The Globalization of International Relations
Ever wonder how countries interact with each other in our connected world? International relations focuses on relationships among the world's governments within a global system that's becoming increasingly interconnected. Globalization brings both benefits (global trade networks, instant communication) and challenges (Brexit, rising nationalism).
The world is divided by the North-South Gap, the most significant geographical division at the global level. This separation between wealthy and developing nations affects almost every aspect of international relations. When countries need to work together, they often face the Collective Goods Problem - how to provide something beneficial to everyone regardless of individual contributions.
Three principles offer solutions to international cooperation challenges: dominance (power hierarchies), reciprocity rewardsforcooperation,punishmentforself−interest, and identity sharedvaluesthattranscendself−interest.
Quick Tip: When analyzing international events, consider which actors are involved - states remain the principal players, but non-state actors like multinational corporations and intergovernmental organizations are increasingly important.
The international system operates at three levels of analysis: individual (human choices), domestic (internal state factors), and systemic (interactions between states). Major historical events like World Wars I and II and the Cold War have fundamentally shaped how this system functions today.