SS3612 International Relations

International Relations/World Politics

seeks to understand how the peoples and countries of the world get along

Globalization

dramatic expansion of cross border flows

Puzzle

Observations about the world that demand explanations

Theory

A logically consistent set of statements that explains a phenomenon of interest; theories describe and predict events, perscribe policy responses, and provide manageable explanations for complex phenomena

Probabalistic Claim

An argument about the factors that increase or decrease the likelihood that a particular outcome will occur

Interests

What actors want to achieve through political action

Interactions

The ways in which the choices of two or more actors combine to produce political outcomes

Institutions

sets of rules that structure interactions in certain ways

Bargaining

an interaction in which two or more actors must decide how to dispute something of value

Cooperation

An interaction in which two or more actors adopt policies that make at least on actor better off relative to the status quo without making others worse off

International Analysis Level

representatives of states with different interests interact

Domestic Analysis Level

Subnational actors with different interests interact within domestic institutions to determine a country’s foreign policy

Transnational Analysis Level

Groups whose members span borders pursue interests by influencing domestic and international politics

Realism

see notes

Liberalism

see notes

Construcitivism

see notes

Anarchy

the absence of a central authority with the ability to make/enforce laws that bind all actors

Security Dilema

When one state improves its military capabilities to enhance its security, it decreases the security of its neighbors