Michaella Claire P.

Layug INTLORG A51

Review Essay # 1

A State of the Art on an Art of the State authored by Friedrich Kratochwil and John Gerard
Ruggie, Power in International Politics by Michael Barnett and Raymond Duvall and Chapter 6
of the book entitled Bringing Sociology to International Relations World Politics as
Differentiation Theory edited by Mathias Albert, Barry Buzan, Michael Zrn are literature which
all highlight the vital role of international organizations in the global arena. Dominant ideas
within the given texts elucidate how this role has emerged and evolved given the eventualities in
the time before the present and adapt to what would come after; shaped by the theoretical
foundations formulated by scholars of international relations. Anomalies within international
systems affecting the relationship and behavior among great states gave rise to the attempt of
resolution. The article by Kratochwil and Ruggie (1986) elaborate on this point by looking at the
structural basis of international organizations from various analytical perspectives following the
discussion on the shifts in analytical foci. Concepts of power in the international political arena
provided by Barnett and Duvall (2005) support the previous article by closely examining how the
role of international organizations has served as a mobilizing factor of international actors
through the exercise of power. The main arguments stated are central to convincing scholars of
international relations to consider power in its multiple forms and that these forms can coexist
within systems. If done successfully, this method of analysis would lead to the generation of a
better understanding of power and the fundamental role it plays in international politics.
Stratificatory differentiation is explained by Viola (2014) as an important factor in understanding
international systems specifically focusing on sovereign equality as a basis for her arguments.

The aforementioned articles were essential in the process of concept clarification as well as the
construction of a foundational basis for the study of international organizations. The authors
were able to provide ideas which guide the reader in the path of understanding complex
processes of global agenda. Although tackled, further elaboration in the form of recent examples
of state behavior/interaction is needed for a more in-depth analysis. The shifts in focus of
international organizations from resolution to prevention within political and economic realms as
well as the development of global agenda are particular areas of interest. Practical application
behind agenda setting aside from theoretical perspectives could also be given more attention. I
have always recognized the importance of international organizations in managing matters of
global concern. The most imperative role of the United Nations for instance, aim toward conflict
resolution mostly on humanitarian intervention. It would be interesting to know whether
dominant international institutions such as the UN is successful with their functions in this
specific aspect or if they have somehow indirectly contributed to incidents of conflict which
resulted to fatalities from one nation to another. All over the world, the alarming progression of
humanitarian crisis necessitates intervention. International organizations forge cooperation
between states; an act which reason for occurrence is explained in various forms by the provided
literature. Theoretically sustained arguments as well as structural characteristics which are
essential factors of international politics were also properly substantiated.
Michaella Claire P. Layug INTLORG A51

Review Essay # 2

The second set of articles under part one of the required readings in the course focus on
answering the question Why organize?and looks at cooperation and international institutions.
First among these are Chapters 1,4 and 6 of the book After Hegemony by Robert Keohane
(1984). Within Chapter 1, Keohane establishes a clear definition of cooperation stating that it is
mutual adjustment rather than common interest. Through this, Keohane sets up a foundation
for the rest of his arguments in the following two aforementioned chapters. He considers the
realists assumption more than the institutionalists who he claims are naive on matters of power
and conflict. Keohane further states that forging cooperation is difficult because it involves the
interplay of factors that might be absent under certain conditions. Cooperation entails changes in
behavior of states; states act according to self interest. Given this eventuality, Keohane argues
that discord is necessary for states to alter their behavior and create an environment where
cooperation is more achievable. International institutions find ways around unstable conditions
which are results of conflicting interests and facilitate negotiations for agreements that are
mutually beneficial to the actors involved. Ikenberry, G. John (2001), in his book entitled After
Victory: Institutions, Strategic Restraint, and the Rebuilding of Order After Major Wars explain
how powerful states such as the United States in several circumstances shaped global politics
through opportunities resulting from its pursuit of self interest. Furthermore, Ikenberry higlights
the role of institutions in establishing world order whereby shared values, rules that are agreed
upon as well as the allocation of rights and restraining of power sustain the existence of political
order.

Why states use formal organizations is a question primarily addressed in the article by Kenneth
Abbot & Duncan Snidal (1998). State interaction and international conflict are among the two
matters dealt with by international organizations in behalf of states. A prevailing aspect of this
article Through IOs, states are able to execute tasks and achieve specific goals that could
otherwise be improbable in a decentralized setting. Research surveys on literature provided in the
article by Levy, Young & Zrn (1995) elaborate on ideas regarding regime formation; focusing
on regime analysis and looking at their degrees of effectiveness. Lastly, the article Gridlock:
From Self-Reinforcing Interdependence to Second-order Cooperation Problems by Thomas
Hale, David Held & Kevin Young focuses on three areas of concern in international politics
namely: security, trade and finance. They systematically expound on the concept of gridlock and
its manifestations in the international scene. This article mainly argues that the inability of states
to cooperate across borders will hinder global progress and sustain the gap in governance.

The given articles were able to bolster the points dominant in each of them. Levels of analysis
varied from one article to another, thus providing well-rounded insights on the subject matter.
The question Why Organize was answered in more ways than one through the diverse pool of
concepts which concur that cooperation is a vital factor in global governance. Areas of
differentiation of the aforementioned literature exist only at the point of analytical foci, yet each
element is interlinked therefore aiding the reader in the overall conceptualization of the functions
of international institutions in various economic and political situations. It is apparent that the
interplay of the multiplicity of factors such as power in its many forms and cooperation in
numerous materializations generate different outcomes for states under particular circumstances.
This also depends on the presence of other components which may interfere in the production of
mutual advantages. The articles direct the reader towards the accurate reasonability in examining
capacities and mechanisms of states as affected by international institutions.