Flashcards on International Relations: Realism and Anarchy
International Relations: Realism and Anarchy Explained
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International Security - Theory and Practice
112 cards
Card 1
Question: What does it mean that the systemic "offense-defense balance" is problematic to apply at the level of military technology?
Answer: It means that one cannot speak of a single, system-wide balance of military technologies; specific technologies and weapon systems affect the ease of
Card 2
Question: What influence does the objective offense-defense balance have on state behavior?
Answer: It influences the strategies of individual states and interactions between pairs of states (e.g., whether it's easier to attack or defend), not the gr
Card 3
Question: What does the balance-of-threat theory claim about whom states typically balance against?
Answer: That states typically balance against those states that pose an immediate threat to their survival, not necessarily against the strongest states in th
Card 4
Question: According to Walt, what factors constitute the concept of "threat"?
Answer: A state's aggregate power, offensive military capabilities, geographic proximity, and perceived aggression/intentions.
Card 5
Question: What does defensive realism criticize about Waltz's neorealism and offensive realism?
Answer: That these theories overly deductively assume that anarchy and the need for survival always preclude mutually beneficial cooperation and that states a
Card 6
Question: What is Mearsheimer's main argument that defensive realism challenges?
Answer: Mearsheimer argues that anarchy leaves little room for trust because betraying trust can jeopardize a state's survival; defensive realism criticizes t
Card 7
Question: Why do Waltz's balance-of-power theory and offensive realism inadequately explain the variation in state behavior (cooperation vs. competition)?
Answer: Because while they require states to assess the risks of cooperation and competition, they do not provide mechanisms or explanations for why states ch
Card 8
Question: What implications does the critique of defensive realism have for foreign policy and international outcomes?
Answer: That differences in whether states choose cooperation or competition influence specific foreign policy decisions and outcomes in the international sys
Card 9
Question: According to the text, what security policy problem still operates even in a unipolar world (after the US victory)?
Answer: The security dilemma: US actions that enhance its security diminish the security of other states.
Card 10
Question: According to the text, what impact could the development and deployment of National Missile Defense (NMD) have?
Answer: It could alter the offense-defense balance or the perception of this balance, thereby nullifying the stabilizing effect of mutual deterrence.