Levels of Analysis (Summary)
We have already alluded to the fact that there are three different levels of analysis. There are
a few things to keep in mind related to this:
 As the instructor indicated during the class, to understand international relations, it is
a good idea to utilize three levels of analysis;
 This does not mean that a single THEORY operates at different levels of analysis
o But an approach, like realism, includes many different theories, each operating
at different level of analysis.
 Not all political scientists agree on the difference between some of these levels or the
names of some of these levels.
System level
Here we are looking at the system as a whole.
 We generally consider the world a global system as far as international relations; it is
possible to look at some systems as less than global because the regular interactions
that make up the system may only encompass a few countries. There are also regional
systems dealing with regional issues. In the past, it was common to look at one part of
the world as the “system”.
 What we are saying with a systems approach is that it is the structure and
characteristics of the system that determine the actions of the parts of the system. So,
for example, we would say that American policies are generally determined by its
place in the system as a superpower.
o This implies that any country that would be labeled a superpower would act
the same way as the US in that situation.
 Possible system characteristics to consider as explanations for state behavior:
o Actors in the system:
 Kinds of actors (state/non-state: IGOs, TNCs, NGOs, other groups)
o Interactions (intensity, frequency)
o Distribution of system power
 Poles (unipolar, bipolar, tripolar, multipolar)
 Power change
o Economic Patterns
o Norms of behavior
State Level Analysis
With this level of analysis we are concerned with the characteristics of the state and say that
states with certain characteristics behave certain ways.
Here are some possible characteristics to be analyzed:
 Kind of government structure (democratic, communist, authoritarian)
 Kind of situation (crisis, routine)
 Issue area
 Kind of political culture
 Decision-making process
o Distribution of formal and informal powers among foreign policy actors in a
state;
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 Bureaucracies
 Executives
 Interest groups
 Legislatures
o Public Opinion and its channels
Individual Level Analysis
Here we contend that international relations is determined by the actions of individuals. We
focus not only on great leaders, but how individuals act in certain situations. Among the
characteristics and issues analyzed are the following:
 Cognitive factors such as
o Bounded rationality
o Seeking cognitive consistency
o Wishful thinking
o Heuristic devices
 Emotional Factors
 Psychological factors
 Biological Factors such as:
o Instincts (Ethology)
o Gender
 How people behave in organizations such as
o Role behavior
o Groupthink
 Individual Traits
o Personality
o Physical/Mental health
o Ego
o Personal Experience
o Perceptions
We will explore some of these characteristics, and the specific theories related to them in the
class.
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