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International Relations
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What is International Relations?

International Relations is a core field within political science and government studies that examines how states, intergovernmental organizations, and other actors interact across national borders. Students encounter this subject in courses ranging from introductory world politics to advanced seminars on strategic studies and diplomacy. The field draws on competing theoretical frameworks to explain phenomena such as conflict, cooperation, and the distribution of power among nations. Works like E. H. Carr's The Twenty Years' Crisis appear prominently in this literature, offering foundational critiques of idealism that continue to anchor debates about how international order is built and sustained. The tension between rationalist theories and identity-based approaches — including questions around Islam, culture, and global politics — gives the subject its enduring analytical depth.

Student papers on this topic take a wide range of approaches. Some offer broad theoretical surveys of rationalist or liberal frameworks, while others narrow to specific regional case studies, such as the international relations of East Asia and the dynamics between North and South Korea. Historical development essays trace how international relations emerged as a formal academic discipline. Policy-oriented papers address conflict avoidance, prevention, and containment within the international system, and some writers examine overlooked actors, including cities and intergovernmental organizations, as meaningful forces in world politics.

A strong essay on international relations begins with a focused thesis that commits to a specific argument about power, cooperation, or conflict rather than summarizing broad history. Evidence drawn from concrete cases, treaty outcomes, or specific theoretical frameworks carries the most weight. The most common pitfall is treating "international relations" as a topic in itself — effective papers always anchor general claims to particular actors, events, or policy problems.

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Paper Undergraduate

Realism and liberalism in Obama's Syria policy response

Since the introduction of realist thought thousands of years ago, the evolution in terms has led to the introduction of neorealism, and scholars who are proponents of this progressive worldview "have generated two theories of foreign policy, offensive and defensive realism, which both start from the assumption that the international system is comprised of unitary, rational states motivated by a desire for security"2 (Rose, 1998, pg. 149). The overriding tendency of states to act in accordance with their own self-interest forms the basis of realist theories of foreign policy, because as history has routinely demonstrated, instances in which an ideal becomes worthy of self-sacrifice are a rare confluence of cultural circumstances, rather than the normative method of governance.

Paper Doctorate

Political and economic prospects for Pakistan and Syria

This paper describes the economic and political prospects of third world countries. The case of Syria and Pakistan has been discussed with an emphasis on level of economic prosperity and political stability in each of these two countries. The major differences and similarities with respect to political and economic situation of both the countries has also been included in this paper. Stage of democracy in Pakistan has been identified as 'transnational' whereas Syria lacks true democracy and has a closed economic system.

Paper Doctorate

US military support for Israel and its role in Middle Eastern terrorism

The threat of terrorism in the US is the result of many different factors, including the support of the US for Israel, and the way in which foreign policies have impacted on Arabic nations. The writer answers five different questions set by the student, looking at different aspects of the relationship between the US and the Middle East. The role of US actions and favouritism towards Israel is discussed as precursors to terrorist events. The difficulties of a perceived US bias towards Israel are considered in the context of the US acting as a peace broker to bring about peace. Other subjects discussed include whether or not a withdrawal of the US and Middle East politics would reduce the threat of terrorism, and whether or not the global war on terror can ever be won.

Michael Klare's "Thirty Years War": Energy competition and global conflict

Michael assesses the current situation of the world as far as energy consumption is concerned.Machiavelli Niccole is one of the rare writers in the history of America. The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, have dire consequences on America's domestic politics and world affairs. The evolution process of imperialism from capitalism comprises different stages and is critical to all capitalist countries around the world. Tickner is concerned about the growing trend in which the feminist perspective on international relations Fukuyama contends in "The West Has Won" that radical Islam does not constitute a serious alternative to Western liberal democracy.

Essay Doctorate

Realism and idealism in the foreign policies of George Bush and Barack Obama

President George Bush Jr. and President Obama have different leadership approaches in terms of their foreign approaches. This is seen in the way they handled their foreign policy on the war on Al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The study shows how realism oftentimes goes hand in hand and must be to be adopted simultaneously.

Thesis Undergraduate

Terrorist acquisition of weapons of mass destruction and U.S. national security

Weapons of Mass Destructions (WMD) have considerable effect to the economies of both developed and developing countries. In the modern world, most terror groups have resolved to use Weapons of Mass Destruction to harm their enemies. The entire syndicate comprises state actors and the terror group, which intends to destroy the target country. The state actors have direct links or channels of communication with such attackers, foreign allies, and several residential alliances with almost similar connections to the terror groups. Most of the terror groups lack essential materials that would aid in the making of some of the most dangerous weapons such as nuclear bombs. The various forms of attack involved when using lethal weapons include dispersion, dissemination, and detonation. Apart from the overview of the topic, the paper seeks to examine and evaluate the review of Literature, the methodology, analysis and findings, and a summary of the fundamental arguments as well as conclusive remarks.

Paper Doctorate

Kenneth Waltz's three-image theory of international relations

Thoughtfully addressing the question as to why mankind enters war, international relations scholar, Dr. Kenneth Neal Waltz, surveys classical and contemporary theories of the behavior of man found in the…

Paper Doctorate

Media psychology and reality television's effects on viewers

The topic of the proposal is related to media psychology and reality television. Media psychology is an interdisciplinary field that works in collaboration with fields such as neuroscience, computer science, international relations, and philosophy. Media psychology seeks to understand the perceptions, interpretations, uses, responses, and relationships among media and media consumers. Media psychology identifies both the benefits and the drawbacks of media consumption. Media psychology reads media as a text and as an entity with behaviors, relationships, and cultures. Media psychology receives increasing attention in the 21st century as the media landscape of the times is much more rich, diverse, and abundant than other periods in human history. Media is a much larger fixture in more people's lives around the world in the 21st century. The growing consensus among media critics, researchers, theorists, producers, consumers, and distributors is that media affects human behavior and attitudes. Therefore, the relevancy of media psychology augments as time passes.

Essay Doctorate

Reagan's doctrine of sponsoring guerrilla forces against communist regimes

The paper discusses the emergence of the Reagan Doctrine. Political background to the announcement of the doctrine is discussed. Major components of the doctrinal policy are assessed. The paper concludes that the Reagan doctrine has a mixed legacy, supporting democracy in Eastern Europe but also weakening it in Central America.

The leadership and legacy of General David Petraeus

This paper looks at the career and leadership style of General David Petraeus and the applicability of his attributes to other organizations. His rules for living are discussed as his transformational leadership style. The manner in which he has thus far dealt with the recent scandal that was the impetus for his resignation from the CIA is also examined.

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