Lead-in: information about the author

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Presentation: Taking preferences seriously

Andrew Moravcsik

Moravscik: Taking preferences seriously

pp 516-528

Before you read

  1. What do you know about the author of the text? What is his contribution to the theory of international relations? Have you read anything by this author before?
  2. Skim the text very quickly and say who it is intended for.
  3. What is the register of the text?
  4. Do some Internet research and look up the information on the following:
  • risk-averse/ risk-acceptant individuals
  • reductionist theory
  • revisionist and status-qou states
  • intensity of preference
  • Pareto efficiency
  • The Macedonian Syndrome

While you read

I. Read the first four paragraphs carefully, pencil in hand and
1) find the following words in the text; try to guess their meanings using the context 2) find Russian equivalents of the words 3) match the words from the list with their less formal synonyms

embed escalate
constraintharmonious
endowmentimplant
exacerbate prone 
alter empower 
consistentrestriction
be subject toinclination
enfranchise provision
propensityfocus
convergemodify

II. Read the text again and elucidate on the following notions:

  • premise
  • prerequisite
  • qualitative category 
  • inconsistencies
  • plausible example
  • restate
  • designate
  • perceive

After you read

I. Answer the following questions:

  1. What insight does Liberal IR theory rely on? What three core assumptions is it based on? What variants of Liberal theory derive from these assumptions?
  2. Elaborate on the concept of «Social identity» within the frameworks of Liberal theory.

II. Summarise the ideas of the chapter

  • Overview of the liberal theory of international relations. Importance of state preferences in understanding international politics
  • Theoretical Foundations (Key concepts; Historical context of liberal thought)
  • The Role of Preferences (How preferences shape state behavior; Comparison with realist and institutionalist theories)
  • Methodological Approach (Two-stage model for research design; Implications for empirical research in international relations)

III. Assess the text critically according to the following criteria:

  • novelty (have you learned anything new?)
  • relevance (is this information relevant? Will it be of any use in your own research paper?)
  • complexity (was it hard to grasp the main ideas of the text?)