IR Theory in International Relations Theory, Realists
In international relations theory, realists generally follow the rational choice or national actor with the assumption that states and their leaders make policy on the basis of calculated self-interest. They follow a utilitarian and pragmatic philosophy in which "decision makers set goals, evaluate their relative importance, calculate the costs and benefits of each possible course of action, then choose the one with the highest benefits and lowest costs" (Goldstein and Pevehouse 127). Individual leaders will have their unique personalities, experiences and psychological makeups, and some will be more averse to risk than others, but essentially they all follow a rational model of policymaking. American presidents are generally skilled politicians as well or they would never have achieved such high office in this first place, and this means that their rational calculations will always include public opinion, the needs of their electoral coalitions and the wishes of various interest groups. On the other hand, IR theorists must necessarily raise the question "to what extent are national leaders (or citizens) able to make rational decisions in the national interest" (Goldstein and Pevehouse 129).
African-American Perspectives on Education for African-Americans Education
The paper will offer a fairly comprehensive perspective on education in the African American community, with more current references as a way to see how the theories of the early leaders Du Bois & Douglass impacted their progeny. The paper will argue that for any group of people in any country or society where they have suffered systemic & institutional oppression, education proves to be both a blessing and a curse, providing bittersweet enlightenment and the tools to foster hope & initiate action.