Answer questions in paragraphs

POLITICAL SCIENCE 423: WHAT IS NATIONAL SECURITY?

Professor Hartman Week 2

POLS 423 - Security Studies

Key Question

What is the “motivation” of a security-seeking state? What is it that a state wants to achieve/experience in order to feel secure?

POLS 423 - Security Studies

Levels of Analysis Definition:

A taxonomy of theories based on the characteristics of the explanatory (independent) variable.

POLS 423 - Security Studies

Levels of Analysis

•  According to Kenneth Waltz:

1.  First Image – The Individual

2.  Second Image – The State

3.  Third Image – The System

POLS 423 - Security Studies

Fire In the Theater!

•  If a fire broke out in a theater while you were watching a movie, what would you do?

•  What made you react that way?

POLS 423 - Security Studies

What is Power? Definition:

the ability of one actor (A) to get another actor (B) to do something they otherwise would not do.

POLS 423 - Security Studies

2 Parts to Power 1. Control of Resources:

•  Military capability •  Economic Strength •  Other Tangible Resources •  Government/Political Efficiency •  Information

POLS 423 - Security Studies

2 Parts of Power 2. Influence Over Outcomes:

•  Power is always relational. •  “Power over whom?”

•  Power is always situational. •  “Power to do what?”

POLS 423 - Security Studies

Constructing the IR System

POLS 423 - Security Studies

The Prisoner Scenario

Two suspects are arrested by the police. The police have insufficient evidence for a felony conviction, and, having separated both prisoners, visit each of them to offer the same deal. If one testifies (defects from the other) for the prosecution against the other and the other remains silent (cooperates with the other), the betrayer goes free and the silent accomplice receives the full 10-year sentence. If both remain silent, both prisoners are sentenced to only 2 years in jail for a minor misdemeanor charge. If each betrays the other, each receives a 5 year sentence. Each prisoner must choose to betray the other or to remain silent. Each one is assured that the other would not know about the betrayal before the end of the investigation. How should the prisoners act?

Prisoner’s Dilemma Payoffs

Cooperate Defect

Cooperate Both 2 years in Prison

Player 1 Gets 10 Years

Player 2 Gets to go Free

Defect

Player 2 Gets 10 Years

Player 1 Gets to go Free

Both Get 5 Years in Prison

POLS 423 - Security Studies

Player 2

Player 1

Domestic v. International Politics Domestic Politics:

•  Governing Body •  Police •  Understood & Recognized Rules & Laws •  Social Trust

International Politics: •  No Governing Body •  No World Police •  No Binding Rules & Laws •  Low Trust

POLS 423 - Security Studies

The World is Anarchic Base Assumption & Starting Point for the Study of National Security is that the World is Anarchic

How then does that shape our perspective of the motivations of states?

POLS 423 - Security Studies

Grand Paradigm Definition: A brand of theories that share the same ontological and epistemological qualities. In short, a certain global perspective.

•  REALISM •  LIBERALISM •  CONSTRUCTIVISM

POLS 423 - Security Studies

Realism • Anarchy creates a world of uncertainty, with one exception…

• The only certainty is that any one individual/ state can punish and kill another.

• This certainty, with the uncertainty of intentions compels individuals/states to survive through self-help

POLS 423 - Security Studies

Scarcity •  Global affairs is a competitive struggle for hard power and

resources. •  But there is a problem. The most important resources are

SCARCE. •  This scarcity means that there will be winners and losers

in the struggle for resources.

POLS 423 - Security Studies

Relative Gains

States are motivated by what resources they have compared to other states.

Resources are: 1. Finite 2. Scarce 3. A gain for you is a “relative” loss for me

POLS 423 - Security Studies

Realism

The Result of a Self-Help World:

• Pessimistic View of Human Beings • Core Interest is to Survive • Natural & Constant Struggle for Power • Power is Defined in Military Terms

POLS 423 - Security Studies

Liberalism •  Liberals accept the existence of Anarchy, but…

•  Liberals believe in the power of human reason, and believe that rational principles can be applied to international relations.

•  Of course, people are self-interested and competitive up to a point. But they also share many interests in common, and cooperative social action is therefore possible.

POLS 423 - Security Studies

Liberalism

•  Individuals are motivated to live under a rule of law, reason and consistent pattern of behavior (modernization).

•  It is not a struggle over power, but a struggle to reduce the negative influence of uncertainty.

•  Conditions of cooperation produce wealth & prosperity that establish the basis for human interaction.

POLS 423 - Security Studies

Absolute Gains States are motivated by the amount of goods & wealth they have without concern of its relative distribution.

Resources are: 1.  Not finite 2.  Cooperative Management of Production can

produce greater sums of wealth. 3.  Individuals/States are motivated by the

production of wealth.

POLS 423 - Security Studies

Constructivism •  An epistemological argument about the interactions

in the global universe.

•  Alexander Wendt: “Anarchy is what states make of it!”

•  Issue with AGENT ó STRUCTURE dilemma

•  Concepts and values are fluid, fungible, and formed.

POLS 423 - Security Studies

Constructivism • Culture Matters • Identities Matter • Ideas Matter • Institutions Matter

• Most importantly, new technology, travel, and global interaction is creating and setting new global norms and standards of behavior.

POLS 423 - Security Studies

END OF LECTURE

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!

POLS 423 - Security Studies