1. What is International Politics?
Review & Preview
東洋大学 国際政治基礎B
LECTURE 1, PART I September 21, 2015
グリーン・H・スティーブン
法学部・准教授
H. Steven Green
Associate Professor
Faculty of Law

2. 学び LIVE
June 22, 2014
I. Quiz
II. What is international politics (IP)?
III. 5 Basic Concepts （概念）

3. I. QUIZ Part 1
Please write “T” if the sentence is true or “F” if it is false.
1. _____ The United Nations is the world’s government.
2. _____ There are almost 200 countries in the world.
3. _____ International organizations are important
because they are places where leaders can talk
and get information.
4. _____ Free trade creates more global wealth.
5. _____ Values and beliefs are NOT useful for IP because
they do not have direct power.

4. INTERNATIONAL POLITICS VOCABULARY
Words are our friends!

5. INTERNATIONAL POLITICS VOCABULARY
State = country
We talk about “states” the way we talk about people:
“States do…” “States want…”
• “Japan trades with China.”
• “The USA wants to cooperate with the UK.”
States are controlled by their own governments
• “The government of Japan” （日本政府）

6. II. What is international politics (IP)?
International politics is the politics of the
international system.

7. What is the international system?
The international system is based on countries and
their relationships with each other.

8. II. What is international politics?
International politics is what happens among the
world’s states:
– Trade 貿易
– Help 援助
– Cooperation 協力
– War 戦争

9. The Study of International Politics
国際政治学
People who study IP try to analyze* all of these
international relationships systematically.
*analyze: 分析する

10. The Study of International Politics
国際政治学
People who study IP try to analyze all of these
international relationships systematically.
We do not just study what one country does:
We study what it does as part of the international system.

11. Without analysis, IP looks very complicated.

12. With the right analysis,
IP looks less complicated
and becomes easier to
understand.

13. III. 5 Basic Concepts
for understanding
International Politics

14. 3 LEVEL CHESS
TOP BOARD
(2 concepts)
MIDDLE BOARD
(2 concepts)
BOTTOM BOARD
(1 concept)

15. TOP BOARD
The ONE most important
thing to know about the
international system is at
this level.
What is the most important
thing to know about
international politics?

16. In a nutshell （簡単に言うと）：
There is no world government.
No ruler(主義者)exists above countries.

17. 1. Anarchy
The international system has
no government.

18. What is international politics (IP)?
IP is politics without a government that controls
or makes decisions for states.
「国際政治とは、共通の主義者の存在しない状
況において、自らより上位の支配者を持たな
い政治体の間で行われる政治である」
-Joseph Nye

19. There are almost 200 countries, so…
there are almost 200 governments.

20. The United Nations (UN) is NOT a
world government.
• The UN cannot make laws.
• It is a place where governments can talk and
debate.

21. Countries cannot call 1-1-9
• Countries must protect themselves
• Sometimes they cooperate
• Sometimes they help other countries
BUT
• The international system is unpredictable and
dangerous （予測不可能で危険だ）, so…
• Countries worry most about security & power
EVERY country has its own military (軍隊),
including Japan. (The 自衛隊 is one of the most
powerful militaries in the world.)

22. TOP BOARD
1. Anarchy
2. Balance of Power

23. 2. Balance of Power
Because of anarchy, states worry about who is becoming
stronger or weaker.
• No state wants to become weaker.
• States make alliances （連盟）with other states
US – Japan- Australia Canada - India
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24. 2. Balance of Power
Many states do not want certain kinds of states to become
more powerful, so they cooperate to fight or contain
them.
• In WWII （第二次世界大戦）, the UK and US cooperated
with the USSR (even though they opposed
communism(共和主義)).
• The EU and the US try to contain Iran’s power.
• The EU, the US, China, Japan and South Korea cooperate
to contain North Korea’s power.
24

25. TOP BOARD
1. Anarchy
2. Balance of Power
MIDDLE BOARD
3. IOs
(International Oganizations)
• States are members of IOS
• Private citizens and companies
are NOT members of IOs

26. 3. IOs: International Organizations

27. IOs: International Organizations
東南アジア諸国連合
Association of
Southeast Asian
Nations

28. IOs
International Organizations
世界貿易機関
国際通貨基金協定 

29. Talking is better than fighting.
IOs are useful places for leaders to get more information
about other states.

30. TOP BOARD
1. Anarchy
2. Balance of Power
MIDDLE BOARD
3. IOs
(International Oganizations)
4. Free Trade （自由貿易）

31. We buy and sell things around the world.

32. 4. Free Trade
Why do almost all countries trade?
• Trade is the easiest way to get what your country needs
• Japan, like most countries in the world, does not have natural
resources such as oil or natural gas.
• Trade creates wealth
• National economies cannot make everything
consumers （消費者） want .
• Trading creates more wealth because demand （需要）
creates innovation.

33. Free Trade
East Asia & Pacific Region, 1970-2006
As trade increases, national wealth also increases.
http://www.oecd.org/trade/whyopenmarketsmatter.htm

34. Free Trade
Even after the 2008 financial crisis（金融危機）, trade creates
wealth.
http://www.zerohedge.com/article/detailed-look-global-wealth-distribution

35. TOP BOARD
1. Anarchy
2. Balance of Power
MIDDLE BOARD
3. IOs
4. Free Trade
BOTTOM BOARD
5. Values and beliefs

36. Human ideas about “right” and “wrong” change.
Slavery （奴隷制度）used to be normal.
5. Values and Beliefs

37. States used to attack civilians during war.
Now it is a war crime（戦争犯罪）
Values and beliefs change

38. • Even states that do not respect human rights
or democracy say they do.
• Democratic states make mistakes, but usually
protect most people’s human rights.
Human rights （人権） & Democracy

39. International exchange changes us, too.

40. NGOs: Non-governmental Organizations
Useful for creating and spreading values.
Private citizens (regular people) can participate in NGOs.
Governments may NOT participate in NGOs. Members of one
NGO often come from many different countries.

41. TOP BOARD
1. Anarchy
2. Balance of Power
MIDDLE BOARD
3. IOs
4. Free Trade
BOTTOM BOARD
5. Values and beliefs

42. TOP BOARD
REALISM: States are most powerful actors and all
their actions try to either increase power or
security (or both.)
MIDDLE BOARD
LIBERALISM: International society changes states’
interests and can persuade them to cooperate
b/c states worry about more than just power or
security.
BOTTOM BOARD
CONSTRUCTIVISM: Ideas, values, culture
determine states’ values, ultimately.

43. POWER OF STATES
POWER OF COOPERATION
POWER OF IDEAS
DIRECT POWER
INDIRECT POWER

44. Power = the ability to get others to do what you
want them to do.
- Carrots (rewards)
- Sticks (punishments)
States have the most power in the international
system.
Power usually means HARD POWER
- Economic
- Military
Power of attraction = Getting others to want what you want
- attraction of ideas, institutions, values, culture
SOFT POWER: The power to persuade
DIRECT POWER: Hard Power
INDIRECT POWER: Soft Power

45. IP Scholars argue about which of these
levels is most important.

46. I. QUIZ Part 1 - ANSWERS
Please write “T” if the sentence is true or “F” if it is false.
1. __F__ The United Nations is the world’s government.
2. __T__ There are almost 200 countries in the world.
3. __T__ International organizations are important
because they are places where leaders can talk
and get information.
4. __T__ Free trade creates more global wealth.
5. __F__ Values and beliefs are NOT useful for IP because
they do not have direct power.

47. END OF LECTURE 1, PART 1