Summary
Chapter 1: Understanding International Relations

International relations, which are the political, economic, social, and cultural relations
among countries and some non-state actors, are an important part of everyday life.
They impact everything from the phone in your pocket to wars between countries to the
ability of people to move across borders.

Levels-of-analysis are an important framework for understanding international
relations:
o At the individual level are leaders. Scholars focusing at this level emphasize
individual decision makers, their psychological capacity, and their effect on
international relations.
o At the state level, scholars focus on the political or economic characteristics of
states. For example, some scholars theorize that democratic states are very
unlikely to fight wars with each other compared to non-democratic states.
o At the international level, scholars focus on characteristics of the international
system. For example, since states have sovereignty there is no formal
international government. Thus, they exist in anarchy, an important component
of the international level-of-analysis.

International relations is characterized by enduring questions which are recurring,
unresolved, and consequential. These questions have persisted for centuries and
include questions relating to the causes of war and peace, the effect of non-state actors
on international relations, the role of the environment in international relations, and the
best ways to conduct foreign policy, among others.

In international relations, it is important to make connections between theory and
practice, past and present, and aspiration and reality. Connections between
international politics and international economics will also pop up. So will connections
between domestic and international politics.
o Theory and Practice: There are a number of theoretical approaches to
international relations (including realism, liberalism, Marxism, constructivism,
feminism, and critical theory) which are most useful when they are connected to
practice. That is, they help us understand otherwise puzzling things about the
world we observe.
o Parallels with the Past: How people understand the past affects how people
think and act in world politics. Students of international relations should
understand the past.
Introduction to International Relations: Perspectives, Connections, and Enduring Questions
© Joseph Grieco, G. John Ikenberry and Michael Mastanduno, 2022.
Summary
Chapter 1: Understanding International Relations
o Aspiration and Reality: International relations mainly studies the world not as it
should be but as it is. However, the explanations international relations offer for
understanding the world are important as a necessary first step for anyone
seeking to change the state of the world in a direction they feel it should move.

It is also important in IR to examine ideas from different perspectives and to understand
the effect that different perspectives have on crucial situations in international
relations.
Introduction to International Relations: Perspectives, Connections, and Enduring Questions
© Joseph Grieco, G. John Ikenberry and Michael Mastanduno, 2022.