A broad field, international relations can include the study of global politics, foreign policy, and foreign law. It can also refer to the study of political science disciplines such as anthropology, economics, geography, history, philosophy, and law that focus on international interactions. International relations is often taught alongside other fields in universities, but can also be found in departments dedicated solely to it.
A belief that the people of a state have a right to self-determination and their own government. This belief undergirded America’s intervention in World War II, stifled communism in the wake of the Cold War, and helped usher in the era of globalization and multilateralism.
The idea that outsiders can intervene in the internal affairs of a state if it is failing to protect its populations. Generally, this is considered a violation of sovereignty but can be justified by the need to prevent genocide, crimes against humanity and other violations of international law.
A school of thought that argues states are driven by self-interest and that the international system is inherently anarchic, with each state competing to gain control over its own resources and the interests of its citizens. It is based on the notion that state actors know their preferences, can order those preferences, and are aware of all information relevant to their decisions. Institutionalism combines aspects of liberalism and realism by arguing that institutions can overcome anarchic self-interest and lead to cooperation. This theory draws heavily from game theory.
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