Theories of International Relations

Your Name Course and Section Professor’s Name June 15, 2024 Introduction In the global politics and international relations, different theories encompass a variety of approaches that are used by scholars and decision-makers to explain the phenomena. Out of the above theories, liberalism, realism, and constructivism can be highlighted equally despite of the facts that they hold different perception regarding the international politics and institution such as United Nations (UN). Liberalism Liberalism as an approach to international relations concentrates on the cooperation between nations, international organizations and norms as a way of creating harmony among conducting nations. Cooperation is possible through such factors as simulation of ideas and goals, flow of economic resources, emphasis to democracy and human rights. Liberal theorists therefore advance the view that institutions like the United Nations have a key role of encouraging cooperation and regulating global affairs. Finally, from a liberal perspective, the United Nations is viewed as the very keystone of many international relations, peacekeeping, international mediation, and human rights assistance. Liberals therefore call for a stronger UN organization in the areas of deployment in peace making, humanitarian aid, and in the provision of world governance. A good example of involving liberal principles such as multilateralism and cooperation among states is institutions such as the United Nations Security Council with concepts of decision making for forms of conflict. For instance, the UN Security Council, an international organization established with the aim to keep the world safe, represents regions of the world in its makeup, which is in line with liberalism’s tenets of flexibility and consensus-seeking (Finnemore & Sikkink, 1998). Liberalism regards the UN not only as an organization where states can converse and implement their disputes and disagreements in a diplomatic manner but also as an international organization that can foster progressive ideas, enhance the prospects for development, protect the environment and work for justice. In this sense, liberals argue that through encouraging dialogue as well as the formation of consensus the UN helps establish a more interconnected as well as a largely ordered world. Nevertheless, Liberal theorists are inclined to believe that organizations such as the United Nations offers channels through which states a may conduct diplomacy, manage conflict and even coordinate common action in relation to global affairs (Krasner, 1983). Realism Whereas, for realism there is no systematic order in the system and the world is a competitive, self-help system of states. Realists put more emphasis on the concept of sovereignty, status, and power as the key to analyzing the relationships between states. Realists believe that the UN is a representation of the bala...