Group 1 - Outline

Group 1: Vũ Ngọc Minh
Nguyễn Quỳnh Trang

Topic: Realism
1. Definition: Realism in its various forms is based on the assumption that

individuals act rationally to protect their interests.
2. Arguments for this ideology:
2.1. States are primary actors acting in a unitary way to pursue their national
interests.
- Within the international system, realists see states as the primary actors that
act in a unitary way in pursuit of their national interest
- National interests are generally defined in terms of maximizing power and
security relative to other states.
E.g. A fine example of realist principles in action is the Concert of Europe

consisting of great powers, namely Great Britain, Russia, Austria, France, and
Prussia. It was established after the Napoleonic Wars and aimed to maintain a
balance of power among European states. Realists emphasize that each major
power participated in the alliance to ensure that their interests and sovereignty
were not threatened by other countries.
2.2. States must rely primarily on themselves to manage their insecurity
- States coexist in an anarchic international system characterized by the

absence of an authoritative hierarchy.
+ In the world, countries live together without a central authority to control
them, and no one in charge of everyone
+ Each state is concerned with acquiring more power relative to other states,
competition between states is keen and there is little basis for cooperation.
=> States must rely primarily on themselves to manage their insecurity through
the balance of power and deterrence
E.g. After the post-Cold War (1950-1953) in the Korean Peninsula, no formal
peace treaty was signed, and the Korean Peninsula remains divided along the 38th
parallel The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the
Republic of Korea (South Korea) exist in a region without an authoritative
international hierarchy. Both of them try to manage insecurity through the
balance of power and deterrence.
North Korea, under the leadership of the Kim dynasty, pursued a nuclear weapons
program, creating a situation where neighboring states, including South Korea,
Japan, and the United States, had to manage their own security in the face of
potential threats.
South Korea, for example, developed a combination of military capabilities and

alliances, particularly with the United States, to deter aggression from North
Korea. The presence of U.S. military forces in South Korea and the mutual defense
treaty between the two countries serve as a deterrent against potential North
Korean aggression.
In this scenario, the absence of an authoritative international hierarchy in the

Korean Peninsula has led states to rely on their own military capabilities,
alliances, and deterrence strategies to manage insecurity and maintain stability in
the region.
2.3. Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) are not accepted as independent

actors
- Hans Morgenthau, a key figure in modern realism, believed that in the past,
countries used to follow moral rules more closely because they had strong
connections and shared values.
- However, he thought that over time, these moral rules weakened, which
made international law and government largely weak and ineffective.
=> Intergovernmental organizations have minimal influence on state behavior, and

they are used as a tool for states to advance their interests
=> IGOs are not accepted as independent actors.

E.g. In the United Nations (UN), major decisions often require consensus among
powerful member states, and the influence of the UN is limited when powerful
countries pursue their interests independently.
2.4. The influence of nonstate actors in international governance is not

acknowledged
- Power and Security: Realists emphasize the pursuit of power and security as
the primary goals of states. They argue that non-state actors, such as non-
governmental organizations (NGOs) or multinational corporations (MNCs),
may have specific interests, but these interests are not seen as central to the
broader concerns of state security and power.
3. Neorealism: a theory devised by Kenneth Waltz’s Theory of International

Politics.
- Emphasizes the structure of the international system for explaining world

politics. A system’s structure is determined by the ordering principle,
namely the absence of overarching authority (anarchy), and the distribution
of capabilities (power) among states.
- What matters are states’ material capabilities; state identities and interests
are largely given and fixed. (Anarchy poses a severe constraint on state
behavior. But how it is defined, and how much of a constraint it imposes on
the possibilities for cooperation and international order, are matters of
dispute and some confusion among both neorealists and neoliberals.)
- The possibilities for international cooperation are logically slim, but not
impossible. Many neorealists do recognize the emergence of international
regimes and institutions but believe their importance has been exaggerated.
A case demonstrating neorealism is the Cold War rivalry between the United
States and the Soviet Union. Neorealists would analyze this conflict through the
lens of power distribution and systemic constraints rather than focusing solely on
individual leaders’ intentions.
4. Other frameworks of Realism perspective
4.1 Strategic or Rational Choice Theory

- This assumes that preferences are deduced from the objective and material
conditions of the state. Predicated on the view that markets are the most
efficient mechanism of human behavior, strategic choice theorists often use
the language of microeconomic theory to explain state choices. Yet they also
acknowledge that market imperfections may arise.
E.g. In international trade, Rational Choice Theory suggests that states engage in
economic cooperation and agreements when they perceive the benefits, such as
increased access to markets or reduced tariffs, to outweigh the costs.
4.2. Hegemonic Stability and Great-Power Concerts
- This was developed in the 1970s and 1980s to answer the question of how
an open world economy is created and maintained. The theory answers that
these occur through the power and leadership of a dominant or hegemonic
state that uses its position in a liberal international economy in particular
ways.
- Hegemonic stability theory is based on the premise that an open market
economy is a public good. When there is a predominant state with “control
over raw materials, control over sources of capital, control over markets, and
competitive advantages in the production of highly valued goods” (Keohane
1984: 32), it has the means to exercise leadership over other economies as
well as to use its economic power for leverage over other states.
E.g. There are, to date, only two examples of such hegemonic leadership. The first
occurred during the nineteenth century when Great Britain used its dominant
position to create an era of free trade among major economic powers. The second
occurred after World War II, when the United States established the Bretton
Woods system to promote international trade and investment. An important part of
its role was the willingness to pay the costs to make its vision of a liberal economic
order a reality.
References
Karns, M. P., Mingst, K. A., & Stiles, K. W. (2015). International organizations:
The Politics and Processes of Global Governance.
Shvangiradze, T. (2024b, January 18). What was the Concert of Europe?
TheCollector. https://www.thecollector.com/what-was-the-concert-of-europe/
Ganti, A. (2023, May 27). Rational Choice Theory: what it is in economics, with
examples. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/rational-choice-
theory.asp
Camisão, S. a. a. I. (2018, August 5). Introducing realism in International
Relations Theory. E-International Relations.
https://www.e-ir.info/2018/02/27/introducing-realism-in-international-relations-
theory/
Imperial War Museums. (n.d.). A short history of the Korean War.
https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/a-short-history-of-the-korean-war

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Group 1: Vũ Ngọc Minh

Nguyễn Quỳnh Trang

1. Definition: Realism in its various forms is based on the assumption that

2. Arguments for this ideology:

E.g. A fine example of realist principles in action is the Concert of Europe

2.2. States must rely primarily on themselves to manage their insecurity

- States coexist in an anarchic international system characterized by the

South Korea, for example, developed a combination of military capabilities and

In this scenario, the absence of an authoritative international hierarchy in the

2.3. Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) are not accepted as independent

=> Intergovernmental organizations have minimal influence on state behavior, and

=> IGOs are not accepted as independent actors.

2.4. The influence of nonstate actors in international governance is not

3. Neorealism: a theory devised by Kenneth Waltz’s Theory of International

- Emphasizes the structure of the international system for explaining world

4. Other frameworks of Realism perspective

4.1 Strategic or Rational Choice Theory

4.2. Hegemonic Stability and Great-Power Concerts

The Politics and Processes of Global Governance.

Shvangiradze, T. (2024b, January 18). What was the Concert of Europe?

examples. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/rational-choice-

Camisão, S. a. a. I. (2018, August 5). Introducing realism in International

Relations Theory. E-International Relations.

Imperial War Museums. (n.d.). A short history of the Korean War.

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