Skip to main content
  • POLSC101: Introduction to Political Science
    0%
  • Previous
  • Theories of International Relations
    Course Introduction
    Course Syllabus
    Unit 1: Foundational Concepts of Politics
    1.1: What Is Political Science?
    Introduction to Political Science
    1.2: What Does Political Science Study?
    Government and Politics
    From Crusader to Exemplar: Bush, Obama and the Reinvigoration of America's Soft Power
    Power and Authority
    1.3: Is Political Science a Science?
    Research in Political Science
    An Insider View on the Relevance of Political Scientists to Government
    1.4: Political Theory
    Constitutionalism
    Representation in Politics
    Unit 1 Assessment
    Unit 1 Assessment
    Unit 2: Participation and Public Opinion
    2.1: Political Culture
    American Political Culture
    Political Culture
    2.2: Political Socialization and Public Opinion
    Political Socialization
    Political Culture and Socialization in the Information Age
    Public Opinion
    2.3: Media
    Media Influence on Laws and Government
    How Mass Media Forms Public Opinion
    2.4: Interest Groups
    The Interest Group System in American Government
    Interest Groups and the American Political System
    2.4.1: Power of Special Interests
    Lobbying, Special Interests, and "Buying" Influence
    The Bureaucracy: The Real Government
    2.5: Political Parties
    Political Parties
    The Role of Political Parties
    2.5.1: Two-Party vs. Multiparty Systems
    Political Party Systems
    The Two-Party System
    What if We Really Did Have a Multiparty Democracy?
    2.5.2: Comparing Parties and Interest Groups
    Political Parties, Interest Groups, and NGOs
    2.6: Elections
    Campaigns and Elections
    Voter Turnout Since 1945: A Global Report
    2.7: Other Forms of Participation
    Other Forms of Political Participation
    Unit 2 Assessment
    Unit 2 Assessment
    Unit 3: Ideologies
    3.1.1: Democracy
    Types of Government: A Republic or a Democracy?
    The Moral Foundations of Politics: Democracy and Majority Rule
    3.1.1.1: Democratic Capitalism
    Capitalism in the United States
    3.1.1.2: Democratic Socialism
    Democratic Socialism
    What's up with Bernie Sanders and Democratic Socialism Anyway?
    3.1.2: Non-democratic Regimes
    Other Forms of Government
    3.1.2.1: Marxism and Communism
    The Marxist Critique of Capitalism
    The Communist Economic System
    3.1.2.2: Fascism and National Socialism
    Fascism
    Fascists
    National Socialism
    3.1.2.3: Islamism
    Islamism
    The Evolution of Political Islam
    3.2.1: Liberalism
    Liberalism
    3.2.1.1: Classical Liberalism
    Classical Liberalism
    3.2.1.2: Modern Liberalism
    American Liberalism
    3.2.1.3: Libertarianism
    3.2.2.1: Classical Conservatism
    Conservativism
    3.2.2.2: Modern Conservatism
    American Conservatism
    3.2.3: Feminism
    Feminism
    Feminism and Sexism
    3.2.4: Environmentalism
    Environmentalism
    What the US Can Learn from Germany's Stunning Environmental Movement
    3.2.5: Determining Your Own Political Philosophy
    The Traditional Political Spectrum
    Political Ideology
    Unit 3 Assessment
    Unit 3 Assessment
    Unit 4: The State
    4.1: What is a State?
    Functions of the State
    Characteristics of the State
    Nation-States
    4.2: Origins of the State
    State Formation
    Constitutional Government
    4.3: The Future of the State
    Globalization and Culture: The Three H Scenarios
    Unit 4 Assessment
    Unit 4 Assessment
    Unit 5: Political Institutions
    5.1: Federal vs. Unitary Forms of Government
    Divisions of Power
    Why Federalism Works (More or Less)
    5.2: Legislatures vs. Parliaments
    Legislatures
    Parliaments
    A Brief Comparison of the British House of Commons and the U.S. House of Representatives
    5.3: Presidents vs. Prime Ministers
    Types of Democracy
    The President's Many Roles
    Time to Elect the Prime Minister?
    5.4: Bureaucracy and Public Administration
    Bureaucracy
    5.5: Law and the Courts
    Courts
    The Judiciary
    Unit 5 Assessment
    Unit 5 Assessment
    Unit 6: International Politics
    6.1: The International System
    The Peace of Westphalia
    The Challenges of the State System
    Theories of International Relations
    6.2.1: International Institutions and Actors
    The United Nations
    Post-Cold War International Relations
