Free International Relations Essay Examples & Topics
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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!
785 Best Essay Examples on 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 [...]
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 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.
Political nature of the General Assembly and the Security Council hinder the effectiveness of the United Nations in fostering international peace and security.
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 [...]
The theories look at the philosophies which shape the relationships between nations and the key interests of the nations which participate in international relations.
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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.
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 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 second characteristic of the international system is the existence of different units. The third characteristic of the international system is the unique structure of change systems within each independent unit of influence.
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 [...]
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.
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 societal changes in India can be approached from a number of perspectives including Sanskritization, westernization, Little/Great Traditions, and the dialectical concept.
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 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.
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 [...]
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.
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 [...]
Consequently, the signing of the peace of Westphalia became a hallmark for the development of the principle of international law, which introduced the concept of nation-states and sovereignty in global politics.
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.
Following the views of classical liberalism, they believe that the primary task of the foreign policy of the United States of America is to defend the ideals of freedom and democracy throughout the world.
This research focuses on the effect of cultural imperialism of Arab states particularly the Americanization and its effects on the native Arab culture.
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 [...]
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.
The model was developed in the middle of the twentieth century when the American government needed to evaluate the potential conduct of and choices made by Soviet leaders and political elites.
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 [...]
America has vast interests in the stability of the region for the simple fact that the Middle East is at a very strategic and focal position to meet some of the interests of the American [...]
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 person that represents the country in international relations is the President but the Council of Ministers is in charge of "supervising the implementation of judgments rendered by Union Law Courts and of international treaties [...]
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.
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 [...]
Before the Second World War, the United States of America practiced the policy of isolationism; isolationism can be defined as the state policy of shunning economic or political conflicts with other nations of the world.
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 Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council as Mediators in Middle Eastern Conflicts" explores the conception of the Arab League and its work through the decades.
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, [...]
In 1965 to 1971, he served as the director of the international institute for labor studies, a constituent organization of the international labor organization.
The international organizations depend on the efforts of member nations to help affected nations to deal with conflicts, but over the past several decades, the international community has failed in solving conflicts in various nations.
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 [...]
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.
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 [...]
The formation of international relations in the context of the struggle for independence and strengthening international positions is the area of the Turkish development course that deserves particular attention.
In the beginning, Cros looks at the traditional image of Canada before the end of the Cold War, which was rooted in the culture of the country's population and the world.
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.
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 [...]
These are mainly foreign policies, which direct relations with other states and groups in international affairs. Individuals have found that by working with global NGOs, they can contribute to global affairs and influence international relations.
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.
Even with emergence of the European integration, the issue of including non-European states to the European integration process has resulted in a lot of challenges that have threatened to derail the success of the European [...]
The overall objective of the control is to enhance and promote the culture of the neocolonialist state among the citizens of the targeted countries so as to get access to markets, labor and raw materials [...]
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.
These people are the ones who are in a better position to accelerate the development of Africa because they have the skills that are required to take African states to another level.
In a nutshell, the two theoretical models of international relations have led to the emergence of other divergent approaches and theories that view world politics in a unique way.
Both cooperative and conflictive behaviors of great powers within the international system are discussed in the literature on great-power foreign policy.
While they are optimistic about the advantages that will come along with the expansion of trade and the mechanisms that sustain it, they are conservative in the view that they deny the universal applicability, or [...]
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.
Foreign policy of a country is the essential component for the sound governance of the country as well as keeping good terms with the nations of the world and let the international transaction with full [...]
The far-right conservative Republicans heavily engaged the media to portray questionable facts and attempted to tarnish Clinton's reputation instead of attempting to win based on the merit of their policy.
Nevertheless, as the Baltic States, Trans-Caucasus, and Ukraine decided to choose independent path of development, Russia's plan for the further expansion and decreasing the role of the United States and the European Union in the [...]
One of the crucial "milestones in early modern Germany history" and the one that influenced the international political arena was the Peace of Westphalia.
While some countries, especially in the Middle East and Africa, are the source of the refugees, countries in the west, including the USA and Canada are among the popular destinations.
The mentality that African aid is free is a misconceived idea because African governments are paying a lot of money in loan repayments to their western partners.
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 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.
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.
In the 1990s, civil wars were very common in the sub-Sahara region, especially in the central African region such as Congo, mainly because of the presence of warlords and the effects of the Cold War.
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 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.
To begin with, a discussion will be carried out on the impact of the Peace of Westphalia of 1648 and how it played a significant role of reshaping the state of sovereignty especially after the [...]
The rules of engagement and the laws of armed conflict are aimed at reducing the risk of such events. The thing is that they were not required to act in such a way by the [...]
They had to leverage successful, existing institutions to the hilt; to work to keep the domestic population in overall support of the war effort and take advantage of the enemy's mistakes.
Despite many criticisms and negative arguments about its study, International relations as a discipline cannot be scrapped all together in school curriculums due to the numerous advantages that it poses on the students.
As an effect, the reason as to why Foreign aid has failed is because its main objective has been ignored, and it is not being assessed in light of industrialization and advancement in agricultural.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 [...]
Foreign aid of any kind is offered for the benefit of the receiving country but the donor country may equally benefit indirectly or directly in the event that it wishes to attain any of the [...]
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 [...]
The culture of martyrdom is a threat to the peace process within the Middle East. The presence of organizations and institutions that encourage and tutor suicide bombing activities presents one of the obstacles to the [...]
The lack of systems to ensure that the citizens are the real beneficiaries of foreign aid continues to hamper the ability of Madagascar to sustain its peace process.
Among the positive effects is that an increase in population can lead to the supply of a population that would not have been there in the absence of rapid population growth.
However, the 1948 treaty of Brussels, which saw the participation of France, United Kingdom, Belgium and Netherlands, is considered to lay the groundwork for the formation of NATO.
This gives credence to the idea that a major hallmark of the U.S.foreign policy in the Balkans during the cold war was to discredit communism and prevent its spread.
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.
Thus, it advises the government and seeks to advance the interests of the country in the Asia-Pacific region and internationally. The proliferation of weapons in the region is also an important security threat to the [...]
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.
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.
Thus, Kang's confidence in the effectiveness of economic interdependence as a preserver of peace and stability in the region is in opposition to some events in the history of European countries in the last hundred [...]
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 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 [...]
However, it is perceived that in the 1950s and the 1970s, in Guatemala and Iran, and Chile in that order, the US violated the Doctrine of Nonintervention.
However, it is correct to suggest that more effort needs to be put to bring the different side together and most importantly to bring the region of the Middle East to the core of international [...]
Today it is rather difficult to discuss the US-China relations from one point of view with accentuating only positive aspects of the countries' relationship which can lead to the effective cooperation or with focusing only [...]
Recent advances in neurosciences have offered a wealth of information on the workings of the brain and the interactive processes between the body and mind.
The capital flow ceases to be from the developed to the developing as the developing repays the loan. There is a call to policy makers and financial analysts to question the stability of the developed [...]
This is why it is very important to understand and investigate the validity of the claim by the realist that the rise of China will inevitably lead to international conflict and order.
Pages: 8
Words: 2215
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