PL 103 Midterm 2

International Relations

subfield of PL that focuses on politics across different countries

levels of analysis of IR

systemic level (Global), Unit level (state), Individual Level(individual psychology)

Ontology

what exists, the essence of things

Normative research

seeks to discover what is good just or conforming wit a set of values

Empirical research

seeks to discover, describe, and explain facts and factual relationships to the extent that they are knowable

Empirical vs Normative

what is vs what ought to be

Theory

a picture mentally formed of a bounded realm or domain of activity"- waltz

why do we need theories

to explain, predict and transform

Epistemology

how can we get to know what exists

empiricism

direct observation of the world is the only source of knowledge

911 Problem

states have no one to call help, no one above the states to keep things in control

international relations vs global politics

International Relations (IR) focuses on formal, state-centric interactions, diplomacy, and security, while Global Politics is an interdisciplinary field studying broader power structures, including non-state actors like NGOs and corporations

zero sum

one state’s gain is another’s loss, often linked to realists views on security and territory

Postive sum

cooperative outcomes, such as trade and alliances, where all participants can benefit

postive sum vs zero sum

one actor’s gain is exactly equal to another’s loss vs mutual gains,

relative gains

gain benefits only the individual

absolute gains

gain benefits everyone

The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must"- Thucydides

signifes power dictates justice, with strong nations acting on self interest while weak ones are forced to submit

The Melian Dialogue

famous brutal debate where Melians argued for honor, neutrality, and justice. The Athenians argued that "right" is only relevant between equals in power; otherwise, the strong dictate outcomes

anarchy

self help system each state must rely on itself

security dielmma

as one states seeks to reduce its insecurity, it seeks power

national interest

goal a state pursues to ensure survival, security, and prosperity

distribution of power

how military, economic, and diplomatic influence is allocated among states, defining the system’s structure

balance of power

the number of great powers and the changes in the relative power of states

states as unitary actors

states only care about themselves

leviathan

classical realist theory, presenting the international system as an anarchic "state of nature"

classical realism

states like human being have an innate desire to dominate others

state of nature

anarchy men are always at war

fear vs love vs hate for the prince machiavelli

it is safer to be feared than loved because love is fickle and based on obligation, while fear is maintained by a dread of punishment.

structural realism

effects of the anarchic international system

Marxism

analyzes global politics through the lens of economic class struggle, inequality, and historical materialism rather than state-centric competition

neorealism

no central authority governs sovereign states, they act as rational, self-interested units prioritizing survival and relative gains through "self-help" mechanisms

soft power

attractive culture values, ideology institutions, getting others to do what u want

smart power

strategic combination of hard power(military/economic) and soft power (persuasion/attraction)

survival

the primary goal of each state

Balancing vs. Bandwagoning

Balancing involves aligning with others against a dominant power to ensure survival, while bandwagoning means siding with a stronger power to share in its gains.

Interdependence

the mutual reliance between states and non-state actors, where actions in one country impact others.

cultural hegemony

a dominant power maintaining global influence not just through military or economic coercion, but by imposing its own worldview, values, and norms, causing other nations to accept them as natural or "common sense" ex. US

Neoliberalism intitutionalism

International institutions could help overcome selfish state behavior and emphasize absolute gains

Economic liberalism

Economic interdependence would
discourage states from using force against
each other

Wilsonian Liberalism

Spread of democracy as key to world peace

Democratic Peace Theory

democratic states rarely or never wage war against one another,

Constructivism

a social theory asserting that international politics is shaped by ideational factors—shared beliefs, norms, and identities—rather than solely by material power

Capitalism

a mode of production, “means of production” are that are privately owned

In Capitalism relations of production

are determined by social class

Proletariat

own labor

Bourgeoisie

own production

Power according to realism

Power is the ability of a state to influence others, primarily through material resources (military, economy, population, natural resources)

Power according to liberalism

Power is the capacity to achieve goals through cooperation, institutions, and shared norms. It is not just coercive.

Power according to constructivism

power is not what you possess but the ability to shape norms, identities, and social understandings ("power of ideas").

Power according to Marxism

Power is derived from the ownership of the means of production (capital) and is used to exploit the working class and maintain capitalist interests

war

is hell, policy by other means diplomacy

interstate war

between states formal militaries

Intrastate/Civil War

between factions within over control of territory

Total War

massive loss of life, widespread destruction; many participants, including multiple powers; all available weapons used; military and civilians targeted

Limited War

limited by goals, type of weapons, amount of resources, and/or targets

Warfare

how war is fought

conventional warfare

conflict utilizing organized, uniformed military forces to destroy an adversary's military capacity and seize territory

unconventional warfare

military and quasi-military operations—including guerrilla warfare, sabotage, subversion

guerilla warfare

carried out by small and highly mobile paramilitary units with a goal of harassing the enemy and gradually erode his will

asymmetric conflict

wars or violent disputes between parties whose military capabilities, strategies, or technology differ significantly

terrorism

systemic use of unorthodox political violence
by small conspiratorial groups with the purpose of
manipulating political attitudes rather than
physically defeating an enemy

PMC

private military contractor with motive of business profit

mercenary

a soldier or person hired to fight or work for a foreign country, group, or cause, motivated primarily by pay rather than allegiance.

international terrisom

Violent, criminal acts designed to influence or affect the conduct of government by intimidation or coercion, or to retaliate against government conduct

terrisom as a costly signal

action so costly that bluffers and liars are unwilling to
take them

strategic logics of terrorism

attrition, Intimidation and prococation

Attrition

to persuade enemy that terrorists are strong enough to impose costs if the enemy continues
a policy

Intimidation

to convince the population that terrorists are strong enough to punish disobedience

Provocation

to get enemy to respond with indiscriminate violence, radicalizes the population,support for terrorists

terrorism common goals

regime change, territorial change and policy change

nuclear taboo

international norm, largely developed since 1945, that stigmatizes and prohibits the use of nuclear weapons, deeming them morally abhorrent and illegitimate

nuclear weapons

nine countries posses nuclear warheads Russia with the most and north korea with the least