article link  

https://www.texasobserver.org/the-surge/

Summary: What is the argument? What is the reasoning/evidence behind the argument?（200 words）

Key terms, dates, individuals.

here is an example in the files

Summary:

The national interest is examined through a constructivist viewpoint by Weldes, who believes that realist arguments can not accurately explain the actions of the state in international politics. Melde believes that under the realist perspective, the national interest is too vague of a concept for analysts to correctly judge what actions a statesmen should take.In the realist perspective, the national interest also has the fault of the analyst being unaware of what the “national interest” truly is, since it is up to interpretation. Weldes’ constructivist approach claims that national interest are social constructs created by the state to understand their position with respect to the other states. The state creates these constructs to have a better understanding of what their goals are and the obstacles that may appear in the form of other states or other organizations. The social constructs are created as a way to have an understanding of the surroundings of the state. These surroundings can be identified as other states, non-state organizations, social movements, etc. They are then described in relation to their impact to the state, like being a threat, an ally, or neutral.

Key Terms:

National interest: helps to identify what is important in international politics and to legitimize the actions taken by the state in foreign affairs

“Security dilemma”: states remain in inevitable and perpetual competition without the existence of the supra-state

Quasi-causal: not focused on accurate cause and effect; relies on patterns that can be easily noticed and justified

Domino theory: cold war belief that having one state fall to communism will lead to surrounding states following the first one

Articulation: using keywords from the language to attribute to political situations and events; a catchphrase for political terms

Interpellation: generating recognition and identification; creating a national identity to give illusion of unified state towards a common goal

Individuals:

Steve Smith: “the national interest” is a malleable term that can be used to the advantage of any state that uses it as a defense for their actions

Hans Morgenthau: “the national interest” is a term that can be considered the focus of the states’ actions in international politics

Alexander Wendt: uses constructivist perspective; the interpretations of interests and objects dictate how the state will react to different situations, so national interest will have a fixed meaning with boundaries in place that are different from the situations of other states