    Modern Foreign Policy: Collective Military Force
    6.2.2: Diplomacy
    Diplomacy Is...
    Public Diplomacy: Ideas for the War of Ideas
    6.2.3: Treaties and International Law
    The History of Public International Law
    Sources and Practice of International Law
    6.3.1: National Security and Thomas Hobbes
    Thomas Hobbes and John Locke
    Hobbes versus Locke: Redefining the War on Terror
    6.3.2: War and Terrorism
    War
    Peace
    The Nuclear Question, Revisited
    Just War Theory
    Terrorism
    6.3.3: Huntington's Clash of Civilizations
    Critique of "Clash of Civilizations"
    Small Worlds and the Clash of Civilizations
    6.3.4: Democratic Peace Theory
    The Ethical Dilemmas of the Democratic Peace Theory in Relation to Copenhagen
    6.4.1: Human Rights
    Overview of the Human Rights Framework
    Human Rights: Past Their Sell-By Date
    6.4.2: Humanitarian Aid and Intervention
    International Humanitarian Policies and Foreign Aid
    Unit 6 Assessment
    Unit 6 Assessment
    Study Guide
    POLSC101 Study Guide
    Course Feedback Survey
    Course Feedback Survey
    Certificate Final Exam
    POLSC101: Certificate Final Exam
    Archived Materials
  • Next
  • Course Catalog
    • All categories
    Arts & Humanities
    • Art History
    • Communication
    • English
    • Philosophy
    • Business Administration
    • Computer Science
    • English as a Second Language
    Professional Development
    • General Knowledge for Teachers
    Science and Math
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Mathematics
    • Physics
    Social Science
    • Economics
    • Geography
    • History
    • Political Science
    • Psychology
    • Sociology
  • Home
  • Specialization Programs
    Specialization Programs MBA Degree Program
  • Help
    Getting Started Help Center & FAQ
Close
Toggle search input
You are currently using guest access
Log in
Course Catalog Collapse Expand
  • All categories
Arts & Humanities
  • Art History
  • Communication
  • English
  • Philosophy
  • Business Administration
  • Computer Science
  • English as a Second Language
Professional Development
  • General Knowledge for Teachers
Science and Math
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Mathematics
  • Physics
Social Science
  • Economics
  • Geography
  • History
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
Home Specialization Programs Collapse Expand
Specialization Programs MBA Degree Program
Help Collapse Expand
Getting Started Help Center & FAQ
Expand all Collapse all
  1. POLSC101: Introduction to Political Science
  2. Unit 6: International Politics
  3. 6.1: The International System
  4. Theories of International Relations

Theories of International Relations

Completion requirements

This section compares and contrasts the various theories of international relations. These theories provide a framework for understanding how states interact with each other in the international system and can be used to help explain situations and actions. Realism, idealism, and constructivism are the three most prominent theories in international relations. Which do you find most convincing?

Click on Theories of International Relations to open the resource.
Back to '6.1: The International System'
Contact site support
You are currently using guest access (Log in)
Policies
Get the mobile app
Powered by Moodle

© Saylor Academy 2010-2024 except as otherwise noted. Excluding course final exams, content authored by Saylor Academy is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Third-party materials are the copyright of their respective owners and shared under various licenses. See detailed licensing information. Saylor Academy®, Saylor.org®, and Harnessing Technology to Make Education Free® are trade names of the Constitution Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization through which our educational activities are conducted.

Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions

Saylor Academy © 2010-2025 except as otherwise noted. Excluding course final exams, content authored by Saylor Academy is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Third-party materials are the copyright of their respective owners and shared under various licenses. See detailed licensing information. Saylor Academy®, Saylor.org®, and Harnessing Technology to Make Education Free® are trade names of the Constitution Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization through which our educational activities are conducted.