Free International Relations Essay Examples & Topics
865samples
The modern world is deeply interconnected. The relationships between nation-states, non-governmental organizations, and multinational corporations are quite complex. International relations (or IR for short) are exactly the study of those relationships. They are concerned with issues such as global politics and foreign policy, as well as many others.
To write an international relations essay, you should learn about different theoretical frameworks. These theories help understand the interactions between states, the purpose of policies, the history of international systems, etc. Some of the main types of international relations theories are as follows:
Realism deals with “real life.” It attempts to emphasize the importance of national and international security. The fields that are studied most within this theory are history, political science, and economics.
Constructivism analyzes constructed state identities. It is involved with cultural studies as well as sociology and social policy.
Finally, Marxism is the theory that mainly concerns itself with inequalities and socioeconomic imbalances. It is most critical of the international capitalist system and attempts to deconstruct class struggle and marginalization.
It is easy to see why international relations are important. With such a broad subject matter, it is also easy to get lost. That’s why our experts have compiled several international relations essay topics here. We have also collected useful advice and samples for you to study.
How to Pick an International Relations Essay Topic
An appropriate topic is a fundamental part of a successful international relations essay. Considering the possible ideas, selecting an area that is outside your expertise can be detrimental. Therefore, we have created a guide to making the right choice for your assignment.
To pick the right topic, try these steps:
Brainstorm ideas.
One of the vital steps in writing any academic work is the first one. Before conducting any research, write down the ideas that are already present in your mind. Maybe you already have a particular area you want to talk about. For example, you can explore feminism or state sovereignty. Rely on what you know best and what interests you most.
Check credible sources.
Once you have a general idea of what you want to focus on, it is time to find sources. Your best bet is to concentrate on works by established authors in the field of IR (e.g., Alexander Wendt). Of course, you may also rely on websites from well-known organizations. Look for reports and articles online. Check that the information you are acquiring is recent and up to date.
Make sure your ideas aren’t too broad…
With IR being such a multidisciplinary field, it is easy to get swarmed by thoughts. Just remember that you still have a word limit to follow! Writing an essay on climate change and international relations may be way too extensive of a subject. Instead, focus on something feasible yet related – like the Green Theory.
…But also not too specific!
At the same time, choosing a topic that is way too narrow could prove a challenge in its own right. You could encounter trouble in trying to find credible sources. You may find yourself at a loss for what to do for your next step. In this case, you might want to change the topic before it’s too late!
Strive to research.
If you have an idea that is interesting to you, this step will not be a problem. You need to be motivated to find enough valuable sources and write a high-quality essay. It helps to look at authors with differing points of view. This way, you’ll create a compelling argument.
These recommendations should help you write your IR essay. If you still have trouble choosing the right idea, let our topic generator do that for you.
13 International Relations Topics for Essay
Now that you know how to select the perfect topic for your essay, we can begin to do just that. Below you will find a list of 13 international relations essay topics. They will prove helpful in your homework or exam writing practice.
You can use these ideas:
Green Theory – environmental action in international relations.
How liberalism in British politics led to Brexit.
Idealism vs. realism in global diplomacy.
Technology as the silent factor in international relations.
Economic reasons for the start of World War II.
The International Monetary Fund in political economy.
The end of the Cold War through the perspective of realist theory.
A brief assessment of the International Law.
Regulation of international non-governmental organizations.
The role of soft and hard power in current international relations.
Modern diplomacy between the governments of Russia and China.
Feminist theories in the study of international relations.
A Marxist critique of globalization.
As it stands, this list could go on forever. We hope that we managed to illustrate just how diverse the ideas for an international relations essay could be.
5 International Relations Essay Questions
Even after reading through this step-by-step guide and all the topics, you may still find yourself hesitating. This isn’t surprising. The ideas that must be swirling in your head right now would overwhelm anyone!
Here you will find 5 international relations essay questions that will help direct your workflow:
1. What is the difference between classical realism and neorealism?
Introduce realist theory and outline its evolution. Explain the main ideas behind classical realism and neorealism. What were the reasons for the shift between theories?
