1. Why are theories of international relations important?

First of all, international relation is the study of relationship between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organization, international nongovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, and multinational corporations. In our modern society, globalization has made countries dependent with each other due to the rapid flow of goods, services, people, information and ideas that is driven by economic factor, which includes increasing productive potential and creating new opportunities for international trade and investment, technological factor, which involves faster information access and easier international activities, and demographical factor, which involves different characteristics and resources in different areas.
According to the Essentials of International Relations by Karen A Mingst, theory is a set of propositions and concepts that seek to explain phenomena by specifying the relationships among the concepts. So theory of international relation is a set of propositions and concepts that seek to explain international relation phenomena by specifying the relationships among the concepts. Therefore the theory of international relationship is important to analyze political events and their background. For example, behind US attack to Iraq, there were issues of terrorism, Saddam Hussein as an individual, democracy, and weapon. Moreover using the theories of international relationship, individuals can explain why Iraq refused to comply with international demand initially; its strong nationalism, history of being controlled by western colonialist, and its leader’s augmented power by standing up to the west.
Aside from analyzing political events and the background why certain events occur, the theory of international relation is important in terms of building diplomatic relationships within countries. With an understanding about how the international relation works, the characteristics, actors, and constraints of the countries, international decision makers could organize and build suitable agreements that could benefit the countries that involve in the corresponding diplomatical relationship. Moreover, those understanding enable decision makers to provide better solutions to problems of world order.
These advantages can be attained by looking at three levels of analysis from:
• Individual level: Explanation is drawn by focusing on the personality, and perception of individual decision makers. For example, Iraq war is caused by Saddam Hussein, who is an abusive leader that supported terrorist activities against enemies in the West.
• State level: Explanation is derived from the characteristics of the state, which are the types of government (authoritarianism or democracy) and the types of economic system (capitalist or socialist). For example, liberals would emphasize the characteristic of the Iraqi’s states authoritarian nation as the cause of Iraq war.
• International level: Examines state behavior by looking at the international system. In this level of analysis, the international system is the cause and state behavior is the effect. Characteristics of the international system cause states to behave the way they do. Change in the international system will cause change in state behavior. The key variable in the international system is the power of a state within the system. Some states are powerful; others are weak. So for example, the cold war had two powerful states. Therefore the central cause of all state behavior in the cold war was the fact that the USSR and US were the two powerful states in a bipolar system. Today, there is unipolar system – one superpower (or hyper power) -- and that defines the behavior of all other states in the system. (See neo-realism below). So this level of analysis might explain the US intervention in Iraq as a matter of the US, the one and only powerful state, flexing its muscles to police the world against states that threaten it. The US wants to preserve its dominance and therefore crushes all challengers.

2. Define the two major theories of International Relations, Realism and Liberalism.
Realism is a theory that focuses on the shifting distributions of power among states resulting in the balance of power. Its main premise is that every nation state’s goal is to gain power to protect itself from other nations’ attacks. It also keeps the international system intact and as non-threatening as possible. It views individuals as primarily selfish and power seeking. Individuals act in a way in pursuit of its own national interest in terms of power because realism assumes that every nation is a sovereign entity that has the right to rule itself. Main instrument is military power and state diplomacy. Based on Thusydides perspective, in realism, the state is viewed as the principal actor in politics in general. The international institution may participate in it, but only as a side player who is not as important. Decision makers acting in the name of the state are assumed to be rational actors. Moreover, realist countries concern with international issues because for them the states need to protect itself from both foreign and domestic enemies. A state augments its security by increasing its domestic capacities, building up its economic prowess and forming alliances with other states based on similar interest. There is also a constant power struggle between nations and that this conflict cannot end. Even with complex interdependence, there is a basic fight for survival that is the underlying factor. Moreover, in realism cooperation only exists whenever it benefits both nations, which is to gain power or protection. Basically realism does not take anything else into consideration besides survival.
Liberalism highlights the rising number of democracies and the turbulence of democratic transitions. Unlike realism, liberal theory has an optimistic idea of human beings and institutions. It views man as rational, seeking to learn and improve himself. Liberals expect that democracies will not attack each other and will regard each other’s regimes as legitimate and nonthreatening. The spread of democracy, global economic ties, and international organizations will strengthen peace. The rule of law and transparency of democratic processes make it easier to sustain international cooperation. Liberalism highlights the cooperative potential of mature democracies, especially when working together through effective institutions. This theory argues that trade is better than war. Economic interdependence allows states to define and meet their interest in a more successful way than they would if they used military power, leading to the reduction of war intention. It also values the interaction between people, groups, and organization all around the world because it is the best way to improve international societies. Therefore, the main instrument of this theory is international institutions and global commerce that promotes free movement of goods, resources and ideas in order to find cheap resources and to maximize profits.

