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35 Cards in this Set
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Non-State Actors |
Theory- Liberalism What is It- Focuses on institutions as international actors and utilizing them to meet a desired ends |
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Security Dilemma |
Theory- Realism What is it- In order to defend themselves states build up their military. This only threatens other states prompting them to build up their own military to keep one state from becoming more powerful than another, prompting the first state to further build up their own military creating a paradox where ultimately no one is secure |
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Anarchy |
Theory- Realism What is it- The idea that there is no governing body at the international level to control states, making the international system exist in a perpetual state of conflict |
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Idealism |
Theory- Constructivism What is it- Looked at how the world ought to be and developed strategies to help people get to what they viewed as ideal. |
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Complex Interdependence |
Theory- Liberalism What is it- A global theory of trade that states as countries economies are intertwined with one another, they depend on each other acting as a deterrent for war. |
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Double Burden |
Theory- Feminism What is it- refers to the complex relationship between women's identity in the public and the private sphere. Women have to go to work, then come home and do domestic work that many men are exempt from that takes time and energy and can affect their performance in the public sphere, unlike men. |
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Absolute Gains |
Theory- Liberalism What is it- According to liberal international relations theory, absolute gain is what international actors look at in determining their interests, weighing out the total effects of a decision on the state or organization and acting accordingly. The international actor's interests not only include power but also encompass the economic and cultural effects of an action as well. The theory is also interrelated with a non-zero-sum game which proposes that through use of comparative advantage, all states who engage in peaceful relations and trade can expand wealth |
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Relative Gains |
Theory- Realism What is it- An approach to interaction with others that emphasizes a zero-sum mentality where comparison and competition is the main focus (If they gain power, that means we loose power on the world stage) (If we help them to gain resources that could mean they could become more powerful than us). This argument is often made by realists against foreign aid, and an example includes |
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Myth of Protection |
Theory- Feminism What is it- Criticizes the classic perception that women and children are the ones protected in war. Post WWII conflicts have seen a massive rise in civilian casualties, as soldiers become less of a target and rape and sexual violence become an increasingly used weapon. Although traditionally men are soldiers, the increased presence of women in the military and civilian casualties make women the greater victims of war vs. Male soldiers |
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Social Norms |
Theory- Constructivism What is it- Practices that come to be accepted as normal, or as right through human agreement and social conditioning. These can be changed. |
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Balance of Power |
Theory- Realism What is it-Balance of power refers to a political dynamic where states that are growing in power are “checked” by other states through distribution of military capability to oppose and apply resistance to keep said state from becoming dominating and to make sure all states have roughly the same amount of power. The theory suggests that if one state were to become dominant then they would attack their weaker neighbors, providing incentive for said weaker states to work together. By the 18th century it was seen as not just an occurrence in international politics, but rather a part of international law. It is under this dynamic that realists feel the international communities state of conflict can be constrained, as if all states were kept relatively equal in terms of military power, it would become less attractive for states to attack each other. An example of this is can be seen in the Napoleonic wars, when the European super powers had to work together to ensure that France did not gain too much power and become the dominating state. |
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Multilateralism |
Theory- Liberalism What is it- The tendency for functional aspects of international relations such as security, trade or environmental management to be organized around a large number of states, or universally. |
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Identity |
Theory- Constructivism What is it- The understanding of the self in relation to an 'other'. Identities are social and thus are always formed in relationship to others. Constructivists believe that identities shape interests, as we cannot know what we want, but also because they are social identities can be changed. |
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Survival |
Theory- Realism What is it- Describes the primary responsibility of state leaders to ensure the state's well-being. |
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Democratic Peace |
Theory- Liberalism What is it- The theory that states who hold similar democratic ideals are less likely to go to war both with each other and in general, due to the fact that since it’s the citizens who fight in the wars, that could have consequences on elected governments. The theory also states that countries are less likely to go to war with countries that hold similar democratic values. This theory is often used a justification for starting wars against non democracies for the purpose of spreading democracy, an example some people believe being the Iraq war in 2003. |
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Non-Intervention Policy |
What is it- The principle under the UN that external powers should not interfere in the domestic affairs of a sovereign state |
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Responsibility to protect |
What is it- The principle under the UN that states have a responsibility to protect their own citizens, but when they are unable or unwilling to do so, the responsibility should be transferred to a society of states. |
