PS 140 Midterm 1

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