International Politcs Final

What is the definition of terrorism?

Terrorism refers to the unlawful use of violence or threat of violence, especially against civilians, to achieve political, religious, or ideological goals.

What is the difference between transnational and domestic-based terrorism?

Transnational Terrorism: Terrorism that crosses national borders, involving groups or individuals targeting foreign countries. Domestic-based Terrorism: Terrorism that occurs within a single country, where the actors target their own government or population.

What are the strategic rationales for terrorism?

Coercion: To force a government or group to change its policies. Provocation: To provoke overreaction from the target that can rally support. Outbidding: To demonstrate commitment to a cause by competing with other groups. Spoiling: To undermine peace processes and sabotage negotiations.

What are the obstacles to cooperation in global issues?

Coordination Problems: Difficulty in aligning actions among multiple actors. Fears of Cheating: Concern that others will not honor agreements. Relative Gains Concerns: Worry that others benefit more from cooperation than you. Collective Action Problems: Difficulty in coordinating efforts to solve global challenges.

What is the concept of comparative advantage?

Comparative advantage refers to the ability of a country or entity to produce a good or service at a lower opportunity cost than others, making trade mutually beneficial.

What are the different barriers to trade?

Tariffs: Taxes on imported goods. Non-Tariff Barriers: Includes subsidies, quotas, and other restrictions on trade.

What was the Bretton Woods Conference?

The 1944 conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, established key institutions like the IMF and World Bank to regulate global economic policies and promote reconstruction after World War II.

What is the difference between GATT and WTO?

GATT: General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (1947) aimed to reduce trade barriers. WTO: World Trade Organization (1995) succeeded GATT and provides a framework for negotiating and enforcing trade agreements.

What are the guiding principles of the GATT/WTO?

Liberalization: Reduction of trade barriers. Nondiscrimination: Equal treatment for all trading partners. Reciprocity: Mutual concessions in trade negotiations.

What does Most Favored Nation (MFN) status mean?

MFN status requires a country to grant other countries the same trade advantages it offers to any other country.

What is an exchange rate?

The value of one country's currency in terms of another currency.

What is currency devaluation?

Currency devaluation occurs when a country intentionally lowers the value of its currency relative to others, often to boost exports.

What are the functions of the IMF and World Bank?

IMF: Provides financial assistance and advice to countries facing economic instability. World Bank: Focuses on long-term economic development and poverty reduction through loans and grants.

What are some criticisms of the IMF and World Bank?

Conditionality: Imposing stringent conditions on loans. Lack of Transparency: Decision-making processes are not sufficiently open. Moral Hazard: Encouraging irresponsible borrowing by guaranteeing loans. Power Imbalance: Decisions influenced by a small number of powerful countries.

How does international law differ from domestic law?

International Law: Rules and norms governing relations between states and international organizations. Domestic Law: Laws that govern individuals within a specific country.

How are international law and international norms different?

International Law: Legally binding rules and agreements between states. International Norms: Informal expectations and practices that guide state behavior but are not legally enforceable.

What are the two main sources of international law?

Treaties: Formal agreements between states. Customary International Law: Established practices accepted as legally binding.

What are the four schools of thought on compliance with international law?

Realists: Focus on enforcement through power. Neoliberal Institutionalists: Emphasize management of cooperation. Constructivists: Highlight the role of norms in shaping behavior. Domestic Political Approaches: Focus on internal political dynamics influencing international compliance.

What is the difference between negative and positive rights?

Negative Rights: Rights that require others to abstain from interfering (e.g., freedom from torture). Positive Rights: Rights that require action to provide (e.g., the right to education).

What is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?

Adopted by the UN in 1948, it sets forth fundamental human rights to be protected universally.

What is the Convention on Civil and Political Rights (1966)?

A UN treaty that ensures the protection of civil and political rights, such as freedom of speech, fair trials, and freedom from torture.

What is the Convention on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (1966)?

A UN treaty that guarantees economic, social, and cultural rights, including the right to education and work.

What is a norm entrepreneur?

Individuals or groups who actively promote new norms and advocate for their acceptance by the international community.

What are transnational advocacy networks (TANs)?

Networks of activists and organizations that operate across borders to promote human rights, environmental protection, and other causes.

What is the boomerang model in advocacy?

A model where domestic groups facing repression seek international support, which in turn pressures their governments to change.

What are the arguments for and against humanitarian intervention?

For: Protects human rights, prevents atrocities, and restores stability. Against: Risks sovereignty violations, can lead to unintended consequences, and may be politically motivated.

What was the humanitarian intervention in Somalia in the 1990s?

A UN-led military intervention aimed at alleviating famine and restoring order in Somalia amidst civil war.

Why was there a failure to intervene during the Rwandan genocide in 1994?

International reluctance, political considerations, and a lack of awareness of the scale of the crisis contributed to the failure to prevent the genocide.

What is the Responsibility to Protect (R2P)?

A global principle that states have a responsibility to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity, and the international community should intervene when they fail to do so.

What are the precautionary principle and the principle of prevention in environmental law?

Precautionary Principle: Taking preventive action in the face of uncertainty to avoid environmental harm. Principle of Prevention: Prioritizing actions that prevent environmental damage before it occurs.

What is the collective action problem in environmental issues?

The difficulty in coordinating global action to address environmental challenges due to differing national interests and the free-rider problem.

What is the tragedy of the commons?

The overuse and depletion of shared resources due to individuals acting in their own self-interest rather than in the interest of the collective.

What does 'common but differentiated responsibilities' mean in environmental law?

It acknowledges that all states are responsible for addressing global environmental issues but that developed nations should take on greater responsibility due to their historical contributions to the problem.

What is the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)?

An international treaty aimed at addressing climate change by stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.

What was the Kyoto Protocol?

An international agreement (1997) that set binding emission reduction targets for developed countries to combat climate change.

What is the Paris Climate Agreement?

A global accord (2015) to limit global warming to well below 2°C, with each country setting its own targets for reducing emissions.