Understanding International Relations

I.   Two Crises:  Iraq and North Korea

II.  IR as a Field of Study

A.  Overview:  An Interdisciplinary Field

B.  Two Subfields

1.  International Security

2.  International Political Economy

3.  Links between the two

III. Theories and Methods

A.  Descriptive vs. Theoretical Answers to 'Why?'

B.  Competing Theoretical Perspectives

1.  Conservative

2.  Liberal

3.  Revolutionary

C.  Mix and Match

D.  Applying Theory to How States Should Act

IV.  Actors and Influences

A.  State Actors

B.  Nonstate Actors

1.  Substate Actors

2.  Transnational Actors

3.  Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs)

4.  Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs)

V.   Levels of Analysis

A.  Four Levels

1.  Individual Level

2.  Domestic Level

3.  Interstate Level

4.  Global Level

B.  Explanation

VI.  Geography

A.  North-South Gap

B.  Why the Gap?