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Nuclear Proliferation |
What is it- Refers to the rapid increase of nuclear weapons being developed and held around the world. States acquire nuclear weapons for a number of different reasons, and they also choose policies of nuclear restraint, nuclear reversal, and providing nuclear assistance to other countries. Strategic factors, culture, political economy, domestic politics, and leader psychology all play a role in these decisions |
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Nuclear Deterrence |
What is it- The theory that the best way to stop nuclear war is to provide every country with as many nuclear weapons as possible, with the hopes that they would all be too scared to use them |
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National Security |
What is it- Refers to the contested concept, but generally refers to the general well-being of a state This meaning of security has been broadened to include political, economic, societal, and environmental as well as military aspects Differing arguments exist about the tension between national and international security Different views have also emerged about the significance of globalization for the future of international security Realists and neorealist emphasize the perennial problems of insecurity The security dilemma is seen by some writers as the essential source of conflict between states Neo-realists reject the significance of international institutions in helping many to achieve peace and security Contemporary politicians and academics, however, who write under the label of liberal institutionalism or neo-liberalism see institutions as an important mechanism for achieving international security Liberal institutions accept many of the assumptions of realism about the continuing importance of military power in international relations about argue that institutions can provide a framework for cooperation that can help to mitigate the dangers security competition between states Constructivist thinkers base their ideas on two main assumptions: 1) that the fundamental structures of international politics are socially constructed 2) and that changing the way we think about IR can help to bring about greater international security some constructivists thinkers accept many of the assumptions of neo-liberalism but they reject the view that the importance of social structure defined in terms of shared knowledge and practices as well as material capabilities Critical security theorists argue that most approaches put too much emphasis on the state Feminist writers argue that gender tends to be left out of literature on international security despite the impact of war on women There is a belief among Poststructural theorists that the nature of international politics can be changed by altering the way we think about security Some writers see globalization and geopolitics as contradictory concepts while other writers argue there is no opposition between them Traditional ideas about geopolitics stem from the writings of people like Harold Mackinder and Nicholas Spykman Different interpretations of both concepts give rise to alternative views about how world order can be achieved In practice global politics exhibits the effects of both. |
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Gendered division of Labour |
What is it- Refers to a generally universal social norm, where labor is divided based on gedner, with women bearing the brunt of domestic work and men public work. |
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Global Terrorism |
What is it- Agreement on what constitutes terrorism continues to be difficult given the range of potential acts involving violence Terrorism, or acts of violence by sub state groups has been separated from criminal acts on the basis of the purpose for which violence is applied namely political change Terrorists groups succeed when their motivations or grievances are perceived to be legitimate by a wider audience. Disproportionate or heavy handed responses by states to acts of terrorism serve to legitimize terrorist groups The definition of globalization as with terrorism is open to subjective interpretation but the technologies associated with globalization have increased terrorist capabilities The majority of transnational terrorists attacks from 1979 onwards targeted American citizens and symbols Trends is terrorism since 1968 include greater casualties increasing sophistication and suicide attacks Transnational Marxist-Lennists groups have been replaced by global militant Islamic terrorists groups Cultural, economic and religious aspects provide necessary explanations for globalized terrorist violence but they are insufficient individuality The current wave of terrorist violence uses religion as a motivator and to provide the justification for killing no-combatants The ultimate purpose for modern militant Islamic violence is obtaining political power in order to conduct political, social and economic, and religious reform according to Sharia Law. Elements of globalization that permit the rapid exchange of ideas and goods can also be leveraged and exploited by terrorists groups The technologies associated with globalization allow terrorists to operate in a highly distributive global network that shares information and allows small cells to conduct highly coordinated lethal attacks Globalization may allow some terrorists groups to acquire manufacture and use weapons of mass of destruction to conduct catastrophic attacks States individually and collectively have political-military legal economic and technological advantages in the struggle against terrorist groups Differences between states over the nature and scope of the current terrorist threat and the most appropriate responses to combat it, reflect subjective characteristics based in national biases and experiences |
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Bretton Woods institutions |
What were they- They were a series of institutions created after WWII to stabilize the world economy, and promote international economic cooperation. They include the World bank and the IMF |
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Realism |
