The 101 On International Relations

Master the fundamentals of international relations with practical guides, insider tips, and strategies for success. This page provides easy-to-follow advice, resources, and techniques to help you research, debate, and lead confidently in any global affairs setting.

For other useful resources on the concepts of International Relations, visit the document below.

Core Concepts

Power, Order & Strategy

1. Security Dilemma
When states arm themselves defensively, others feel threatened and arm too → escalation no one wanted.

Offensive vs Defensive Realism

Offensive: states seek maximum power + dominance
Defensive: states seek security + stability, not endless expansion

2. Hegemonic Stability Theory
Global order is stable when one powerful state maintains rules (Pax Britannica → Pax Americana).

3. Power Transition Theory
War risk spikes when a rising power nears parity with the dominant one.

4. “Thucydides Trap”
Popular version of above. Essentially the rising vs ruling power tension (e.g., China vs USA).

5. Multipolarity vs Bipolarity vs Unipolarity
Number of great powers shapes system stability.

6. Bipolar (Cold War)

Aglobal power structure in which two dominant superpowers each exert significant influence within their respective spheres of influence.

7. Security Community
Group of states so integrated that war between them becomes unthinkable (e.g., EU).

8. Great Power Competition
Strategic rivalry between major states using tech, military, economy, narratives.

9. Gray-Zone / Hybrid Warfare
Conflict below open war: cyber attacks, disinformation, paramilitaries, proxies.

10. Sharp Power
Manipulative influence (disinformation, censorship, propaganda) vs soft power (attraction).

Institutions, Law & Rules (but the real stuff)

Westphalian Sovereignty
Foundational principle: states control what happens inside their borders.

Responsibility to Protect (R2P)
Norm that sovereignty is conditional. The states must protect citizens; if not, intervention may be justified.

Regime Theory
Institutions don’t just coordinate. They create rules, norms, expectations that shape behavior.

Norm Lifecycle
Norms don’t just exist; they emerge → cascade → internalize.

Minilateralism
Small, focused coalitions instead of giant global institutions (e.g., QUAD, AUKUS).

Two-Level Games (Putnam)
Leaders negotiate internationally and domestically at the same time.

Audience Costs
Leaders who threaten and back down risk domestic punishment which implies credibility tool.

Principal–Agent Problems
Leaders delegate diplomacy/military/intelligence… and agents distort outcomes.

Conflict, War & Peace (not obvious terms)

Credible Commitment Problem
Why peace fails: sides cannot trust each other to stick to deals.

Civil War Trap
Institutions collapse → violence → institutions can’t rebuild because violence continues.

Frozen Conflicts
Wars that stop but don’t resolve (e.g., Transnistria, Korea).

Proxy War
States fight indirectly through other countries or militias.

Nuclear Deterrence 2.0 Concepts

MAD: Mutually Assured Destruction
Second-Strike Capability: ability to retaliate even after being hit
Escalation Ladder: step-by-step risk building
Limited Nuclear Use Debate: terrifyingly real academia discussion

Economy, Sanctions & Globalization (non-basic)

Complex Interdependence
States are interconnected not just through trade, but finance, supply chains, norms.

Weaponized Interdependence
Who controls financial systems, chokepoints, tech standards. Who controls power.

Secondary Sanctions
Punishing third countries for doing business with the sanctioned one.

Decoupling / De-risking
Strategic separation of economies (esp. US–China tech).

Resource Nationalism
States asserting control over resources for strategic leverage.

Critical Minerals Politics
Lithium, cobalt, rare earths = new oil.

Global South, Postcolonial & Critical IR

Dependency Theory
Global South economies remain structurally dependent on wealthy states.

Neocolonialism
Control through finance, corporations, IMF conditions, not armies.

South–South Cooperation
Global South aligning with each other instead of traditional powers.

Postcolonial IR
Critiques Euro-centric views of world politics.