unit 1 (Power, Sovereignty & International Relations) vocab/stuff to know

nationalized

• i think its a term used to describe when a government takes control & owns private companies

  • it can be used to assert dominance over foreign - owned resources

• main point: i think main goal behind nationalizing an industry is for the profits from the industry to go to the government & not to foreign countries (private operators)

  • cuz if the profits go to private operators, then no benefit is given to the host country

how & why do states utilize structural violence?

states often utilize structural violence through laws & other ways, in order to make it appear that the cause of this violence is natural.

• ex: looking at the issue of poverty, the issue of poverty would be an individual failure instead of problems within the system being the cause of poverty

  • therefore, the state protects itself from being the object of blame for the unequal access to resources that is often the cause of poverty

smart power

using both hard & soft, and knowing when the situation calls for one or the other, or both

internal sovereignty

agreement within the nation’s population that the state is legitimate

• sovereignty can become complicated, as the nation’s leaders may portray their nation’s sovereignty as stable, those residing in the state may disagree

  • this creates conflict, which can create problems for the wishes of the states’ leaders

sovereign states

independent entities who aren’t controlled by outside forces (outside states or entities)

• the ppl in the sovereign state are subject to the laws & duties of the state

• governed by a single form of government

structural violence

a form of violence where a social structure or institution may prevent ppl from meeting their basic needs & rights, therefore harming the individual

proxy war

a military conflict in which opposing sides utilize third parties, as substitutes for fighting each other directly

referent power

a leader’s ability to influence society through strong interpersonal skills

unilateralism

in terms of accomplishing foreign policy, this is when a country takes action by itself

• but a disadvantage is that this makes it difficult for the country to resolve issues

• one example is when Trump withdrew from the Iran Nuclear Deal

state

has sovereignty, its own government, defined territory, a permeant population & the right to defend itself

example: US

nation state

(got definition from a different flashcard set)

specific type of state where the territorial boundaries align with the cultural boundaries of the nation & is a group with a common, define culture

ex: Japan - its a population with a shared culture & meets other requirements to be a state

what are IGO’s?

(got from a flashcard set (Global Politics Unit 1 Vocab)

Inter - governmental organizations

• consists of 2 or more states who pledge to work on political issues of interest to all

• ex: the United Nations (UN), or European Union (EU)

what are NGO’s?

(again from Global Politics Unit 1 Vocab)

Non - governmental organizations

• aim to help people & remain independent from government influence

• ex: Greenpeace, CARE International, Amnesty, Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity

hegemony

by achieving agreement between the ppl under a state’s control, the goal of harmony is achieved

• goal is to convince ppl the government is working in their best interests

• isn’t always possible - when hegemony isn’t possible, the state uses force

what are the 6 sources of civic power?

1) Physical force - control of the opposition through means of force, which could be through the police or militia

2) Wealth - with money, comes the ability to buy/influence results & to buy almost any other kind of power

3) State Action/Government - the use of law to compel individuals into doing or not doing certain things

• in democracy, could be through voting, or dictatorships, whose state power emerges through the use of force and violence to oppress people & quench rebellion

4) Social norms - what people consider to be acceptable. Can definitely make individual’s change their behavior and even change laws (ex - same sex marriages)

5) Ideas - ideas can create lots of power, and can motivate people to change their perspective/thinking or actions

6) Numbers - large groups of people can bring about change by expressing the same interest and asserting legitimacy

• more people stick together, so there is more pressure on the state to listen - power in numbers

what are the 3 laws of power

1) Power is never static - always either accumulates of decays (reduces)

• if you aren’t taking action, you’re instead being acted upon

2) Power is like water - is always present in everyday life

• politics is the act of harnessing the flow of power in a direction you prefer

• policymaking is an effort to freeze and perpetuate a specific flow of power

• policy is frozen power

3) Power Compounds - power and powerlessness both give rise to power

• the way we apply laws one and two will depend on how well we can prevent one individual from having all the power

• what rules are there to stop a few people from gaining too much power, and so that they can’t influence decision making, nor influence policies? - the question of democracy

what are the 3' E’s of sustainability?

