Which approach, realism or liberalism, best explains international rela- tions today?

Order Instructions

The Question: Which approach, realism or liberalism, best explains international rela-

tions today?

In formulating your essay, be sure to:

•Indicate which aspects of realism or liberalism help us understand world events. Be concrete

and specific. Is international relations primarily about anarchy, self-help, zero-sum games,

and similar realist concepts? Or is it about institutions, collective security, and positive-sum

games? Make sure you clearly define terms and jargon.

•Cite specific, concrete examples—i.e., real-world political events—that you think are better

explained by one approach than the other. These might be examples of cooperation, such

as the Paris Agreement, Iran nuclear deal, or Abraham accords. Or they might be examples

of conflict, such as ISIS terror attacks, China-Taiwan tensions, or the invasion of Ukraine.

Your examples should involve international events, not simply events that occurred outside

the United States.

•Consider counterarguments. You’re not just arguing that realism or liberalism helps us un-

derstand world politics. Rather, you’re arguing that one approach helps us understand world

politics better than the other. Explain why your preferred approach is better.

Guidelines:

•You are not required to incorporate additional sources beyond the course readings, but you

may find that you need to consult additional sources in order to develop your real-world

examples. Be sure to employ reputable sources. Blogs, substacks, Wikipedia, cable news,

random websites, and YouTube clips are not acceptable. Examples of acceptable newspaper

sources include The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Financial

Times, Los Angeles Times, and other major daily outlets. International news sources, such

as the BBC or the Guardian, are also acceptable. Examples of acceptable newsmagazines

include The Economist, Bloomberg, The Atlantic, Foreign Affairs, Mother Jones, Forbes,

and similar long-established sources. Consult with your TA if you have concerns about a

particular source.

•All sources must be thoroughly documented, including assigned course readings.

Any reference to a source must be properly cited. See this link for guid-

ance: https://supportjudicialaffairs.sf.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk216/

files/files/page/Avoiding%20Plagiarism.pdf. Be sure to include a separate list of ref-

erences. (The list of references is not included in the word count.) All submissions will be

filtered through TurnItIn’s plagiarism detector.

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•Essays should be approximately 1,000 words in length, ±50 words. Use a standard 10–12pt

font with 1” margins. Format your essay according to the American Political Science As-

sociation’s (APSA) style guide, located at https://connect.apsanet.org/stylemanual/.

(You may arrange with your TA to use a different style guide, if preferred.)

•Essays should be logically and coherently organized, with an introduction, a conclusion, and

a precise thesis statement. The writing should be clear, concise, and free of grammatical

errors. Excessive errors will lower your grade

Essays will be graded according to the following rubric:

•Understanding: Shows a strong grasp of relevant concepts from realism and liberalism; clearly

defines key terms and concepts; clarifies how the approaches differ.

•Application: Applies specific realist and liberal concepts to real-world events in a plausible

way; identifies aspects of international relations that are consistent with the preferred the-

oretical framework; does not ignore theoretical concepts that are clearly relevant; considers

obvious counterarguments.

•Style: Meets expectations for organization, grammar, spelling, writing style, and word count.

•Sources: Uses appropriate sources if needed, such as reputable newspapers and news-

magazines, and avoids inappropriate sources.

•References: Includes full references for all cited sources.