Foreign Policy Realism

Extracted Attributes

• Core Focus

  National interest, self-preservation, and continually gaining power.

• Key Principle

  Views world politics as an enduring competition among self-interested states vying for power and positioning within an anarchic global system.

• Primary Actors

  States as rational primary actors.

• Historical Context

  Dominant international relations theory for nearly a century, especially prevalent during the Cold War.

• Key Concept (Morgenthau)

  'Interest defined in terms of power'.

• Approach (Trump Administration)

  Prioritizes commerce over conflict.

• Stance on Liberal Foreign Policy

  Generally critical of liberal foreign policy.

• Application (Trump Administration)

  Forging strong economic blocs to counter rival influence.

• Associated Doctrine (Trump Administration)

  'Commerce above chaos'.

Timeline

• Donald Trump's Middle East Trip commenced, framed as a strategic pivot embodying Foreign Policy Realism, leading to the announcement of nearly $2 trillion in investments from Saudi Arabia and Qatar into the United States. (Source: related_documents, web_search_results)

  2017-05-20

• The Republican Tax Bill (Tax Cuts and Jobs Act) was signed into law, which was criticized in the context of Foreign Policy Realism for potentially escalating the US National Debt. (Source: related_documents, web_search_results)

  2017-12-22

• Discussions around trade de-escalation with China, involving reduced tariffs and a push for regulatory parity (referencing the Phase One trade deal), were part of the broader foreign policy approach. (Source: related_documents, web_search_results)

  2020-01-15

• An Executive Order on pharmaceutical benefits was issued by Trump, utilizing Most Favored Nation (MFN) status to lower drug prices, reflecting a domestic application of the 'commerce above chaos' principle. (Source: related_documents, web_search_results)

  2020-07-24

Diversionary foreign policy

A diversionary foreign policy, or a diversionary war, is an international relations term that identifies a war instigated by a country's leader in order to distract its population from its own domestic strife. The concept stems from the Diversionary War Theory, which states that leaders who are threatened by domestic turmoil may initiate an international conflict in order to improve their standing. There are two primary mechanisms behind diversionary war: a manipulation of the rally 'round the flag effect, causing an increase of national fervor from the general public, and "gambling for resurrection", whereby a leader in a perilous domestic situation takes high-risk foreign policy decisions with a small chance of success but with a high reward if successful. Scholars of international relations have dedicated much research to the practical application of diversionary war. A large percentage investigates Presidents of the United States and their disputed culpability for partaking in diversionary foreign policy. Despite the immense amount of effort and research, scholars have not yet formed a consensus on the accuracy of the theory, and empirical evidence is mixed at best.

Web Search Results

• Realism (international relations) - Wikipedia

  Realism, a school of thought in international relations theory, is a theoretical framework that views world politics as an enduring competition among self-interested states "State (polity)") vying for power and positioning within an anarchic global system "Anarchy (international relations)") devoid of a centralized authority. It centers on states "State (polity)") as rational "Rationalism (international relations)") primary actors navigating a system shaped by power politics, national interest, [...] However, realists are generally critical of liberal foreign policy.( Garrett Ward Sheldon has characterised the priorities of realists as Machiavellian and seen them as prioritising the seeking of power,( although realists have also advocated the idea that powerful states concede spheres of influence to other powerful states.( Common assumptions ------------------ [edit&action=edit&section=2 "Edit section: Common assumptions")] [...] 23. ^#cite_ref-23)"Neoclassical Realism, the State, and Foreign Policy". _Cambridge University Press_. Retrieved 2016-01-14.

• Realism in US Foreign Policy - by Daniel Bessner

  In my last column, I discussed the mid-20th century period, which was formative in shaping how Americans understand foreign policy, international relations, and, ultimately, their role in the world. In this column, I’d like to address one crucial approach to viewing geopolitics that emerged from the experiences of that era: realism. Realism is, by far, the most influential theory of international relations in the American academy. [...] Realism presents an intellectual problem for leftists. Most importantly, realists make a number of good points about US foreign policy and international relations that cannot simply be ignored. It is true, in fact, that it is quite difficult to spread democracy or defend human rights abroad. In my opinion, for instance, a socialist president shouldn’t go around the world sending weapons to promote left-wing movements, as there is just too much uncertainty to make this a wise long-term [...] The first text of modern realism is Hans Morgenthau’s 1948 Politics Among Nations, which has appeared in various editions. Other major realist texts include Kenneth Waltz’s Theory of International Politics and John Mearsheimer’s The Tragedy of Great Power Politics. For recent realist criticisms of U.S. foreign policy, see Mearsheimer’s The Great Delusion and Stephen Walt’s The Hell of Good Intentions.

• Key Theories of International Relations | Norwich University - Online

  The nature of realism implies that seeking a moral high ground is a goal that governments cannot always achieve and that deceit and violence can be highly effective tools for advancing national interests. With homeland defense elevated to the highest priority, remaining morally righteous in the eyes of international organizations can take a backseat to enforcing foreign policy that will improve the nation’s global stature. In modern times, realism is evident in the foreign policies of China and [...] Realism is a straightforward approach to international relations, stating that all nations are working to increase their own power, and those countries that manage to horde power most efficiently will thrive, as they can easily eclipse the achievements of less powerful nations. The theory further states that a nation’s foremost interest should be self-preservation and that continually gaining power should always be a social, economic, and political imperative.

• An Introduction to Realism in International Relations | Latest News

  As noted, realism has been the dominant IR theory for nearly a century—especially prevalent during the Cold War—but many IR scholars find themselves wondering what the future holds for the theory and its role going forward in international security. In a 2018 “Foreign Policy” article, Harvard international relations professor Stephen Walt said that despite government official claims of actions on the basis of realism, both Democrats and Republicans have shown a tendency to view foreign policy [...] Desch says, “Realism has proven so durable as a theoretical lens to understanding international relations and as a guide to statecraft because it is based upon a cold-blooded recognition of the realities of international relations: first, there is no global 9-1-1 states can call when they get in trouble, so they have to take care of themselves. Second, the best way to take care of yourself is to have sufficient power to do so.” [...] 4. Realism is aware of the moral significance of political action. In other words, if a friendly country is being attacked, as much as we may want to help, it may be unrealistic to believe that we can do so without unacceptable risks; 5. Realism does not liken the moral aspirations of a particular nation to the moral laws which govern the universe. So, if one country invades another on the basis of God’s will, realists don’t identify this as a justifiable cause of war;

• Political Realism in International Relations

  unchanging human nature (4). He wants to develop realism into both a theory of international politics and a political art, a useful tool of foreign policy. [...] The keystone of Morgenthau’s realist theory is the concept of power or “of interest defined in terms of power,” which informs his second principle: the assumption that political leaders “think and act in terms of interest defined as power” (5). This concept defines the autonomy of politics, and allows for the analysis of foreign policy regardless of the different motives, preferences, and intellectual and moral qualities of individual politicians. Furthermore, it is the foundation of a [...] Notwithstanding their methodological differences, realists’ assumption is that the state is the key actor in international politics, and that competitive and conflictual relations among states are the core of actual international relations. However, with the receding of the Cold War during the 1970s, one could witness the growing importance of other actors: international and non-governmental organizations, as well as of multinational corporations. This