The Alleged Hacking of the US Election
The alleged hacking of the US election by the Russians was viewed differently by the individuals involved in the election. The incident was seen by various individuals as the reason behind the decision in the 2016 presidential elections. It led to certain strays between Russia and the USA with people calling for a repeat of the elections since they felt that their sovereign power and the independent mandate was not correctly observed. The allegation was developed due to certain relations between U.S. candidates and Russian individuals. It affected the overall perception towards the election and the winning candidate with regard to relations with other countries.
The Case Scenario and Allegations
The case scenario involved two countries, the USA and Russia. Although it was not an official comment, there were allegations that the Russian president had been directly involved in the incident and that individuals close to him were particularly responsible for the manipulation of the election. The allegation was that he favored a particular candidate in the exercise, thus, using his spy network and advanced technology to ensure that the said candidate would win the election.
The Conflict and Governmental Organizations' Involvement
The conflict brought together various governmental organizations such as the USA Senate which conducted subsequent hearings which affirmed Russia’s interference with the election in the country. There was also a counter-intelligence body developed by the FBI which found out that Russia had been involved in a series of email hacks as well as social media propaganda in a way that would interfere with the election and favor a particular candidate. The key individuals in the case are Vladimir Putin, the Russian president and Donald Trump, the current USA president. It was viewed that Putin was largely against Hillary Clinton, the rival to Trump, thus giving him the motive to manipulate the election (Piotrowski, 2017). However, both Trump and senior officials in the Russian government have vehemently denied the accusations.
The Scenario from a Political Realism Perspective
The scenario can best be described by the political realism theory of international relations. The theoretical framework revolves around the need for nations to develop certain interests. It emphasizes the need for states to preserve their political autonomy and territorial integrity (Burley, 2017). Thus, it may not be appropriate for one state to interfere with the internal affairs of the other. According to the theory, states may want to have their internal affairs kept a secret. The theory also advances the argument related to national power in the absolute terms. It explains the importance of a country having the necessary power to defend itself against possible interferences in its internal affairs. The idea of a central authority derived from the argument ensures that there is the observance of the strict rule of law. Also, the central authority is responsible for conducting internal investigations to ascertain absolute power and autonomy.
The Contradiction and Consequences
The alleged actions of the Russian government, therefore, contradict the overall rule and theoretical frameworks explained by the political realism theory. The conduct developed by Russia, in manipulating the USA election went against the need for respect for national autonomy. There was a need to exercise independence in the case to make sure that there was the maintenance of international order and mutual respect. However, the actions of the country led to sanctions which affected the relationship between the two countries. In subsequent periods other nations have also exercised sanctions on Russia due to the factor. The accurate representation of the actions by the political theory, thus, ensures its understanding and further development.
References
Burley, A. M. S. (2017). International law and international relations theory: a dual agenda. In The Nature of International Law (pp. 11-46). Routledge.
Piotrowski, M. A. (2017). Intelligence Reports on Russian Interference in the US Presidential Election.
