Studied by 9 people
Collective Action Problem
All individual actors have incentives to assume that other states will pitch in which results in “free riding” when dealing with non-rival, non-excludable goods
Sovereignty
A state’s right of non-interference in internal affairs- most important international norm
States
a territorial entity which is controlled by a government and inhabited by a population. it has sovereignty and is recognized by other states internationally (UN)
Levels of Analysis
Individual, State, Global
Non-state actors
have influence on IR but are not states, e.g. IGOs, NGOs, MNCs, and individuals
Relative Power
States can have power only relative to other states’ power— ratio of power
Balancing
Third parties in a conflict side with the weaker state because they don’t want to see the emergence of a single strong state which can destroy anyone (hegemon)
Bandwagoning
Third parties in a conflict side with the stronger state because it has a higher chance of winning (domino effect)
Goal of Alliances
Pooling capabilities and enhancing their members’ power, or even just acting out the interests of the Great Powers within them
Power Transition Theory
the worst wars result from challenges to the top position in a status hierarchy, when a rising power is surpassing/will surpass the most powerful state
Neorealism
A variation of realist theory with the same pessimistic assumptions about anarchy and rationality, but says the only thing that matters in IR is distribution: how many great powers there are in the world
Liberalist view of International Institutions
to foster cooperation in the international system; they institutionalize rules and hold their members accountable, making it rational to cooperate
Liberal institutionalism
care about international institutions (IGOs)
Liberal internationalism
care about domestic political institutions
Logic of consequences
State behaves a certain way because they calculate the possible consequences of their actions
Logic of appropriateness
state behaves in a certain way because they believe they should behave a certain way
Democratic Peace
democracies tend not to go to war with each other, possibly due to similar pol. institutions which hold leaders accountable OR mutual understanding on ideological grounds
Where do liberals and realists agree?
anarchy, material power, states/domestic actors are driven by preferences
Constructivist view of power
social power
How are norms created?
Social interactions b/t states or other actors
Constructivism critiques
how to tell if an identity is adopted for strategic purposes or genuine; are norms just states’ interests in disguise?
Marxism
unequal relationships between economic classes shapes international and domestic politics
Difference Feminism
there should be more women in IR because women are fundamentally more nurturing & cooperative, so more women in IR = different outcomes, such as more cooperation
Liberal Feminism
there should be more women in IR, but it wouldn’t change anything bc women would behave similarly to men in positions of power
Anarchy
since there is no world government to be an arbiter of disputes, the only state you can rely on is yourself
Rationality
Actors in IR can be viewed as rational individuals or units who make informed, calculated decisions that maximize value and perceived benefits. These actors are acting in their best interest
Unitary Actor Assumption
Realists believe states are a single entity that tries to maximize national interest (do not care ab dom. politics)
Prisoner’s Dilemma
rational actors pursuing their own individual interests all achieve worse outcomes than they could have by working together
Postmodernism challenges assumptions by
implying there is no objective reality/truth and challenge the unitary actor assumption
International Relations
relationships among the world’s governments & their connections with other actors, social relationships, and geographical/historical influences
reciprocity
a solution to the collective goods problem— responding in kind to another’s actions
dominance
a solution to the collective goods problem— imposes hierarchical solutions, where those at the tops control those below
identity
a principle for solving collective goods problems by changing participants’ preferences based on their sense of belonging to a community
issue areas
distinct spheres of international activity within which policy makers sometimes face conflicts or achieve cooperation
conflict and cooperation
the types of actions states take toward each other over time
international security
a subfield of IR that focuses on war and peace
international political economy (IPE)
the study of the politics of trade, monetary, and other economic relations among nations and their connection to other transnational forces
international system
set of relationships among the world’s states, structured by certain rules/patterns of comparison
nation-states
states whose populations share a sense of national identity, usually including a language and culture
GDP
gross domestic product, the size of a state’s total annual economic activity, usually the typical indicator of power
nonstate actors
actors other than state actors that operate either below the level of the state or across state borders (IGOs, NGOs, MNCs, individuals)
Globalization
increasing integration of the world in terms of communication, culture, and economics
North-South Gap
gap in wealth and resources between the industrialized global north (north america/western europe) and the poorer countries of africa, the middle east, and most of asia and south america
Domino Theory
the country that wins the first battle of the war will be joined by everyone else
Cult of the offensive
offense needs to be stronger because defense is superior
Munich Conference
symbol of appeasement, allowed Germany to occupy the Sudetenland
Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
germany/russia nonaggression pact
Spiral Model
meeting aggression with aggression sets you on a course for conflict which you were trying to avoid
Deterrence Model
meeting aggression with cooperation sets you on a course for conflict which you were trying to avoid
containment
US attempt to halt Soviet expansion on ideological, political, military, and economic levels
Sino-Soviet Split
a rift between China and the USSR in the 60s when the Chinese opposed Soviet moves toward peaceful coexistence with the US
summit meeting
a meeting between heads of state (usually great powers)
Cuban Missile Crisis
when the US and USSR came closest to nuclear war
proxy wars
wars in the third world in which the US/Soviets jockeyed for position by backing opposing factions
realism
a broad intellectual tradition that mainly explains IR in terms of power
idealism
an approach that emphasizes international law, morality, and international organizations rather than power alone as key influences on international events
power
the ability to get another actor to do something they would not otherwise have done
geopolitics
the use of geography as an element of power
security dilemma
a situation in which states’ actions taken to ensure their own security threaten the security of other states
balance of power
changes of relative power lead to changes in behavior among states
Hegemony
one state holds a majority of power in the international system & can single-handedly dominate rules and arrangements by which international political and economic relations are conducted
Hegemonic stability theory
regimes are most effective when power in the international system is most concentrated
alliance cohesion
the ease with which members hold together an alliance— tends to be high when national interests converge and cooperation among allies becomes institutionalized
burden sharing
distribution of the costs of an alliance among members
compellence
the threat of force to make another actor take some action
cost-benefit calculation
P(WIN) X Benefit > Cost
zero-sum game
one actor’s gain is by definition tied to the other’s loss
interdependence
political/economic situation where two states are simultaneously dependent on each other for their well-being
international regime
set of rules, norms, and procedures around which the expectations of actors converge in a certain issue area
collective security
formation of a broad alliance by most major powers for the purpose of jointly opposing aggression by another actor
constructivism
examines how norms and identities help shape state interests
gender gap
women poll lower than men on average in their support for military actions
Bretton Woods
architecture of postwar economy, established the IBRD, IMF, fixed exchange rates, and the GATT (later ITO)
UN
a league of nations with “teeth”; contains general assembly & security council
Marshall Plan
attempt to spur european economic growth/development as a reaction to soviet/communist electoral strategies
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Flashcard (60)