The Finnish Line: Verbal Tactics of Small States in Immature Anarchy
Christopher Main, University of Arkansas, FayettevilleFollow
Master of Arts in Political Science (MA)
Donald Kelley
Geoboo Song
Margaret Reid
mature anarchy, Russian aggression, Crimean invasion, annexation, Google trends, international trade, international law, mutual defense
The rules-based international system which has steadily emerged over the last century is in decline. Realists fail to realize that the fundamental anarchy of the international system can mature into a rules-based system which constrains geopolitics. Liberals fail to realize that it can regress in the opposite direction, towards the self-help system described by the realists. Small states stand to lose the most in this regression and are least equipped to fight it by material means. Finland is an ideal example of such a small state, and its foreign policy is articulated by President Sauli Niinistö. This paper will analyze the text of the Finnish President's speeches for verbal attempts to protect and promote the rules-based system in response to events which occurred during his presidency and regress the system from mature to immature anarchy.
Main, Christopher, "The Finnish Line: Verbal Tactics of Small States in Immature Anarchy" (2019). Theses and Dissertations. 3217.
Comparative Politics Commons, International Relations Commons