Environment, Economy and Equity

• are used to understand how everything is connected/dependent on each other

what are the different types of justice?

• Social justice - the notion that everyone is deserving of equal economic, political, and social opportunities, regardless of race, gender, or religion

• Distributive justice - the equitable allocation of assets in society (everyone in society is given equal access to resources?)

• Environmental justice - equal treatment of everyone, with consideration of the environmental burdens and benefits

• Restorative or Corrective Justice: seeks to make whole those who have suffered unfairly

• Retributive Justice: aims to punish wrongdoers objectively and proportionally

• Procedural justice: refers to implementing legal decisions in accordance with fair and unbiased processes - so ensuring everyone has a fair trial

• so, even though legal and political systems aim to maintain law and order, this cannot be achieved unless they also achieve justice

what are the 4 crimes outlined in the Rome Statute that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has the authority to carry out punishments on people who commit these crimes? (i think)

• the crime of genocide

• crimes against humanity

• war crimes

• the crime of aggression

nuclear nonproliferation

• the tools & polices utilized by states to prevent or stop the spread/distribution of nuclear weapons

proliferation

• spread or increase of military technologies & systems

what is the NPT & what are its 3 main pillars?

Treaty on the Nonproliferation on Nuclear Weapons

3 main objectives

• Nonproliferation - limits the ability of states & non - state actors who don’t have nuclear weapons, from gaining them

• Peaceful Use of Nuclear Weapons - making nuclear technology accessible for all countries, so they can use them in non - military ways (like generating energy)

• Disaramament - the idea that countries that do have nuclear weapons (US, China, UK, France, Russia) would eventually relinquish them

nuclear umbrella/security guarantee

• a pledge from a country, to protect its ally (that doesn’t have nuclear weapons) from nuclear threats

• this benefits both parties: nonproliferation succeeds as there’s a decrease in the countries that gain nuclear weapons, and the non - nuclear country can be protected from nuclear threats

what is the JCPOA, and what are some terms in it?

the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (or Iran Nuclear Deal) was reached in 2015, and is an agreement that limits Iran’s nuclear capabilities

• some terms: Iran’s rate of uranium enrichment is well below the percentage needed to manufacture nuclear weapons

• there had to be a decrease in their centrifuges, so no fuel for nuclear weapons is produced

• any nuclear facilities are converted to non - nuclear facilities (like research facilities)

  • specifically, Arak’s facility had to be checked to ensure it cannot produce weapons - grade plutonium (another common material for the production of nuclear weapons)

• Iran cannot maintain more than 300kg of enriched uranium, so they shipped 12 tonnes to Russia

• Iran had to comply with regular and consistent IAEA inspections

• not really a term, but Iran’s ‘breakout time’ has dramatically reduced due to this agreement

  • compared to prior to the agreement, it’ll take Iran much longer to build 1 nuclear weapon

what are Iran’s benefits from the JCPOA?

• after 8 years, or after the IAEA verifies that Iran has fulfilled its major obligations, other benefits for Iran would go into effect

  • the EU & US ending any nuclear - related sanctions on Iran

  • UNSC (United Nations Security Council) members plus Germany (called the P5 + 1) would allow Iran to enter the international banking system, give Iran permission to sell oil in international markets & unfreeze billions of dollars of Iranian assets overseas

  • the P5+1 must recognize Iran’s rights to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes

foreign policy

how a country utilizes various strategies to guide its relationship with other countries & international organizations

whats the IAEA

International Atomic Energy Agency, and they monitor nuclear facilities & conduct ‘ surprise inspections’ to ensure compliance with nonproliferation agreements

Mixed Reviews of NPT

The NPT has been both praised for establishing norms around nuclear power and criticized for its limitations in preventing proliferation.

soft power

utilizes cooperation, negotiation, promises of aid & various other non - military strategies, in order to influence change (PEACEFUL METHODS)

hard power

USE VIOLENCE & THREATS - the use of force & threats of force to influence the decision - making of those in charge

arms control agreements

Treaties and agreements aimed at limiting the development and proliferation of nuclear weapons.