Looking at the world as how it really is and working out strategies to help the world function in the best way without changing anything.- For realists states are the main actors in the international system.- States are legally sovereign actors- Sovereignty implies that no other actor is above the state.- Realists see human nature as what propels states to act like they do- They feel that states are like billiard balls, moving around in their own little world until they collide with another state- For realists world politics represent the power struggle between states, as they try to maximize their national interests- Ultimately the three main elements to this theory are statism, survival and self-help in which states only rely on themselves to achieve their desired ends. This can be achieved through cooperation but the potential for conflict is always there |
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Liberalism |
Liberalism is a school of thought within international relations theory which can be thought to revolve around three interrelated principles: 1. Rejection of power politics as the only possible outcome of international relations. Questions security/warfare principles of realism; 2. Accentuates mutual benefits and international cooperation; 3. Implements international organizations and nongovernmental actors for shaping state preferences and policy choices |
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Neoliberalism |
What is it- -Argued that we were building stronger institutions in global affairs and that these institutions are shaping our worlds 1st image analyses- Explain World Politics with reference to the nature of human beings2nd- Explains world politics with references to the characteristics of the states3rd- Explain world politics with reference to the structure of the international system-Neoliberalism: Levels of analysis-Believes that we should look at the structure of the states but this is not just determined by power, we also need to look at how the institutions with in states are effecting the structure of a state-Also feel we need to look at regimes- In terms of international relations implicit or explicitly principles norms rules and decision making procedures around which actors expectations coverage in a given are of international relations (No official rules, but social expectations that govern countries) |
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Social Constructivism |
Draws on Idealism, balance of power and structuralism to look at the social constructions in our reality and how they play a role in international politics Constructivists are concerned with human consciousness and knowledge, treat ideas and structural factors that influence how actors interpret the world, consider the dynamic relationship between ideas and material forces and consequences to how actors interpret their material reality and are interested in how agents produce structures and how structures produce agents Regulative and constitutive norms shape what actors do, but only constitutive norms shape the identity and actors of states and what counts as legitimate behaviour Although the meanings that actors bring to their activities are shaped by the underlying culture, meanings are not always fixed (Queer) and the fixing of meanings is a central feature of politics Social constructions denaturalizes what is taken for granted, asks questions about the origins of what is and is not accepted and considers alternative pathways that have the ability to produce alternative worlds Power is not only the ability of one actor to get another actor to do what they want, but also the production of identities, interests, and meanings that limit the abilities of actors to control their own fate. The recognition of the world as socially constructed means that constructivists can investigate global change and transformation a key issue in a study of global change is diffusion, captured by the concern with institutional isomorphism (observes that actors and organizations that share the same environment will over time begin to resemble each other in their attributes) and the life cycle of norms Although diffusion sometimes occurs because of the view that the model is superior frequently actors adopt a model either because of external pressures or because of its symbolic legitimacy |
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Life Cycle of Norms |
What is it- A concept that describes the various stages of cultural norms, from their emergence to their internalization. As norms as social inventions they are subject to change, but will always have some sort of effect as they are still experienced and internalized. |
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Feminism |
What is it- An academic field that aims to understand oppression and inequality based on gender in order to make social change. Whether that be through deconstructing gender so that it no longer matters, or fighting to have feminity be looked at equally to masculinity |
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Mercantilism- |
What is it- As an area of interstate competition the world economy is one in which states seek to maximize their wealth and independence vis-a-vis other states. Order is achieved only where there is a balance of power or hegemony |
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Classical Realism |
International Politics is driven by an endless struggle for power, which has its roots in human nature. Justice, law, and society have either no place or are circumscribed Recognizes that principles are subordinated to policies, the ultimate skill of the state leader is to accept and adapt to changing power in world politics Politics is governed by laws that are created by human nature. The mechanism we use to understand international politics is the concept of interests defined in terms of power |
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Structural Realism |
It is not human nature but the anarchical system that fosters fear, jealousy, suspicion, and insecurity Anarchy leads to a logic of self-help in which states seek to maximize their security. The anarchical self-help system compels states to maximize their relative positions of power |
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Neo-Classical Realism |
The system account of world politics provided by structural realism is incomplete. It needs to be supplemented with better accounts of unit level variables such as how power is perceived and how leadership is exercised |
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Defensive Realists |
Focus on the state's goal of survival, the preconditioned goal to reach all other goals. They argue that states only seek power to ensure their own survival, and will not seek any power that will jeopardize their security. |
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Offensive Realist |
Argue that states seek power to achieve a hegemonic position in the international system. States always desire more power and are willing to alter existing relations in order to achieve it, even risking their own survival. |
