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Preferred term

international relations theory  

Definition

  • International relations (IR) theory is an area of social theory that seeks to account for international or world political events, patterns, relations, and interactions. Traditionally, as the concept implies, the focus of IR theory has been on the study of interstate relations and interactions: mainly on why states go to war with each other and why, under certain conditions, they may refrain from doing so. [Source: International Encyclopedia of Political Science; International Relations, Theory]

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https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/international_relations_theory

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