2. What is the impact of Brexit on the European Union’s foreign policy?
Explain the concept of Brexit. Evaluate the relationship of the European Union with the UK before Brexit. Using literature, illustrate the difference between the EU foreign policy before and after Brexit.
3. Do multinational corporations exploit developing countries?
Outline what makes a corporation multinational. What makes a country developing? Evaluate the relative harms and benefits of a multinational corporation settling in a developing country. Refer to Marxist theory for that purpose. What do you think can be done to minimize the harm?
4. How useful is the distinction between absolute and comparative advantage?
Summarize the theory behind the terms. Compare and contrast the concepts of absolute and comparative advantage. In your opinion, how important is the difference between the two notions?
5. Is constructivism a valid theory in international relations?
Illustrate the ideas behind constructivism and the evolution of the theory. Contrast constructivism against other well-known frameworks. Justify whether you think it is useful.
We are not underestimating the importance of an international relations essay. It is an extensive and complicated field of study. Despite that fact, we still hope that you managed to find this guide useful! Now proceed to look through some international relations essay examples below.
Thank you for reading!
865 Best Essay Examples on International Relations
The theories look at the philosophies which shape the relationships between nations and the key interests of the nations which participate in international relations.
While realism is taken to portray pessimism in the relations between states in the international system, liberalism depicts optimism and positivism in as far as the relations and goals of states in the international system [...]
These conflicts were the areas of open confrontation of interests between the U.S.and the Soviet Union, as they backed up different sides and aimed at reducing the influence of opponents in this part of the [...]
Without abolishing the nuclear weapons, the danger that will always be there is that more and more states will seek to obtain these weapons and this will eventually lead to an increase in the number [...]
The development of technologies and the improvement of business, education, and other services have led to the continuous intercourse between people of various cultures and religions. Huntington introduced the theory that the post-Cold War world [...]
Political nature of the General Assembly and the Security Council hinder the effectiveness of the United Nations in fostering international peace and security.
On the other hand, neo-realists say that the system is defined by anarchy and the reaction of states to anarchy is dependent on the power and capability of the state.
The purpose of this study is to establish the causes and the consequences of the Israeli Palestinian conflict. The question which this study seeks to address include what is the relationship between the conflict and [...]
The need to replace the League of Nations with the United Nations was largely inspired by the failure of the League of Nations to prevent the outbreak of war among nations.
The concept of power balance is enshrined in a political system that defines the behavior of states in the system. The US-led war on Iraq is a historic war of the 21st century because it [...]
The rules and policies produced by the United Nations are not centered on a global involvement in de-weaponizing countries, as everyone is full of fear that a group of terrorists will be able to overtake [...]
The state is considered to be a country since it has its national government and residents. Furthermore, the state is viewed as a legal institution in its relations with others.
The societal changes in India can be approached from a number of perspectives including Sanskritization, westernization, Little/Great Traditions, and the dialectical concept.
Even the balance of power theory has been found to be inaccurate and the tendency of making self serving adjustments to avoid criticisms has also contributed to the fact that realism in international relation is [...]
The first part of the article investigates the most important issues of the book which are relationship between power and interdependence, explanation of change in international regimes and the ideal type of complex interdependence.
The next phase of the conflict ranged from the year 1948 to the year 1967-a phase that was marked by the time the state of Israel was declared and the time the six days war [...]
In fact, it can even be seen today based on the substantial growth of China, the Philippines and various other countries in East Asia that dependency theory is no longer applicable to their current situation.
It seeks to understand the driving forces of the economy and the key actors in the world economy. Governments and economic actors are the key elements in the economy, according to liberalism.
The world is changing rapidly and the changes are likely to lead to a global conflict in the future. The awareness will rekindle the animosities that existed between the civilizations in the past and each [...]
Answering the following question will help understand the war is unjust, why is Iraq and Afghanistan the focus regarding attacks on terrorism, are the allegations against the Middle East be substantiated, is there sinister motive [...]
This is mainly due to the root cause of the conflict in reference to internal and external factors and the possible consequences of the intervention to the parties involved, citizen and the world as a [...]
