A BRIEF EXPLANATION

Principles of International Politics

Principles of International Politics

Question 1

The correct answere is no.4. The field of IR reflects the world's complexity, and IR scholars use many theories, concepts, and buzzwords in trying to describe and explain it. Underneath this complexity, however, lie a few basic principles that shape the field.

IR revolves around one key problem: How can a group-such as two or more nations-serve its collective interests when doing so requires its members to forgo their individual interests? For example, every country has an interest in stopping global warming, a goal that can be achieved only by many countries acting together. Yet each country also has an individual interest in burning fossil fuels to keep its economy going. Similarly, all members of a military alliance benefit from the strength of the alliance, but each member separately has an interest in minimizing its own contributions in troops and money. Individual nations can advance their own short-term interests by seizing territory militarily, cheating on trade agreements, and refusing to contribute to international efforts such as peacekeeping or vaccination campaigns. But if all nations acted this way, they would find themselves worse off, in a chaotic and vicious environment where mutual gains from security and trade would disappear.

Question 2

The correct answere is no.3. This problem of shared interests versus conflicting interests among members of a group goes by various names in various contexts-the problem of "collective action," "free riding," "burden sharing," the "tragedy of the commons," a "mixed interest game," or the "prisoner's dilemma," to name a few that we will encounter in the coming chapters. We will refer to the general case as the collective goods problem, that is, the problem of how to provide something that benefits all members of a group regardless of what each member contributes to it.

Question 3

The correct answere is no. 1. In general, collective goods are easier to provide in small groups than in large ones. In a small group, the defection (free riding) of one member is harder to conceal, has a greater impact on the overall collective good, and is easier to punish. The advantage of small groups helps explain the importance of the great-power system in international security affairs and of the G7 (Group of Seven) industrialized countries in economic matters.

Question 4

The correct answere is no. 3. The collective goods problem occurs in all groups and societies, but is particularly acute in international affairs because each nation is sovereign, with no central authority such as a world government to enforce on individual nations the necessary measures to provide for the common good. By contrast, in domestic politics within countries, a government can force individuals to contribute in ways that do not serve their individual self-interest, such as by paying taxes or paying to install antipollution equipment on vehicles and factories. If individuals do not comply, the government can arrest and punish them or seize their assets. Although this solution is far from perfect-cheaters and criminals sometimes are not caught, and governments ...