Constructivism is one of the most modern international theories that challenges the realist and liberal theory of anarchy in the international system. It focuses on ideas of norms, the development of relationships between structures, and how identity influences how the state and actors cooperate. Like realists and liberals, they also believe that the international system exists in a state of anarchy, however unlike realists they believe that anarchy does not lead to war or competition. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Alexander Wendt, a pioneering scholar of constructivism, claims that "self-help and power in politics derive neither logically nor causally from anarchy and that if we find ourselves in a world of self-help today it is due to the process and not to the structure. There is no “logic” of anarchy apart from the practices that create and instantiate one structure of identity and interests rather than another; it has no existence or causal powers separate from the process”. This quote clearly states the constructivist view that in an anarchic system actors play an important role in how the system is interpreted, they can choose to cooperate or engage in war. Unlike liberals and realists, constructivists allow the creating conditions, instead of responding to the given conditions they are able to create or construct them In the classic international relations example used to explain game theory called stag hunt. Classical realists argue that the incentive for actors to cooperate does not exist and therefore each should pursue small game to increase their chances of survival even at the expense of forgoing the benefits of the big game through cooperation. This is because the actions of other actors in the “self-help” system cannot be trusted. Constructivists, on the other hand, believe that this “self-help” is not an underlying feature of the anarchic structure of the international system, how we assert the world is based on how they interpret the actions and interactions of others. Constructivists also believe in the development of international norms in both national and international spheres. They examine how norms emerge and how they influence state and non-state actors under different conditions. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Constructivists tend to emphasize the case of the fall of the Soviet Union, the previous theories argue that the change in the relationship between the global powers of the USA and the USSR was the reason for the fall of the USSR. However, constructivists would argue that the role of the individual (Mikhail Gorbachev) was paramount. The fact that it shifted the Soviet Union's policy from the original one from concern for security to cooperation with the aim of achieving a new norm can be related to the theory of constructivism.