International relations is the study of state interactions with each other and with international organizations and certain subnational entities (such as political parties, bureaucracies and interest groups). The field is related to a wide variety of academic disciplines, including politics, geography, history, economics, law, philosophy, sociology, and psychology.
Several different explanations for state behavior exist in international relations. Some scholars explore underlying institutions and processes, while others focus on specific events or policy choices that drive states’ actions. Still others consider the influence of international ideas and norms on policy-making, and the role of nonstate actors such as NGOs in shaping global affairs.
One of the most fundamental concepts in IR is sovereignty, a state’s absolute power to control its territory and resources. The concept has a long tradition, originating in Jean Bodin’s Six Books of the Commonwealth in 1576, and continues to be an essential element of contemporary IR. Moreover, a sovereign’s powers can be limited by its obligations to other states and individuals. This’shaming’ of states by the international community is often portrayed as an important tool for changing the behavior of countries with poor human rights records, exemplified by the use of the UN’s 1235 procedure by human rights NGOs such as Amnesty International.
International relations studies developed at the beginning of the 20th century, stimulated by a growing demand for more effective ways to conduct foreign policy; the rise of the United States as a dominant power; the growth of international institutions such as the League of Nations and its successor, the United Nations; and the proliferation of academic journals that explored the subject from a range of disciplinary perspectives. Some examples include Foreign Affairs, the prestigious journal that was founded in 1922; World Politics, which was launched in 1948; the Journal of Conflict Resolution, which bridged peace research with IR in 1959; and International Studies Quarterly, an ISA journal that grew out of work published in the late 1950s.