Student Book Feature – IR Theory: A Critical Introduction
By focusing on IR myths, & by using films to help understand theories, Weber’s textbook remains a major introduction to the perspectives associated with the study of IR.
How do Public and Private Authority Differ from Public and Private Power as Mechanisms of Global Governance?
This essay begins with an articulation of authority, and the role of legitimacy in acquiring authority. It then defines power, moving away from realist conceptions to other social relations through which power manifests. It analyses how these different conceptions of power translate to authority once legitimacy is established before finally concluding with an examination of market authority as an illustration of interconnectedness of authority and power.
Is Terrorism an Effective Way to Attain Political Goals?
While effective at ensuring the survival of organizations that use such methods, there is scant evidence to support the idea that terrorism achieves political objectives.
A Blessing or a Curse? Aid Rentierism and State-building in Afghanistan
Accountability goes where aid direction flows. Fuelled by foreign aid, the Afghan state tends to be more accountable to donors than to its own people.
A Bloodless War: An Analysis of the Weapons used by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines
Through an analysis of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, this essay sheds some light on the strategies which successful transnational action networks have pursued in their efforts to shape policy .
Screening Global Politics: Visual Culture and International Relations
e-IR is proud to announce the launch of its new series of articles “Screening Global Politics”. The series will function as a rolling series of posts exploring the relationship between global politics and visual culture.
Thomas Hobbes vs. Carl Schmitt
Carl Schmitt is referred to as the Thomas Hobbes of the 20th century due to his tendencies to base his philosophies of the 18th century realist. In the following essay, it will be explained how the realist philosophies of both, the more modern, and the original Thomas Hobbes hold not only similar views but also contrast on key international relations topics. Although Thomas both are classed together as realist, they are nonetheless completely dissimilar on how they define the international system
Threatening the Moral Authority of NGOs: Inequality in the World Polity and the Advent of Regressive Globalisation
For a long time, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were viewed predominantly as socially and morally progressive organisations. Yet, this dominant perception of NGOs as do-gooders has been challenged in recent decades – especially after 9/11. This essay focuses on two of the many potential challenges to the political claims of NGOs: the inequality in the world polity and regressive globalisation.
Review – History of the Peloponnesian War
Thucydides is often cited as the father of realism in IR. This review assesses the arguments for and against his inclusion in the pantheon of International Relations scholarship.
Ottawa’s Struggle to Emerge From the Hemispheric Shadow
Given the billions of dollars in potential trade and US refocusing on Asia, Ottawa would be well advised to develop a comprehensive doctrine or strategy with regards to its relations with the rest of the Western Hemisphere – especially Latin America.
