IR Exam One Terms/Concepts

Mercantilism

Belief that military and economic influence complemented each other (Mother country over colonies)

Sovereignty

Expectation that states have authority over their territory 

Hegemony

Predominance of one nation over others

Free Trade Causes

Industrial Revolution

Fast production, low prices

Foreigners became British bank customers (positive)

Interests and Examples

What Actors want to achieve through political action

• Security

• Power

• ideological goals

• economic welfare

Actors

People who “want” something who act for a collective

State

Central authority that can make and enforce law, and make territory decisions in their given territory

Anarchy

Absence of central power to make all actors comply

National Interests

Interests specific to the state itself (nations)

Interactions

Choices of two or more actors combine to produce political outcome

Cooperation

Interaction where two or more actors enact policies that make one actor better off by the status quo, without making the other actor worse off

Bargaining

Interactions where actors decide how to divide and distribute something of value

Coordination

Cooperative interaction where actors benefit from all making the same choice 

Collaboration

Cooperative interaction where actors gain from working together, but have incentives to not comply with any agreement

Public Goods and Examples

Products that are non-excludable/non-rival in in consumption

• National Defense

• Clean air/water

Collective Action Problems

Obstacles to collaboration, when actors have incentives to collaborate but each acts with the expectation that the other will pay the cost of cooperation

Free Ride

Failing to contribute to public goods while benefitting from the contributions of others 

Iteration

Repeated interactions with the same partners 

Linkage

Linking cooperation on one issue to interactions of a second issue

Information and Cooperation (why fail?)

May fail if there is a lack of info

Power

Ability of actor A to get actor B to do something they would not usually do

Compulsory Power

Power of actor A to compel actor B to act a certain way

Coercion and Examples

Imposing or threatening to impose costs on another actor to change their behavior

• Military force

• Economic sanctions

Outside Options

alternates to bargaining with a specific actor

Agenda setting

Actions taken before bargaining that make the reversion outcome better for one party

The 3 Categories of of Interest

• Power/security

• economic/material welfare

• ideological goals

Realism 

Every person for themselves

Liberalism

Institution/corperations

Constructivism

social interaction

War

Event involving organized military action by at least two parties that reaches some sort of severity 

Interstate War

A war in which the main participates are the states

Crisis Bargaining

Bargaining interaction where consequences of not reaching an agreement can involve the use of force (war)

Coercive Diplomacy

Use of threats to advance demands in a bargaining crisis

Bargaining Range

Deals both parties prefer over revision outcome

Compellence   

effort to CHANGE the status quo through threat of force

Deterrence

effort to PRESERVE status quo through threat of force

Incomplete Info

If countries don’t know about the others abilities to go to war they may yield too much or too little

Risk Return Trade-off

Trying to get a good deal and trying to minimize the possibility of war

Bureaucracy and Examples

Collection of Organizations

• Military

• Diplomatic Corps

• Intel agencies 

Interest Groups

Groups that organize in order to push for policies that benefit those of the group

Diversionary Incentive

To spark crisis internationally in order to rally public support at home

Democratic Peace

Democratic countries do not go to war with other Democratic countries 

Collective Security (Alliance)

Public interest promoting peace

Offensive (Alliance)

One state pledges to join another state in attacking another (A and B attack C)

Defensive (Alliance)

Require states to come to each others aide (military)

• NATO

Neutrality (Alliance)

States pledge to remain neutral in a conflict and not attack each other

Consultation (Alliance)

states agree to consult with each other before using military force or seizing territory

Balance of Power

No state has a clear military advantage over the other

Bandwagoning 

When states team up with the stronger side to share spoils of conquest

Preemptive War

attacking a country if you think they will attack you (strike first)

Preventive War

Preventing the rise of a nation (China and Russia)

Brinkmanship

Proactive action by a state that convinces the other side they are willing to escalate the war