Free International Relations Essay Examples & Topics
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.
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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!
1128 Best Essay Examples on International Relations
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.
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 [...]
The theories look at the philosophies which shape the relationships between nations and the key interests of the nations which participate in international relations.
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 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 [...]
Pages: 5
Words: 1503
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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 [...]
Political nature of the General Assembly and the Security Council hinder the effectiveness of the United Nations in fostering international peace and security.
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 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 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.
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 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 [...]
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 [...]
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 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.
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Pages: 8
Words: 2276
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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 [...]
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 [...]
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 societal changes in India can be approached from a number of perspectives including Sanskritization, westernization, Little/Great Traditions, and the dialectical concept.
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.
There is barely a country or nation in the present world which has not joined the trend towards globalization or intends to be a part of it in the nearest future.
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 [...]
Thus, the concept of citizenship under the new trend of globalization has led to a change in the concept of citizenship. Globalization has led to the decline of citizenship and the authority of the nation-state.
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 [...]
Pages: 11
Words: 3065
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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 [...]
For instance, the model for the supreme council of rulers, the Trucial states Development council, and the Trucial Oman scouts was adopted as the basis upon which the federation was established.
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
In an attempt to unravel its importance, the writer explores regionalism and discusses a brief history of regionalism and explores that regionalism is important in the study of contemporary international relations because it enhances development, [...]
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.
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, [...]
Pages: 2
Words: 329
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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.
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 [...]
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.
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.
Secondly, the continued loss of sovereignty by most states in the world, due to globalization, may lead to loss of stability of security in the countries.
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 [...]
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 [...]
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.
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 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 [...]
However, the following arguments seek to reinforce the fact that the use of private security contractors is desirable in contemporary settings. Consequently, it is safe to argue that the continued use of private security contractors [...]
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.
The, authors of the book, Relin and Mortenson, approach the post September 11 world with the argument that the most vital weapon for the US to fight the extremism of Islam in the turbulent region [...]
The author of the article Another Intelligence Twist looks at the action of the Bush administration against North Korea based on the intelligence report of the CIA regarding its alleged uranium enrichment program.
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.
Bello argues that the WTO is only serving the interests of the wealthy countries and not the poor. The article demonstrates the nature of exploitation the wealthy nations exert on the poor nations by adopting [...]
The bilateral relation between Paraguay and the United States is one of these beneficial relations that has realized much accomplishments and is also likely to yield more benefits for both the two countries in the [...]
The reasons are on one hand, the great fear to the Soviet Union catch up and expansion, on the other hand the fear of Cuba bring communism domino effect to the Latin America countries and [...]
After the Second World War, there still existed some differences between the European nations on the way forward to settlement and these disparities were the ones that brought to the fore and set the context [...]
Two-way trade constituted the core of the relations between India and the Emirates for centuries, but the new twist in the interstate relationship began with the establishment of the UAE Embassy in the Indian capital [...]
In response to these attacks, the United Nation's Security Council passed resolutions 1816 and 1838 in 2008, to facilitate the international community to aggressively take part in the management of security in the Horn of [...]
This has always been done without the consultation of the people who are likely to be directly affected by the influx of immigrants in their country. The developing countries have been seen to be only [...]
WTO is one of the international organizations that can be considered as a public good because it is formed by governments which are ready and willing to maintain it.
Since the end of the cold war, U.S.presidents have all placed Latin America at the center of their foreign policies arguing that the region is integral to the role of the U.S.interests.
Because of these challenges, the citizens and the government of Afghanistan together with other countries made a commitment to make the necessary changes in order to rebuild Afghanistan State with the help of US government [...]
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.
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 [...]
Pages: 3
Words: 650
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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 [...]
In 1965 to 1971, he served as the director of the international institute for labor studies, a constituent organization of the international labor organization.
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 [...]
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.
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 [...]
The Security Council is one of the most important organs of the United Nations and it has the mandate to safeguard international peace by ensuring that there is enough security in the world.
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.
All agreements of the WTO start with negotiations, even the formation of the WTO itself was agreed upon after seven years of negotiations, known as the Uruguay Round, to succeed the General Agreement on Tariffs [...]
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.
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 [...]
One is to keep in mind that the original purpose of humanitarian intervention is to save lives. In other words, human security is considered to be the main purpose of humanitarian intervention.
A state's quest for security can be presented as stabilizing in the case of a solid internal socio-economic foundation. While the term is the main determining factor in international politics, it can be viewed as [...]
If I were the president of the US, I would reverse the current trajectory of policies of hostility and focus on the strengthening of the US itself and its closest allies.
Pages: 1
Words: 293
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The agreement, which limits the number of deployed nuclear warheads and delivery systems between the two countries, is a crucial pillar of the nonproliferation regime.
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.
However, Kuwait is not an active purchaser of American weapons and is more considerate of the spending of the country. Its climate is becoming drier and hotter, leading to the shrinkage of the Euphrates and [...]
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.
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.
According to the UEA Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, UAE and New Zealand are united in the common interest and similarity of Emirati Bedouin and M ori culture.
Moreover, regardless of the outcome of the upcoming presidential election in the United States, all of these changes will have a lasting impact on the behavior of other political actors.
The dropping of the nuclear bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima by the United States directly contributed to the initiation of the Cold War. The utilization of the bombs led the Soviet Union to see the [...]
This paper addresses the challenges that led to the framework's creation, the IPEF's four pillars, and the participation of the other nations in the region.
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 my thoughts, I believe that the decision to hunt and kill bin Laden was driven by nationalist sentiments due to the terror war and not the considerations of what was morally and constitutionally right.
The Cold War period was characterized by the rise of the ideas of hard power, linked to substantial human and material damage because of the use of force to promote specific interests.
Pages: 11
Words: 2408
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Since most scholars investigate the rise of the West as the dominant process in the world system for the past 500 years, Abu-Lughod emphasizes the need to restructure the premodern world system.
Thus, for the US as a leading political actor, spying on allies on friends is justified if there is a visible necessity that provides it with an advantage in the international arena.
This report aims to explore the characteristics and trends of earlier mentioned in international relations and to analyze the peculiarities of interaction with neighboring countries and the existing problems in them.
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.
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 [...]
The development of the relations between the United States and the countries in the Middle East is a continuous process, covering the presidential terms of many political leaders.
The book is divided into three; the first part focuses on the history of the world's order from the emergence of the modern state system to the end of the cold war.
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.
In this regard, I will search for scholarly sources and periodicals that evaluate Brexit's impact on the EU internal stability and strength of European integration.
Pages: 1
Words: 297
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