INTER RELATIONS

In hypotheses know what independent and dependent variables are?

• Independent variable = cause Dependent variable = effect

Know what sovereignty is? 

Sovereignty is a state’s right and power to rule itself without external control.

Know what it means for the international system to be in state of anarchy? 

• No supranational authority to punish states for bad behavior or to enforce cooperation among states. While international governmental organizations (IGOs) exist, like the UN, they do not have ultimate authority over states. This makes it difficult for states to trust each other, deterring cooperation and incentivizing conflict.

Know what the neon realist view of relatives vs  absolute gains is? 

• Neorealists prioritize relative gains over absolute gains

• They ask: “Do I benefit more than others?”

👉 Because:

• If another state gains more, it could become stronger militarily or economically

• That could threaten your future security

• Absolute gains = “I’m better off than before, regardless of others”

• Neorealists think this is not enough

👉 Why?

• Even if you gain, you could still become relatively weaker

• That’s dangerous in a competitive, uncertain world

• This makes cooperation harder, because states fear helping rivals

Know what the unitary actor assumption is? 

The unitary actor assumption treats a state as if it were one single, unified decision-maker.

In other words, the country acts like it has one voice, one set of interests, and one rational plan

Know what the most likely outcome of the prisoners dilemma is? 

Scholars argue that in this version of the Prisoner’s Dilemma, defection/talking is the best option

Know what power transition theory is?

Power Transition Theory argues that:

Major wars are most likely when a rising power is about to catch up to or surpass a dominant power.

Know the diff between classical liberalism vs neo liberalism/ instentutionalism?

• NEOLIBERALISM: Focuses on the role of international institutions (e.g., IOs like the WTO or UN) in driving international relations. Focuses on the benefits of IOs that we just discussed. Examines how international institutions can promote cooperation in the face of international anarchy. Also maintains factors like economic interdependencies matter, but focuses on how international institutions promote these dynamics. Unlike classical Liberalism, Neoliberalism largely views states as unitary actors. 

• CLASSICAL: Liberalism is much less bleak than Realism. Liberalism views cooperation as being possible and particularly emphasizes the role of shared democracy, economic interdependencies, and international organizations. Classical Liberals also emphasize the role of domestic politics and an lot of current research focuses on how domestic politics shape international relations. 

Know what the free writer problem is?

The free rider problem is when someone enjoys the benefits of a shared good without paying the costs.

EXAMPLE Military alliances (like NATO):

• Some countries spend less on defense

• But still benefit from protection provided by stronger members

What is the nuclear taboo? 

The nuclear taboo is the prohibition against being the first to use a nuclear

weapon in a dispute or conflict

Why doe states sometimes misrepresent info about their own capabilities and resolve?

Know what norm entrepreneurs are?

Individuals and groups, known as norm entrepreneurs, try to bring attention to specific issues and promote certain norms.  E.g., Women’s suffragist movements.

Norms life cycle model - specifically what the norms emergence stage is?

Typically begins with domestic campaigns to promote specific norms. International networks of organizations form to promote these norms more widely. Domestic campaigns are often unsuccessful, and thus, never reach a tipping point.

What makes an issues indivisible?

Goods become indivisible when they cannot be divided without diminishing their perceived value. Not usually literally undividable, much more about perceived value. Actors might believe some resources/issues lose their value if divided at all. Actors might also believe that other incentives they are offered to compromise are inadequate substitutes for the thing they want

What does it mean when a leader engages in the strategy of tying hands? 

involves making threats that would be difficult to backdown from There are both domestic and international audience costs for leaders who back down from threats (i.e., political backlash)

What is the strategy of brinksmanship?

Brinksmanship is “a strategy in which adversaries take actions that increase the risk of accidental war, with the hope that the other will ‘blink’ (lose its nerve first) and make concessions” 

What did the NPT stipulate? 

1968: Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) signed. Countries without nukes agreed to never obtain them; countries with nukes agreed to eventually disarm. Most countries ratified. India, Israel, and Pakistan never agreed. North Korea left in 2003

What is the nuclear triad? 

Know the reason why defensive alliances might actually led to more war? 

• Defensive alliances can embolden members

• Alliance members might make more significant demands during bargaining

• Alliance members have to spend less on defensive capabilities, allowing them to invest more in offensive military capabilities

• Alliances could also make other countries feel threatened, further escalating disputes

Know what collective security organizations are? 

• Collective Security Organizations are “Broad-based institutions that

promote peace and security among their members” Collective Security Organizations seek to peacefully resolve changes to the status quo.  If one member is attacked, all members act against the aggressor. Often try to act as third-party mediators to resolve conflicts, both between states and within them (e.g., civil wars) Provide mechanisms for punishing aggressors as well, ranging from sanctions to military intervention Peaceful mediation preferred because its less costly for members. 

In the selectride theory what is the winning coalition? 

What does it mean for a good to be non-rivalrous? 

What does it mean for a good to be non-excludable?

What is the rally around the flag effect? 

Domestic popularity of national leaders tends to increase substantially when international conflict first breaks out Sometimes the boost in popularity does not last long, but it is still often a significant increase in domestic support. 

What is the capitalist piece? 

Some studies find that factors such as economic development and international trade have a much larger effect on prompting peace than Democracy

What is the spiral model of the war/ the security dilemma?

Country A might perceive arms buildups by Country B as offensive rather than defensive. Country A feels threatened and builds its own arms up in response. Country B now feels threatened, so it builds up its arms further. This leads to a viscous cycle in which countries continue to build up their arms because of perceived threats. Country B may never have intended to exploit Country A, but the perception of aggression caused the arms race

According to McManus, to achieve deterrence what is the most effective madman strategy? 

In terms of military experience or lack thereof know how their experience affects their probability of conflict? Like the ones with conflict and military vs only military 

What are ddos cyber attacks?

Distributed Denial of Service -  Intentional flooding of cites with more data requests than they can handle. This essentially shutdown targeted websites, making them unusable. Some targeted websites are essentially to the functioning of different governing bodies.

Know who the most frequent perpetrators of cyber attacks are?  

Government cyber operations, often used against other governments. Non-state organizations (e.g., terrorist or hacker groups) . Individual actors who seek material gain (e.g., through extortion), to cause chaos, or other individual motives.

What is the rebel resources curse theory? 

Of the 4 types of countries which is the most likely to experience civil war?

What is the principal agent problem?

Know what is relative deprivation?

Why some rebel groups treat civilians more poorly than others?  Which of these types of rebel groups is most likely to treat civilians poorly?

What is the provocation strategy of terrorism? 

What is the spoiling strategy of terrorism? 

What is the outbidding strategy of terrorism?

Why are terrorist often better educated than the average member of the population? 

In term of prediction and terrorism, what is the prediction of the strategic school of thought?