Welcome to the Students of International Relations and the Diplomats!
The principal objective of Cosmopolitikos.com is to provide the students of International Relations and the practitioners with the best set of tools to reach an understanding of World Politics.
You will find on our site:
- The Cosmopoltikos' Notes - Comprehensive summary notes on classic reading in International Relations, theory and concepts.
- International Relations Reading List - An extensive reading list to give a better understanding of International Relations and World Politics for the student and the practitioner alike.
- Digital Library - Free online Classics of Political Thought.
Multipolar Power Systems and International Stability
Posted by Pascal Malouin on October 20, 2008 • Full article
New addition to the Cosmopolitikos' Notes, a comprehensive summary of Karl Deutsch and J. David Singer's “Multipolar Power Systems and International Stability,”. In their article, the authors are attempting to show that multipolirity is more stable than bipolarity and less prone to war. They explain this by the increase of opportunity to cooperate and the decrease of the allocation of attention.
Presidential nomination speeches: McCain vs. Obama
Posted by Pascal Malouin on September 11, 2008
View the nomination speeches of the two contenders in the race for the election of the next President of the United States of America.
Hilary Clinton's Speech at the Democratic Convention
Posted by Pascal Malouin on August 27, 2008 • View the video
View Hilary Clinton's Speech at the Denver's Democratic Convention (August 26, 2008) for the nomination of the next Democratic presidential runner for the November 2008 election.
Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928)
Posted by Pascal Malouin on August 15, 2008 • Full document
Ever wonder what a peaceful world system would look like? This might have been one of the purpose of what brought American Secretary of State Frank B. Kellogg and French foreign minister Aristide Briand to draw the General Treaty for the Renunciation of War, also known as the Pact of Paris. This pact is arguably the most important idealistic inter-war document to outlaw war as a mean of resolution of international conflicts after the Convent of the League of Nations.
Speak Up!
Posted by Pascal Malouin on August 13, 2008 • Contact us!
Cosmopolitikos.com wants to know about your interests and needs. Always aiming for the most relevant tools for students and practitioners of World Politics we need your help in order to provide YOU with the essentials. So, don't hesitate to give us your opinion. <…Speak Up!>
Robert O. Keohane on YouTube
Posted by Pascal Malouin on August 11, 2008 • View the video
Conversations with History's host, Harry Kreisler, interviews theorist of International Relations and author of Power and Interdependence (1977) and After Hegemony (1984), Robert O. Keohane. Entitled "Theory and International Institutions (March 9, 2004)", Keohane talks about institutions, cooperation, theory and their relevance for students and policy makers.
Treaty of Versailles (1919)
Posted by Pascal Malouin on August 9, 2008 • Full document
The lenghtly Treaty of Versailles, negociated by the victorious power in the aftermath of World War I, was for many authors one of the main reason for the instability in Europe during the 1930's and the rise of authoritarian such as Hitler's Germany. One of the most interesting feature of the Treaty remains Part I establishing the League of Nations.
Montevideo Convention on Rights and Duties of States
Posted by Pascal Malouin on August 7, 2008 • Full document
Signed in 1933, the Montevideo Convention states the rights and duties of the States. Furthermore, it contains a formal description of what a State is, or at least what States should be in the classic understanding of it. A must read for all new student of International Relations for a better understanding the basics of statehood and their interaction among the international community.
Kenneth Waltz on YouTube
Posted by Pascal Malouin on July 23, 2008 • View the video
Conversations with History's host, Harry Kreisler, interviews one of the most prominent scholars of International Relations and author of Theory of International Relations, Kenneth Waltz. Entitled "Theory and International Politics (Feb. 10, 2003)", Watlz tells us about the origins of his structural neorealist theory and gives us an overview of how it can explain world events such as the end of the cold war and the conflict in Irak.
On the Manner of Practicing the New Diplomacy
Posted by Pascal Malouin on July 22, 2008 • Full essay
In an essay, Mr. Ambassador of Chile Jorge Heine argues that in today's world the old diplomacy, the “club model”, is not as efficient as in the golden age of national sovereignty. Diplomats need to take the opportunity offered by global technologies and horizontal networks. Mr. Heine analyses, through the lens of his own experience, the changes in the manner of practicing diplomacy.
Chain Gangs and Passed Bucks
Posted by Pascal Malouin on July 21, 2008 • Full article
Anotber new addition to the Cosmopolitikos' Notes, a comprehensive summary of Thomas J. Christensen and Jack Snyder “Chain Gangs and Passed Bucks: Predicting Alliance Patterns in Multipolarity,”. In their article, Christensen and Snyder show that in order to explain the alliance patterns of states with Waltz's structural neorealism, one must complicated with Robert Jervis’ security dilemma offense-defense variables and Barry Polsen’s perception of the strategic incentives.
Structural Neorealism, Regime Theory and the English School
Posted by Pascal Malouin on July 15, 2008 • Full article
New addition to the Cosmopolitikos' Notes, a comprehensive summary of Barry Buzan's “From International System to International Society: Structural Realism and Regime Theory Meet the English School,”. In his article, Buzan attemps to relate the concept of International Society to neorelatism and the regime theory to try and understand the present expansion of the international society to a global scale.
Stephen D. Krasner on YouTube
Posted by Pascal Malouin on July 10, 2008 • View the video
Conversations with History's host, Harry Kreisler, interviews Standford University professor of International Relations and former Director of Policy Planning in the State Department, Stephen Krasner. Entitled "System Change or more of the same (Oct. 29, 2007)", Krasner discusses sovereignty, diplomacy and intervention in the aftermath of September 11, 2001.
War and Natural Born Killers or What we can learn from our cousins
Posted by Pascal Malouin on June 3, 2008 • Full essay
In an interesting article, Robert M. Sapolsky, Professor of Biological Sciences and Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences at Stanford University shows how our nearest cousins, the primates, can teach us tricks about our relationship with violence. Unlike what was thought few decades ago, humans are not naturally aggressive but able to make their own history, of peaceful behaviour and of cooperation. This contradicts the main assumption of the realist tradition which has a pessimistic opinion of human nature, seeing human beings as deeply egotistic, competitive and seeking the maximization of power as a way to ensure its own survival. An article that puts things in perspective... and shows that we might not be as unique after all.
International Relations Lexicon
Posted by Pascal Malouin on June 2, 2008 • Go to Lexicon
A new addition to our set of tools, you can find definitions of terms used in the field of International Relations and World Politics as presented by the leading experts in the domain. No need to go through the whole book or article anymore to find the right definition you can’t remember! Just look it up in our Lexicon. If you want to be an expert in the field, don’t forget to memorize them. As one of my teacher told me once: “Knowing definitions by heart always looks good when you have to discuss in a mondaine evening!