3. Using assigned readings from the Economist give real world examples that would support the theory of Liberalism and then again using examples from assigned readings in the Economist give real world examples that would support the theory of Realism.
China Coming Down the Track, A railway boom to tie South-East Asia together and boost China’s sway.
Economist Issue January 22nd , 2011, Page 49-50
I think this article would support the theory of Liberalism as it shows and encourage free trade among China and countries surrounded it. China is planning to build high-speed railways with a renewal in the existing one so that the high-cost use of lorries and ships could be eliminated. China’s free trade agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian nations has cut tariffs on most traded goods. China wants to bind its neighbors into an economic sphere with strategic weight. That is when the theory of liberalism takes place. Liberalism highlights the cooperative potential of countries especially working together through effective institutions. This theory also argues that the trade is better than war and that economic interdependence allows states to define and meet their interest in a more successful way. China’s planning to reach Myanmar, with a large but decrepit network would add a converted Indian Ocean port, Vietnam, which opens up the possibility of a circuitous eastern route into South-East Asia via Cambodia and Thailand. This railroad would not only benefit these countries economically, it also gives advantage to the tourism sector. People could easily travel from one place to another with lower cost and also shorter time. This could also support a broader distribution of labor force. Therefore, this theory is international institutions and global commerce that promotes free movement of goods, resources and ideas in order to find cheap resources and to maximize profits.

The Lion Kings? Africa is now one of the world’s fastest growing region.
Economist Issue January 8th, 2011, Page 72-73
Out of the ten fastest growing nation, six of them is located in sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria, Ethiopia, Chad, Mozambique, and Rwanda, all with annual growth rates around 8% or more. Aside from improved economic management, this improvement in Africa’s condition had been driven by China’s increasing demand for raw materials and higher commodity prices. This shows that Africa’s region growth was caused by cooperative economic agreement with other countries in terms of trade, which is a characteristic of a liberalism theory. Moreover the growth also resulted from foreign direct investment as well as foreign aid and debt relief. In the long term, Africa needs to diversify their economies as a way to provide more jobs for its citizen, for example to manufacturing. The plan will need a lot of help from foreign countries in order to succeed and benefit the country. This proves the liberalism theory, which requires economic interdependence among states to improve the condition of countries.

Banyan, With respect to China.
Economist Issue Januart 29th, 2011, Page 42
This article basically talks about how the relationship of China and the United States suffer never-ending disputes with each other; in this case about the value of China’s currency, where both of the countries demand weaker currency to increase and improve their export activities, and China’s promises on intensified military contacts and on public-procurement policies. The theory of realism states that the main premise is that every nation state’s goal is to gain power to protect itself from other nations’ attack, which focuses on the shifting distribution of power to create a non-threatening situation as possible. So a state’s main instrument is military power and state diplomacy. This situation can be seen in China’s attempt to improve its military sector in an aircraft carrier, a “carrier killing”, anti-ship ballistic missile and a “stealth” jet fighter to gain power so that it would have the strengths to protect China from outside attack and creating a balance on military forces among nations. Balancing power among nations gives the nation a sense of relieve as they decrease other nation’s tendency to be aggressive because they knew that their opponent is also equally strong. China is trying to improve its military factor so that they are not left far behind from United States.
Another Go at Being Friends, A troubled year gives way to handshakes, but tensions between the United States and China are likely to grow.
Economist Issue January 15th , 2011, Page 43-44
The tension between United States and China is mainly caused by the disputes from China’s military. China had cut off top-level military exchanges with United States in January 2010 because of Obama’s approval of $64 billion of arms sales to Taiwan. Moreover, communication between the two sides is minimal so both parties decided to set up a hotline between the Pentagon and China’s defense ministry. Two countries’ armed forces are growing increasingly suspicious of one another. China’s keeps on enhancing its military power by purchasing missiles. Although it makes United States aircraft difficult to operate in western Pacific, Chinese still have a long way to go to in order to be comparable with United State’s military power. This ongoing battle in getting the stronger military power between China and United States shows that China demands a balance of power shows a realism theory that a nation’s goal is to gain power to protect itself from other nations attack by improving military power. It also shows that there is a constant power struggle between both states and seems like this conflict between China and United States will never end, which is a strong characteristic of the realism theory.

4. Which theory do you think best explains international relations and why?
I personally think that liberalism is the theory that describes our modern world. According to the theory of liberalism, the nations rely on each other to survive. Liberalism holds that interaction between states is not limited only to political relationship, but also economically. United States and other countries have formed many bilateral or multilateral relationships with one another. As an example, I will talk specifically about the bilateral relationship between United States and India. United States and India have bilateral relationship both militarily and economically. The United States-India defense relationship derives from a common belief in freedom and democracy and seeks to advance shared security interest, which includes maintaining security, defeating terrorism, and preventing the spread of weapons of mass destructions. Moreover they also support each other economically by allowing free trade and direct investment in both countries. From their bilateral relationship, it can be seen that both nations had find a peaceful and clever way to benefit each other. Other than the relationship with United States, India also has bilateral relationship with China, Japan, United Kingdom, and others. United States also have bilateral relationship with Japan, Germany, Indonesia, and other countries. Not only United States and India, other countries also have a lot of military and economic relationship with one another. This interdependence between states allows opportunities for cooperation and broader notion of power, and most importantly increasing the cost of war. This understanding reflects the real situation of international relation today. Most countries do not consider war as a way for solving international problems. They prefer constructing peaceful agreements among nations to create profit or solutions to each country’s existing condition.