International Relations and Conflict Resolution

This essay discusses the survival or failure of the liberal order depending on the success/survival of (democratic) Western style states in the world and the best perspective between realist and liberal in understanding the history of regional security organizations. The liberal view better provides a better understanding of the history of regional security organizations than the realist view.

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International Relations and Conflict Resolution
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Institution
Date

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International Relations and Conflict Resolution
Introduction
Debates regarding the prospect of relationships amongst the most developed industrial
nations following the Cold War pivot on premises concerning the origins of global political
order. Thus, the conclusion of Cold War generated novel debates concerning international
relations theory (IR). The predominance of the concentration has been directed on describing the
conclusion of Cold War. Realism developments the mainly defined solutions hinging on theories
of anarchy, hegemony, as well as balance1. Realist stability of power hypothesis maintains that
Western organizations are the outcome of balancing to counteract the Soviet menace that offered
the motivation for Western nations to collaborate. However, these theories cannot elucidate the
sources along with ongoing constancy of relations amongst the United States (US), and it
European along with the Asian colleagues2. The essay will look at the survival or failure of the
liberal order depending on the on the success/survival of (democratic) Western style states in the
world and the best perspective between realist and liberal in understanding the history of regional
security organizations3.
Question #2
1 Haass, Richard N., “The Unraveling: How to Respond to a Disordered World,” Foreign Affairs, Vol. 93, No.
6. (2014):70.
2 Fonte, John. Sovereignty or Submission: Will Americans Rule Themselves or be Ruled by Others? (New
York and London: Encounter Books, 2011), 46.
3 Kupchan, Charles, A. No One’s World: The West, the Rising Rest, and the Coming Global Turn. (New York:
Oxford University Press, 2012) 59.

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The liberal international order, which surfaced following the 1945, was loose range of
multilateral organizations, where the United States offered international public goods, like free
trade along with the liberty of the seas plus less established democracies were granted
institutional entrée to the exercise of the US supremacy. The Bretton Woods organizations such
as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as well as World Bank was established whilst the war
was still going on. Until now, the desirability along with sustainability of the liberal order has
been questioned by the Western democracies regarding its efficiency. Donald Trump has claimed
that the expenses of the sustaining the order overshadow its gains whereby Washington could be
better off dealing with its relations with other nations on case-by-case transactional foundation,
ensuring it “flourishes” other than “loses” on every deal. Many critics argue that the basis of the
liberal order is eroding due to the long-standing international supremacy transition that involves
theatrical growing of Asian economies, which include China, and India. In addition, liberal order
has been threatened by the extensive distribution of power from states to non-state players
because of the transformations in technology, politics, and community. Thus, the liberal order is
facing the greatest challenges in generations4.
In the last decade, rocked by financial turmoil, populist revolutions, as well as the revival
of authoritarian influences, the liberal order has faltered and the future is bleak. Based on
political scientist, Larry Diamond, from 2006, the globed has penetrated to a “democratic
depression” where the diffusion of person liberty along with the democracy has to come to a
stop, if not withdrawn. The primary threat emanates from within5. The system’s principal powers
4 Stepan, Alfred & Linz, Juan, J. “Comparative Perspectives on Inequality and the Quality of Democracy in
the Unites States,” Perspectives on Politics 9, no. 4, (July 2011)841–56.
5 Kissinger, Henry. World Order. (New York: Penguin Press, 2014), 112-27.

