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43 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Ratification |
A country's legislative approval of a treaty signed by the executive |
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Global commons |
Uncovered areas shared by all countries, such as the seas, space and the atmosphere |
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Collective action |
Shared by all parties to a problem or opportunity in order to achieve a mutually beneficial outcome |
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Unitary rational actor |
A simpliftingassumption that treats state's as if each is a single salient entity rather than a composite of many domestic actors. Presumes that state's decisions are based on a set of predetermined and stable priorities and rooted in full knowledge and understanding of all possible options |
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Unit of analysis |
Who or what is being studied |
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Structure |
The ordering of units (usually state's) within the system, usually on the basis of relative power, economic strength, or class. |
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Zero-sum |
A situation In which a good, resource or utility is constant so that ones entity gain necessitates others loss since the good must be redistributed because it cannot be expanded |
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Self help |
Reliance on ones own capabilities because there is no higher authority to which to appeal |
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Linkage |
Negotiating more than one issue concurrently so that concessions on one might be made up by gains on another |
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Confidence building measures |
Stipulations built into treaties or agreements to reduce the likelihood of defection and to enhance communication |
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Free riding |
Choosing not to contribute to the collective provision of the nonexcludable public good so as to glean relative gain |
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Correlation |
A complementary or parallel relationship between two variables |
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Factor |
Variable a contributor to an outcome |
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Variable |
Factor |
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Comparitivists |
Academics and analysts who work within the field of comparative politics, a subfield of political science in which differences and similarities among countries political systems are explored |
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Causality |
The relationship of cause and affect |
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Independent variable |
A causal factor; that which acts on something else, rather than being acted upon. The dependent variable is that which is being acted upon. |
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Typology |
Method of classification |
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Operational code |
Cognitive roadmap; complex tracking of a belief system. |
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Generalizable |
Applicable to other situations, issues, and cases |
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Parsimony |
Brevity and efficiancy |
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Scientific |
Systematic and logical; replicable; positivist |
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Objective |
Unbiased, neutral, independent, dispassionate |
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Subjective |
Biased, normative, goal oriented |
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Necessary and sufficient variables |
Factors that are adequate for determining and that must be present to achieve a specific outcome |
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Theoretical paradigm |
Worldview; set of theories based on shared assumptions |
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Worldview |
Perspective on human nature |
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Idealism |
Belief that people can and should work toward achieving a just and peaceful world order |
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Realpolitik |
Interest based (rather than ethics based or ideals based) foreign policy |
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Sovereignty |
Exclusive political authority over a defined territory and the people within it |
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Absolute power |
Total control and unchallengable authority |
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Relative power |
Amount of power compared to other entities |
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Security dilemma |
when distrust runs so high between state's that when each seeks to increase its defensive capabilities, the other perceives it as a threat and increase its own. Creating an arms race |
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Unipolar |
An international structure dominated by a single power |
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Hegemony |
Predominant world power |
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Unipolar |
An international structure dominated by two major powers |
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Multi polar |
An international structure dominated by several great powers |
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Balancing |
When state's seek to prevent other states domination if the international system either by ensuring through domestic development that they are equally powerful or by creating alliances that are equal to a state's or another alliances power |
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Great powers |
The few state's In the international system whose outstanding economic and military power set them apart from the next tier of state's |
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Superpowers |
one or two states whose power are so great that they cannot be challenged for domination of the international system |
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Bandwagoning |
When state's (usually weaker ones) seek to ally with rising powers to avoid punishment or take advantage of their strength |
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Reductivism |
Using domestic or individual level variables in an analysis of world politics; looking beyond systemic level factors for explanations |
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Intervening variables |
Factors that influence but do not determine an outcome; factors that filter the effects of an independent variable |