Privatization of land among developing countries is to blame for the consequences of land grabbing by foreign investors. The problem of land grabbing requires world attention in ensuring access to food security, and environmental preservation [...]
This paper examines the role of science and technology as it has been used to address the challenge of climate change, which is one of the major issues affecting the global societies today.
Realists argue institutions cannot markedly affect the prospects for international peace and stability not only because they lack independent effect on state behavior, but are basically a reflection of the distribution of power in the [...]
He has given numerous examples of today's failing states and has compared them with the stronger and successful states of the world. Unfortunately, all these failures and weaker states are the poorest of the poor [...]
The goal of the collective security was to institute peace and stability whereas the system of balance of power helped to maintain the status quo particularly that of the superpowers.
The Gaza-Israel conflict took a new dimension following the election of the Hamas Party in 2005. The topic "History of the Gaza-Israel Conflict" will focus on the issues surrounding the conflict experienced in Gaza.
Addressing risks to food and safety Food safety and public health entail core issues to the policies of the WFP in addressing food security across the globe.
Diplomacy can be defined as the process of communication and negotiation between official representatives of a state or territory with representatives of another party with the purpose to minimize conflict and maximize peaceful cooperation such [...]
Even though Asia is trying to influence the lives of people in the global society, Acharya observes that the world is yet to recognize its contributions.
Critics also argue that globalization has led to the spread of sweatshops and exploitation of workers from third world countries. However, critics of globalization argue that it has led to the erosion of national borders [...]
The international system dictates the foreign policy of a state implying that changes in the international system would probably affect the foreign policies of a state.
From the war in Iraqi, Oklahoma City bombings the NASA space shuttle upheaval, the September 11 attack, the war in Afghanistan and the current Operation Iraqi Freedom, American government has become the subject of debate [...]
In light of the current energy crisis and the incomplete scientific understanding of the causes and solutions to global climate change, the adopted decision was mandatory for the country to survive.
Given this interplay of international relations and nationalism, this paper examines the view that nationalism has been and continues to be the most significant force in international relations.
This essay gives a brief history of the conflict between India and Pakistan, with special coverage on the genesis of the conflict, historical wars and efforts, which have been witnessed in finding a lasting solution [...]
Under the treaty, the countries that had already developed nuclear weapons, "United States, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom", and other countries that had not developed the weapons signed the treaty to limit mobility [...]
In addition, the effects of HIV/AIDS today are not only confined to the families and individuals infected, but also involve the political, economic, and social factors of the country and people in the country.
After the end of the cold war between nations, the supremacy of state-centric political and military to dictate the local and international politics have severely diminished over the years.
He draws a conclusion that the refugee status could be granted solely to persons whose government does not protect their basic needs, who have no other way but to seek international restitution of such needs, [...]
The Third World, which is popularly referred to the countries of the south or developing countries, consists of many states in Africa, Caribbean, South America, Asia, and those in Central America.
The title of the essay sums up his topic of interest."The Arrogance of Power" is a title that puts the issues that are addressed by this essay into perspective.
Feminist international relations approaches in the past used to be part of the major debate that ensued between the post-positivists and their counterparts, the positivists.
It is important to understand that the signing of the Peace Treaty of Westphalia was predetermined by the objective laws of history, concerned with the fact that the course of a continuous social, cultural and [...]
Nevertheless, the example of the Cold War between the USSR and the USA in the second half of the 20th century proves that, despite the absence of an open armed conflict, both superpowers were in [...]
The system with the core and periphery characteristics was developed by Immanuel Wallerstein and is called World Systems Theory, and it includes the third group of states recognized as semi-peripheral that possess the qualities of [...]
The above-mentioned helps to explain the particulars of the Realist conceptualisation of power in IR, as such that 'comes out of the gun's barrel', on the one hand, and serves as the main indication of [...]
The key member of the alliance in terms of finance and military capability enabled the United States to accomplish its mission as envisaged in the formation of the alliance.
