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Nature of International Relation

International relations is a dynamic field that is shaped by changing global politics. After World War II, the world became divided between NATO countries led by the US and Warsaw Pact countries led by the USSR. The collapse of the Soviet Union led to US dominance but now China, India, and others are influencing global affairs. International relations draws on various social sciences and examines how states pursue their national interests through power within this changing international system defined by continuous interactions among nation states. The protection of national interests and struggles for power are core concerns of the field.

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959 views2 pages

Nature of International Relation

International relations is a dynamic field that is shaped by changing global politics. After World War II, the world became divided between NATO countries led by the US and Warsaw Pact countries led by the USSR. The collapse of the Soviet Union led to US dominance but now China, India, and others are influencing global affairs. International relations draws on various social sciences and examines how states pursue their national interests through power within this changing international system defined by continuous interactions among nation states. The protection of national interests and struggles for power are core concerns of the field.

Uploaded by

Usman Janjua
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Nature of International Relation

The nature of a subject refers to the characteristics of that subject. In that sense, the natures of

International relations are in the following:

Changing Nature of International relations:

The nature of international relations Is dynamic. International relations is a thorough analysis of what
is happening in world politics. The post-World War II period saw a huge shift in world politics.
World politics was divided into two poles, such as the NATO led by the USA and the Warsaw Pact
led by the USSR. The collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s led to a kind of single polarity in
world politics. However, economically growing Asian countries such as China, India, Singapore,
Vietnam and various South American countries such as Brazil are all significantly influencing world
politics. So, it is clear that international politics is moving towards multi polar again. Then growing
importance of non-state actors like NGO (Non-Governmental Organization), MNC (Multinational
Companies) etc, are also discussed in the field of International relations. International Relations as an
academic discipline discusses the changing pattern of contemporary world.

As an Interdisciplinary Subject

All social science subjects are interdisciplinary in nature. International Relations also is an
interdisciplinary field of study in which other disciplines in social science such as history,
economics, political science, philosophy, geography, culture, etc, are interconnected.

State is the primary actor in IR

In the field of international politics, State is the sole and unitary actor. The state has always been a
major player in international relations. The state’s behaviour as a major driving force in international
politics is also studied in international relations.

National Interest and power are the core of IR

The protection of national interests is the main goal of the state. With this goal in mind, the state
engages in relations with other states and the national power of the state will be able to satisfy its
national interests. Thus, it is seen that the issues of national interest and the role of national power in
fulfilling those interests are considered as the core of IR.

Struggle for Power


According to Morgenthau, International politics is the struggle for power. I have already said that
power is the means of national interest. So, power politics is the key theme of IR.

Continuous Interaction among Nation States

No state in the present world is self-sufficient. Every state is dependent on each other. Hence the
need for interconnectedness and that is possible only because of the interaction among different
states. International Relations also discuss the foreign policies of different states and how they
behave each other.

Analytical and Empirical Study for Theory Building

International Relations uses analytical and empirical method as well for the theory building. There
are several theories in IR. For example, Idealism and Neo-Liberalism is the result of the analytical
study, and Realism and Neo-Realism are the result of an empirical study.

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