MA Dissertation:liberal Approaches To International Relations Proposal Assessment

Central Research Question (CRQ):

To what extent do liberal approaches to international relations provide a richer understanding of U.S. foreign policy towards the decolonisation of the British Empire post- World War II than realism?

Neoliberal institutionalism - The idea that powerful transnational bodies must act as a central focal point in establishing international cooperation, as in this case, countries would not simply be bound together by a common set of values; but rather by membership of a strong organization with actual authority that can influence their behaviour. This point is in sharp contrast to the classical liberal view, which espouses that each individual republic maintains its full independence whilst cooperating with other countries on the basis of mutual trust, rather than due to rules imposed on it by a supranational structure. Realism The theory that there is a state of - anarchy on the world stage since there is no international body capable of imposing checks on the behaviour of nation-states, and that as such, nations must rely on their own strengths and look out for solely for their interests to survive in a self-help system.

2/5 This international state affairs, according to realism, is due to human nature which drives men to desire power, wealth, and territory at the expense of others. Moreover, since states are man-made institutions, it is inevitable that the nature of states will mirror

Proposed Dissertation Structure (with word counts):

Introduction (1500 words):

Say that this dissertation will show that liberal approaches to international relations do not to any extent offer a richer understanding of U.S. foreign policy towards the decolonization of the British Empire post- WW2 than realism does; rather on the contrary, realism provides a far richer understanding on this issue.

Mention that this dissertation will demonstrate this claim by analyzing three case study examples in U.S. foreign policy towards the British Empire post-WW2; namely, (1) U.S. support for Indian independence from British imperial control throughout the tenure of President F.D. Roosevelt, (2) the U.S. firmly backing Egypt against the UK during the 1956 Suez Crisis, and (3) heavy U.S. pressure on the UK to grant independence to its African colonies throughout the 1950s and 60s.

Through analyzing each case study, this dissertation will show to what extent the above foreign policy decisions of the United States can be explained through classical liberalism (which will be the purpose of chapter 1), through neoliberal institutionalism (which will be the subject of chapter 2), and through realism (which will The dissertation will find that all three above examples of U.S. opposition to the continuation of the British Empire post-WW2 can be best explained by realism, and that neither of the two main liberal approaches offer a comprehensive explanation of this issue.

Chapter 1:

How classical liberalism can be used to provide an understanding of U.S. foreign policy towards the decolonization of the British Empire post-WW2. (4100 words)

• How, if at all, U.S. Support for Indian Independence from the British Crown can be explained from a classical liberal angle.
• How, if at all, U.S. Support for Egypt against Britain during the Suez Crisis can be explained from a classical liberal angle. How, if at all, heavy U.S. pressure to compel Britain to grant independence to its African colonies after World War II can be explained from a classical liberal angle.

Chapter 2:

How neoliberal institutionalism can be used to provide an understanding of U.S. foreign policy towards the decolonisation of the British Empire post- WW2. (4100 words)

• How, if at all, U.S. Support for Indian Independence from the British Crown can be explained from a neoliberal institutionalist angle. How, if at all, U.S. Support for Egypt against Britain during the Suez Crisis can be explained from a neoliberal institutionalist angle.
• How, if at all, heavy U.S. pressure to compel Britain to grant independence to its African colonies after World War II can be explained from a neoliberal institutionalist angle.

Chapter 3: How realism can be used to provide an understanding of U.S. foreign policy towards the decolonisation of the British Empire post-WW2. (4100 words)

• How, if at all, U.S. Support for Indian Independence from the British Crown can be explained from a realist angle.
• How, if at all, U.S. Support for Egypt against Britain during the Suez Crisis can be explained from a realist angle.

Key Theoretical/Conceptual Frameworks (CRQ):

Classical Liberalism The model envisaged - by Immanual Kant, which proposes that a world of constitutional republics would lead to global peace and cooperation. The assumption was that liberal republics would institute free-market economic systems inside their territories; and that after financial freedom was entrenched within each respective state, they would then seek free trade with each other, thereby establishing economic cooperation. This model continues by proposing that economic cooperation would eventually give way to economic interdependence, thus leading to global pacificism since it would be far too damaging to the interests of any country to go to war against its trade partners, so the possibility of confrontation would thereby be removed.

Neoliberal institutionalism - The idea that powerful transnational bodies must act as a central focal point in establishing international cooperation, as in this case, countries would not simply be bound together by a common set of values; but rather by membership of a strong organisation with actual authority that can influence their behaviour. This point is in sharp contrast to the classical liberal view, which pennuses that each individual republic

Are you struggling to keep up with the demands of your academic journey? Don't worry, we've got your back! Exam Question Bank is your trusted partner in achieving academic excellence for all kind of technical and non-technical subjects.

Our comprehensive range of academic services is designed to cater to students at every level. Whether you're a high school student, a college undergraduate, or pursuing advanced studies, we have the expertise and resources to support you.

To connect with expert and ask your query click here Exam Question Bank