In most cases, globalization means the extensive integration of multiple economies to the point where the significance of national or international networks declines allowing the emergence of national and global networks.
On the one hand, globalization erases many international boundaries to stabilize fair trade and cooperation, and protectionism is necessary to maintain the national identity and economic prosperity of each country separately.
Since the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, the concept of a sovereign has become apparent and seems to be accepted as a matter-of-course. The main problem of the sovereignty principle is that it is contradictory [...]
The world can be split into two main world regions - the 'periphery' and the ' core.' The core nations essentially own and control the main means of production in the world and monopolize the [...]
The winners of the war decided to form the United Nations Organization to prevent similar disasters in the future. The event would change the relationship between the United States of America and the Middle East.
The united nations MDGs were ratified by member states to the United Nations and this signified the beginning of a journey to improve living standards by the end of 2015.
Maritime Piracy as Security and Economic Threat Among the least understood international security danger is the struggle to contain piracy in the Gulf of Aden, Somalia, and the Indian Ocean.
This big concern about the islands was more of a regional matter than anything else, and in that case, there were unsuccessful interventions by the British forces in the late 1960s, to ensure that both [...]
In regards to the CIA, the policy empowered the CIA in doing the spying mission of nations or leaders allied to communism. On the U.S.economy, the policy aimed to protect the economy from the adverse [...]
In effect, the loss of power to international institutions, decentralization of resources and privatization of powers are political economic factors that have worsened political and economic stability of developing countries making them more vulnerable to [...]
However, King Fahd ended extremism in an alternative way, he researched the problem of extremism and then developed a strategy to send extremists to Afghanistan.
Moreover, the belief that the US was the nation assigned the role of fulfilling God's promise to his people and the whole of humanity encouraged them to contribute to the well-being of settlers and natives [...]
However, the signs of the impending catastrophe were visible long before the outlaw recognition of the so-called "LNR and DNR" and even before the launch of this Donbas issue and unacceptable Crimea annexation.
The article begins with relating the events of the negotiation between the high officials of the United States and China held in 2011, and the results they led to.
The West, on the other hand, believes that the nuclear armament drive by these nations is a threat to the rest of the world, hence their collective efforts to avert such a crisis.
As a resultant effect, expanding markets allow warlords to buy and sell commodities throughout the globe; moreover, they continue to take advantage of valuable natural resources in the locality, attracting foreign imperialists on the spot, [...]
According to the writer, the current internal clash that exists in the Muslim world is as a result of the varying interpretations of the teachings of the Quran with modernity.
By world-system, the theory indicates the inter-regional and transnational divisions of labour that divide the world between the rich and the poor, and the powerful and the weak as Macedo and Gounari confirm4.
The greatest of the new policy's contents was the reduction of the interest rates to 5%. The UAE, in their quest to attain economic leadership, ended up creating one of the biggest rifts between the [...]
The levels of analysis include: the system level- in which a particular state is almost defined by the international system, for instance, when the US and USSR were the most powerful states, other state behaviours [...]
In this view, the formulation of a foreign policy tends to consider the long-term effect of the policy and instead of being specific, provides a general guideline to be followed given the involvement of a [...]
The intense desire to re-establish the Jewish nation by the Jewish population was sparked by the underlying beliefs of the Jewish religion with of them being repatriation to Zion.
Before the establishment of the GCC, stability and regional security of GCC countries were threatened by a number of factors including the Iranian revolution, the Iraq-Iran war, and unrest within the member states caused by [...]
Gladstone argues that the Pakistan's support of unlawful terrorist groups such as the Taliban and the Haqqani have undermined the efforts of the United States of America to restore peace and calm in the Middle [...]
This has given it a dominant position in the world political arena and it has also influenced how it deals with other nations."The diplomatic affairs of this country are always under the guidance of the [...]
The main historical event with which the literary work begins is the heyday of the Ottoman Empire and ends with the events that affected the beginning of the First World War.
Nevertheless, its roots in the Middle East date back to as early as the 1750s, allowing it to improve its influence in the Middle East as the region became increasingly vital for Britain and Asia.
