GLOA 720: CAPSTONE

Theoretical
interpretation of ISIS
Paper #3
By Christina Lambert

Choose a global problem and demonstrate how different responses follow from
different theories or worldviews. Which one of these theories do you think best
provides an answer to your chosen global problem? Why? Daniel Drezners book
does the same to analyze an invasion from zombies.

Globalization has made our world very connected- anyone can turn on the news and see
events that are happening thousands of miles away in real time, or log onto Twitter and
communicate with someone in a foreign country. Any problem that happens in one place is
bound to spread to other regions, and that is why the study of global affairs is so important in
todays world.
International relations theories are used to provide perspective into various global issues.
Some of the most well-known theories are realism, neorealism, liberalism, neoliberalism,
constructivism, feminist thought, domestic politics, bureaucratic politics, and basic needs theory.
Any one issue can be applied to these theories, and each will provide a different response. For
example, the issue of the recent terrorist activity in the Middle East that has been brought about
by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), can be looked at through different theories and
show different things.
ISIS, which was previously called the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), was
originally part of al-Qaeda in Iraq and fought American troops in the 2003 invasion of Iraq1.
They became involved in the Syrian civil war, which began in the spring of 2011.2 Due to a weak
central government in both Iraq and Syria, ISIS has been able to spread, gain more followers,
and instigate more violence. ISIS gained widespread attention in the Western world after the
beheadings of two American journalists and a British aid worker in 2014, which were recorded
on video.3 Although ISIS had been on the United States (US) radar for a decade, the beheadings
catapulted the terrorist organization to the forefront of the world stage. The US has responded
1 ISIS Fast Facts, CNN, accessed October 2, 2014,
http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/08/world/isis-fast-facts/
2 ISIS Fast Facts, CNN, accessed October 2, 2014,
http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/08/world/isis-fast-facts/

with airstrikes, saying that the threat of ISIS planning an attack on US soil is a very real
concern.4
When looking at ISIS and the response of the US to ISIS, the theories of realism, constructivism,
and bureaucratic politics can be used. According to realist theory, the main actor on the world
stage is Nation-States, and their actions are based on their own self-interest. Realism claims that
there is anarchy in the world without a dominant power, called a hegemony. The US is a NationState, but it is tricky to define what exactly ISIS is. The US views ISIS as a non-state actor,
although ISIS has a different view of itself- they are seeking to remove all borders in the Middle
East and create a caliphate, or a sovereign Nation-State of members of the Islamic faith.5 Under
realist theory, the US does not view ISIS as a Nation-State, so the US is trying to eliminate ISIS
in order for Nation-States in the Middle East, like Iraq and Syria, to regain control of their
rightful territory. As the dominant world hegemony, the US is exerting its power and trying to
restore the world order. The US is also acting in its own self-interest, which is to protect itself
from attack from ISIS and to prevent more Americans in the Middle East from being beheaded or
hurt. And ISIS, believing itself to be a sovereign state, is acting in its own self-interest to unite all
Muslims in one state.

3 ISIS Fast Facts, CNN, accessed October 2, 2014,

http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/08/world/isis-fast-facts/
4 Mark Palmer, Air Strikes Will Never Work, Say the Troops Fighting ISIS,
Newsweek, October 1, 2014, accessed October 2, 2014,
http://www.newsweek.com/2014/10/10/air-strikes-will-never-work-say-troopsfighting-isis-274491.html
5 ISIS Rebels Declare Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, BBC News, accessed
October 2, 2014, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28082962

Constructivism is a very different theory, but it can still pertain to the ISIS crisis.
Constructivism states that there are many actors on the world stage- they include not only
Nation-States, but also international organizations, like the United Nations (UN), non-state
actors, and individuals, too. These actors socialize each other, and this creates norms. In regards
to the ISIS crisis, ISIS is seeking to unite all Muslims, and this will establish a norm of all
Muslims coming together as one and the borders between Middle Eastern countries eliminated to
create one Nation-State. In terms of the US response, the US has taken action to fight ISIS. This
sets the norm of taking action, and it may promote US allies to follow suit and carry out
airstrikes against ISIS.
Finally, the bureaucratic policies theory views bureaucrats as the main actors on the world stage.
Internal decision-making, especially in regards to foreign policy, drives their actions. In terms of
the ISIS crisis, the US decision to carry out airstrikes reflects American bureaucrats in
Washington, DC deciding how the US should respond to ISIS. Bureaucrats could have taken a
different route and made ISIS an ally or trading partner, although they most likely decided to
take action against ISIS as a result of the beheadings of the American journalists and ISIS threats
against the US.
Of these three theories, realism describes the ISIS crisis the best. Realism accurately
identifies Nation-States as actors who are engaging in power conflicts and struggles. This is what
is happening as the US tries to battle ISIS. Realism also brings up the concept of chaos and
anarchy in the absence of a hegemony. As the world hegemony, the US is asserting its dominance
against ISIS to restore world order. Constructivism promotes the idea of norms being created,
and although this theory can be applied to the ISIS crisis, realist theory more accurately portrays
the power struggle that is occurring between the US and ISIS. The same can be said of

bureaucratic theory- it can again be applied, but it does not address the power struggle and
hegemony factor that realism does. Therefore, realist theory is the theory that most appropriately
applies to the ISIS global problem.

Bibliography

ISIS Fast Facts, CNN, accessed October 2, 2014, http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/08/world/isis

fastfacts/
ISIS Rebels Declare Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, BBC News, accessed October 2, 2014,
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28082962
Mark Palmer, Air Strikes Will Never Work, Say the Troops Fighting ISIS, Newsweek, October
1, 2014, accessed October 2, 2014, http://www.newsweek.com/2014/10/10/air-strikes
will-never-worksay-troops-fighting-isis-274491.html