Conflict Among States in the International Sphere

History is marked by instances of both cooperation and conflict among states in the international sphere. Realism, liberalism, and constructivism are three prominent paradigms scholars leverage to identify and explain the factors that lead to either cooperation or conflict. These paradigms vary in a number of ways, which often leads to different understandings of international politics and expectations concerning international outcomes. Students selecting this topic should choose TWO of the paradigms and address the following questions: 1)  What assumptions set the foundations for the theories?  2)  How do the theories understand states and their interests? 3)  What outcomes do the theories anticipate? 4)  Which theory, in the student’s opinion, is best able to explain international politics? 5)  Are there real-world examples that support one theory over another? INTRODUCTION: A good introduction is the key to hold your reader. The introduction should suggest the main idea and a brief summary of the entire essay. In terms of formatting, the term paper should be six-to-eight pages (excluding the bibliography) and double-spaced. Students should include their names in the header of each page and page numbers in the footer of each page. In addressing the chosen topic, students should use the materials covered during the course; however, students may also utilize outside sources that may be applicable to their paper’s topic. With respect to any source, the term paper should be accompanied by a bibliography that includes citations to those works cited in the term paper. The bibliography does not count toward the page limitation. *** Important: As we learned, there are two strands of liberalism: (Classic) liberalism (covered in week 3) and Neo-liberal constitutionalism (covered in weeks 4 & 5). Please DISTINGUISH THESE TWO. If you choose one of the two theories, please make sure that you are discussing the correct one.