this approach to politics quite alien at first, but the more they use
these tools and terms, the more comfortable they become. Good luck!
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