For instance, while the borders within the EU might seem quite similar to those between the U.S.and Mexico and the U.S.and Canada, there are significant differences in how the purpose of these borders is perceived [...]
A total of 149 nations, including the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Russia, and China, ratified the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
The proponents of this theory argue that the war between all is a natural human behavior, which is reflected in the interaction of states on the global scale.
In order to establish the hypothesis, the LHC is designed likened as the way the universe is during its birth to extract those fundamental particles that acts on it during its explosion and how this [...]
Indeed, given the quite specific and possibly controversial nature of the differences between the line of managing economic and political issues in China and the Western states, the necessity to incorporate compromises into the management [...]
The institution was formed to solve the problem of the intelligence failure in the collection of information and because of lack of coordination among the Pakistani forces.
The sales of the two-hundred best performing corporations amount to a quarter of the global economic activity meaning the revenues of just two-hundred multinational companies are greater than the economies of all states combined globally, [...]
War as a result of Security Dilemma is said to be constituted by these different variables, thus, resulting in the existence of war between the nations, in this case war between nations occurs as a [...]
Chioza et al.say that among the reasons that makes it possible to intertwine the democratic peace theory with the liberal theory is that many countries are in dire need of peace. There is a good [...]
The rapid growth and development of the Internet in many countries all over the world stirred concerns over the introduction of a multi-stakeholder Internet governance rather than giving the United States full control over the [...]
Vandana2 Shiva in the article The Polarized World of Globalization, laments the effects globalization; she is of the opinion that globalization has negative social, political and economic effects.
The principle responsibility and practice of humanitarian intervention carried out by the international community is to prevent unnecessary deaths, suffering and help in protecting human rights in situations where the sovereign state is either unwilling [...]
From the analysis of the complexities in the administration of the European Union, it is evident that the key area in the genesis of its challenges lies in its quest for harmony in administration.
The paper will discuss the backgroundto the formation of the agreement, its terms and the effects that the agreement has impacted in the politics and the economies of three member countries.
Over and above the shared ideologies, the special relationship has also been shaped by the personal relationship between the British Prime Minister and the president of the United States of the America.
As a result of the conference, certain decisions were made regarding the division of Africa among the European countries, and the countries' rights to their zones of influence and colonial agreements between them were recognized.
Being prepared by the professionals who work at the London School of Economics and Political Science, the University of London International Programs, and the Political Science Department of the University of Prince Edward Island, it [...]
Covert actions or operations in the United States emerged in the 1940s after the creation of the Central Intelligence Agency. That being the case, "a covert operation ensures the identity of the performer or sponsor [...]
As a country deeply rooted in Islam as the source of political ideology, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has continued to shape its international relations based on the staunch belief and practice of the Islamic [...]
In the cold war era, Australia along with the world did not shy away from the use of military power because the war was seen as an ideological battle that would assist in the end [...]
However, demand for the Canadian lumber in the United States was higher earlier in 1962 and there were very minimal understandings between these two countries.[2] The situation only worsened in 1982, the period when the [...]
Even more recently, the animosity between Russia and Ukraine has already resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people and the moderate to severe injury of thousands more.
From this article, I learned about the complex relationship between NATO and Russia and the strategic importance of Finland's decision to join NATO. Overall, the article emphasizes the influence of NATO's presence and the tension [...]
Among all the countries, the US attracted envy and admiration by being the only country with a system that kept all regions in peace without conquering. The US decided to lead democratic countries and support [...]
However, the primary assumption of these ideas is the existence of a liberal international order, which refers to a system of interconnected, regulated connections founded on political, economic, and international liberalism. To conclude, the idea [...]
Both cooperative and conflictive behaviors of great powers within the international system are discussed in the literature on great-power foreign policy.
Pages: 1
Words: 308
Headline Generator
We’ll help you brainstorm great title ideas for your essay, research or speech in no time!
Research Question Generator
Get a list of ideas for your essay or term paper. We’ve prepared the best research question generator.
Title Page Generator
Craft a paper title page with just a couple of clicks. Get it in APA, MLA, Chicago, or Harvard without any effort