POS130 – INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

LEVELS OF ANALYSIS

 Means that the observer and analyst may choose to focus on the international system as a
whole. Parts of the system in interaction with each other or some of its parts in particular.

3 Levels of Analysis
1. Individual Level
 Believes that events and occurrences are a byproduct of a decision made by an individual.
Involves understanding how the human decision-making process leads to policy making.
2. State Level


3. System Level

3 Approaches
1. The nature of humankind approach - examines the human characteristics that affect
world politics.
2. The humans in organizations approach – It studies how people act in organizational
setting such as policy making groups.
3. The humans as individuals’ approach – explores the motivations, perceptions and
impact on world events on specific humans, both leaders and private citizens.

THE NATURE OF HUMANKIND APPROACH

a. PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS
 Focus is the psychological traits of humans not psychological make up
Some people vent their destructive instinct on others rather than on themselves
Frustration-aggression theory = source of international conflictual behavior.
Aggression can be directed to the source of frustration, to a scapegoat or to
himself (suicide)
 Ex. Rise of Hitler to power was caused by mass frustration;
b. BIOLOGICAL FACTOS
 can be explained by biological theories
 Biopolitics – the relations between human’s physical and political nature
 Territoriality – the drive to gain, maintain and defend the exclusive right to a
piece of property-animal instinct

THE HUMANS IN ORGANIZATIONS APPROACH

 How the dynamics of group interaction affect our behavior.

2 CONCEPTS
a. Role Factors
 Ways by which leaders act based on what they think others expect of them.
b. Group Behavior Factors
 People act differently when in a group than when alone.
 Pressure within a group to achieve a consensus. (Groupthink)
 The greater the pressure, the more danger for the replacement of independent
critical thinking.

IMPORTANCE OF CONSENSUS FOR THE LEADERS

 Leaders seek consensus when they make policies because of the belief that this is
important against their opponents
 This also enhances the politician’s self-image as a rational leader.
 Consensus helps leaders to maintain the loyalty and support of their staff.

REASONS WHY SUBORDINATES SEEK CONSENSUS

 They believe in a unified front

  They do not want to be a dissenter that is – the odd man out of the devil’s
advocate because it is psychologically uncomfortable
 By being a dissenter carries with it the risk of disapproval by group members or
exclusion

IMPACT OF THE DRIVE OF CONSENSUS ON POLICY

 Incremental decision-making
- Policy is seldom changed radically or quickly. Decision makers follow
existing policy or to make only marginal changes
 Ignoring or suppressing discordant information and policy options.
- GROUPTHINK favors information and options that fit into current policy
patterns and conventional wisdom
 Failure to evaluate policy options fully.
- GROUPTHINK phenomenon mandates that once a general course of
action is decided upon, negative potential impacts of the policy are
ignored/ In the case of the Iran hostage crisis, after a deadlock in the
negotiation occurred, Carter favored a rescue attempt. Key decision
makers did not appraise the plan for the rescue mission. They did not
consider the evaluation of the mission commander that the probability of
success was ZERO nor did they consider the CIA estimate that at least
60% of the hostages would be killed
 Suppressing or excluding dissenters
- The pressure of GROUPTHINK makes subordinates reluctant to oppose
the preferences of their superiors or to suggest alternatives that do not fit
the conventional wisdom. Subordinates simply say “YES” to their
superiors to avoid being exiled or excluded in the group.

 Choosing the least objectionable policy option.

THE HUMANS AS INDIVIDUALS APPROACH

- Is a decisive element in the making of foreign policy. Differences in the leader’s personalities
may make or break a nation’s foreign policy. It is therefore a matter of who is THERE at a given
moment.
Under the BIOGRAPHICAL APPROACH advocates are interested in the psychohistory of
individual leaders. The question is not what these persons decided, rather it is a question of why
leaders choose certain paths.
What are the internal, psychological factors that motivate decision makers?

1. How I feel - what is the decision maker’s physical and mental health?
2. What I know – What Is the decision maker’s view of history in general: What have been
the experiences of his or her personal history/
3. What I believe – What are the individual’s ideology, perceptions and operation codes?
4. What I want – What factors of ego and ambition affect the individual’s decisions
(Political leaders’ personal interests rather than the leader’s national interest.