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are experiencing continued domestic economic plus political vagueness. Over 25 years of
sluggish median wage in the US and some regions of Europe has battered the reliability of elites,
as well as the demand of globalization that has challenged the liberal order. The opening up of
global economies to ever more in terms of trade, immigration and investment has augmented
entire nationwide prosperity; however, it has not amounted to global benefits for huge sections of
society6. The slack financial laws, which came before the 2008 financial predicament along with
the bank bailouts, which came after the crisis have devastated citizens’ confidence in regime, and
the Great Recession destabilized their hold up from unlock capital marketplaces that appeared to
profit only a slim international privileged. Additionally, Trump’s triumph, the resolution by the
preponderance of British electorates to exit the European Union (EU) and an increase of populist
parties in both the affluent north plus south of Europe symbolize signs of threat of liberal order7.
Additionally, the optimism that the EU can offer a model for liberal local integration
somewhere else appears more and more lost threatening the liberal order. The Association of
Southeast Asian Nations, the African Union (AU), South America’s Mercosur, and the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) continue as instruments for only restricted political along with
economic collaboration amongst governments. Russia, and China, for the meantime have utilized
this time of Western self-doubt to advance their forces plus affirm their regional plus geopolitical
concerns. These countries have established organizations that include the Eurasian Economic
Union, along with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which have assisted them legitimize
plus coordinate a comparable political order other than liberal order, which challenges the
6 Starr, Paul. Freedom’s Power: The History and Promise of Liberalism. (Basic Books, 2007)68-95.
7 Ikenberry, John,G. “Why the Liberal World Order Will Survive”. Ethics & International Affairs, 32, no.
1(2018): 17-29.

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Western values of egalitarian power, which discards any outside intrusion towards promotion of
human rights8.
The current primary danger to the liberal order emanates from the swift expansion of a
China, which does not forever seem to understand the fact that immense power comes with vast
obligations. The Western democracies are troubled that China is almost surpassing the US in
power in addition to that when this happens, it would maintain the present order since it
perceives it as an outside burden that reflects others’ interest. The liberal order will unavoidably
seem rather unlike as the 21st-century progresses9. India, China, plus other world economies
would carry on growing, and the US share of the world economy will decline. However,
displacing the US as a global leader will not happen soon. In essence, the liberal order will still
be endangered by the universal distribution of influence away from the states to non-state
players. The information insurgency is placing different international concerns, like monetary
constancy, climate change, pandemics, terrorism, along with the cyber security, on the
international plan at the same period as it is deteriorating the capability of all states to counter.
Question #4
Liberal view better provides a better understanding of the regional security organizations
in the world. The liberalism perspective surfaced in Europe during the 18th-century, as well as it
was developed around the thoughts that were generated by the German Philosopher, Immanuel
Kant. Liberalists accept that states are vital and that they consider that there are other vital
players, like intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), transitional actors and multinational
8 Stepan, Alfred & Linz, Juan,
9 Starr, Paul.

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corporations that are vital components towards regional security. The liberalists place more
emphasis on units within a given system rather than the system10. Liberalism as a political
principle attempts to reduce the authority, which the state would enforce on its people. This
means that citizens have the right to exercise their best interests along with ideologies provided
these characteristics do not threaten the rights along with freedoms of other citizens. The liberal
solution is founded on the use of four tools: the international law; the global organizations; the
political amalgamation; as well as democratization11.
The liberalists claim that the world peace in addition to security can be sustained, as well
as crafted only via the cooperation of the respective governments. In addition, the world peace
must be promoted not only through putting in place measures, such as protecting and promoting
individual rights through different organizations established. For instance, liberalists consider
that the fight against terrorism can be undertaken with legislative interventions, not only via
military interventions. Liberalists believe that collective security is fundamentally an idea that
was utilized when NATO was fashioned to promote regional security. Therefore, NATO was one
of the protection interventions embraced by different allied states. Consequently, when one of
these governments is endangered, then its associates intercede, as well as obliterate the attacker.
This means that all the states in a given region form a community or “organization” to intervene
to stop a prospective threat.
Furthermore, the liberalists claim that at the level of international security, the weapons
control is rendered as having fewer weapons. This implies that having less insecurity issues for
10 Snyder, Quddus Z., “Integrating Rising Powers: Liberal Systemic Theory and the Mechanism of
Cooperation,” Review of International Studies 39, (June 2013): 209–231.
11 Stepan, Alfred & Linz, Juan,

