PLSC140 Terms

Hardliners

believe the adversary is a rational opportunist who will expoit any conciliation but back down when confronted

Accommodationists

believe the adversary is a paranoid victim who will reciprocate conciliation but back down when confronted

Globalization

Parity thesis says equality….

equals caution, which is what keeps the general peace

Preponderance thesis says equality….

leads to chaos b/c there is no leader

Polarity

describes how military, economic, and political power is distributed among states in the international system. Defines the number of dominant centers of power(or “poles”) on the world stage.

International public goods

security, peace, prosperity

Polarity: Multipolar

When the system has many states/central actors of power

Power is defined by…

material capabilities: military, economic, demographic

Under the parity thesis, inequality…

can lead to oppression

Under the Preponderance thesis inequality…

equals hierachy, which leads to order

Hegemony supplies the 3 C’s of global economy

Commerce (large market), capital, & currency

Elements of power

persuasion(related to diplomacy/soft-power), reward, punishment(sanctions), and force/threat of force

When states are bargaining in a crisis…

all leaders have an incentive to bluff

Aqueis

A state gives up without a fight

Capitulate

The state fights back at first, but once war gets too costly it gives up

2 principle public goods

prosperity & peace

Leaders w/ large winning coalitions(aka democracies)…

need to provide public goods to stay in power

causality aversion

avoiding the attempt to explain global events through simple "cause-and-effect" rules

In a war, flat terrain offers…

an offensive advantage & an advantage to Blitzkreig strategy

In a war, rough terrain offers…

defense advantage & advantage to insurgency

What defines a war?

sustained conflict between regular armed forces of 2 or more internationally recognized states in which there are more than 1k battefield losses

The idea of ‘Capitalist Peace’

Those in capitalist countries are less likely to go to war b/c the investors would be hurt by the costs

Countries less integrated in the global economy are less likely to go to war b/c…

being tied to the global economy means you face pressure from other countries on policies, trade, sanctions, etc that they don’t like

Sanctions

deny investment and trade for a specific country

Sanctions rarely work against autocratic regimes b/c…

Only democratic leaders need to provide public goods to remain in power

Sanctions lead to a decrease in prosperity which means…

leader providing no public goods & the people have an incentive to replace the leader (provided gov is democratic)

Chokepoints

Certain areas most likely to lead to conflict & areas that can easily cut off freedom of trade (Strait of Hormun)

Self-determination

the desire of a nation to self govern rather than being ruled by a central state government

Nation

a group of people who share common culture, history, language, or identity and a desire for self-governance

State

a sovereign political entity w/ a defined territory, a permanent population, its own government and international recognition.

Münck Analogy

failure to stop aggression ANYWHERE may lead to aggression EVERYWHERE. the consequence of that is that it will dishearten allies and embolden adversaries.