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the governments. Thus, the officers in different states attempt to lower the number of weapons or
remove weapons; however, as well attempt to strengthen the disarming efforts along with
obliterate the unlawful weapon traffic. It is crucial to state that using liberalism does not imply
that conflicts do not subsist, except it implies that liberal nations would intervene only to protect
and strengthen their positions or protect their allies12. Some of the organizations that have been
developed to boost regional security as advocated by the liberalists include United Nations (UN),
NATO, EU, and IFM among others13. UN is the only organization that has a global face that has
more than 190 member states and has the goal of maintaining peace and world security; create
and improve social and economic cooperation among other functions14. NATO is a regional
organization that intervenes with the obligation of annihilating aggressors, which do not
represent direct threat to states of the alliance. On the other hand EU plays an important role
nowadays since its leaders begun to be involved in areas and states situated in European
community. The latest example is Iran as a result of nuclear program. IMF has an important role
in providing funds for legislative purposes15.
Conclusion
The liberal order will continue to face challenges around the world because of the
changing dynamics in the global world, which include insurgencies, changing political and
12 Chorev, Nitsan & Babb Sarah, “The Crisis of Neoliberalism and the Future of International Institutions: A
Comparison of the IMF and the WTO,” Theory and Society 38, no. 5, (March 2009): 459–484.
13 Kusztal, Aleksandra. “Theoretical Foundations of Regional Security in International Relations - The
Overview”. Journal of Science of the Military Academy of Land Forces 49,no.1 (Feb 2017): 183-197.
14 Ikenberry, John,G.
15 Kupchan, Charles, A & Trubowitz, Peter. “Dead Center: The Demise of Liberal Internationalism in the
United States”. International Security 32, no. 2, (June 2007):7–44.

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economic landscape, and populist ideologies. Liberal governments have embraced economic
freedom for political gains, employing free trade as a tool to change plus preserve their favorites,
as well as features of other nations, which are politically along with tactically amiable. Thus, the
liberal view better offers a better understanding of the history of regional security organizations
than realist view.

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Bibliography
Chorev, Nitsan & Babb Sarah, “The Crisis of Neoliberalism and the Future of International
Institutions: A Comparison of the IMF and the WTO,” Theory and Society 38, no.
5, (March 2009): 459–484.
Fonte, John. Sovereignty or Submission: Will Americans Rule Themselves or be Ruled by
Others? New York and London: Encounter Books, 2011.
Haass, Richard N., “The Unraveling: How to Respond to a Disordered World,” Foreign Affairs,
93, no. 6. (2014):70.
Ikenberry, John,G. “Why the Liberal World Order Will Survive”. Ethics & International Affairs,
32, no. 1(April 2018): 17-29.
Ikenberry, John, G. Liberal Leviathan: The Origins, Crisis, and Transformation of the American
World Order. Princeton. Princeton University Press, 2011.
Kissinger, Henry. World Order. New York: Penguin Press, 2014.
Kupchan, Charles, A & Trubowitz, Peter. “Dead Center: The Demise of Liberal
Internationalism in the United States”. International Security 32, no. 2, (2007):7–44.
Kupchan, Charles, A. No One’s World: The West, the Rising Rest, and the Coming Global Turn.
New York: Oxford University Press, 2012.

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Kusztal, Aleksandra. “Theoretical Foundations of Regional Security in International Relations -
The Overview”. Journal of Science of the Military Academy of Land Forces 49,no.1
(Feb 2017): 183.
Snyder, Quddus Z., “Integrating Rising Powers: Liberal Systemic Theory and the Mechanism of
Cooperation,” Review of International Studies, 39, no. 2(June 2013): 209–231.
Starr, Paul. Freedom’s Power: The History and Promise of Liberalism. Basic Books, 2007.
Stepan, Alfred & Linz, Juan, J. “Comparative Perspectives on Inequality and the Quality of
Democracy in the Unites States,” Perspectives on Politics 9, no. 4, (July 2011) 841–56.