International Relations and Global Governance Practice Flashcards

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering terrorism, international institutions, US foreign policy, trade theory, exchange rates, climate change, migration, and economic development.

Terrorism (International Relations Definition)

The use or threatened use of violence against non-combatants in pursuit of a political aim.

Terrorism Differentiation Factor 1

The presence of political goals.

Terrorism Differentiation Factor 2

Targeting non-combatants to provoke fear.

Terrorism Differentiation Factor 3

Its perpetration by non-state actors.

Contested Concept

A term like terrorism that is highly politicized and lacks a single, universally agreed-upon definition.

Non-state Actor Avoidance Strategy

Terrorist groups avoid direct contact with state militaries because they are typically much weaker than state forces.

YPG

A mainly Kurdish militia in Syria that is a key force against ISIS and supported by the U.S..

PKK

A group designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU for its attacks in Turkey.

U.S.-Turkey Controversy (YPG)

Turkey views the YPG and PKK as the same organization, while the U.S. avoids labeling the YPG as a terrorist group.

Provocation Strategy

Triggering an overreaction from a state to increase support for the terrorists, such as Al-Qaeda and $9/11$.

Spoiling Strategy

Using violence to ruin peace negotiations between a state and moderate rivals, often used by Hamas.

Outbidding

Competing with rival groups for support by showing more commitment, such as ISIS vs. Al-Qaeda.

Costly Signal

An act that proves commitment and attracts support by showing a group is willing to pay high costs.

Defensive Counterterrorism: Surveillance

Measures like the Patriot Act used to monitor and prevent attacks.

Defensive Counterterrorism: Examples

Law enforcement and increased security at borders and airports.

Surveillance Tradeoff

The tension between Security vs. Privacy.

The Problem of Deterrence

Hard to apply to terrorists because they lack a clear home base and strikes can backfire by increasing support for them.

U.S. Goals in Afghanistan (Post-$9/11$)

Destroy Al-Qaeda's base, remove the Taliban, and prevent future attacks.

Iraq War Goals

Removing Saddam Hussein and promoting democracy; less directly tied to $9/11$ than Afghanistan.

Root Causes of Terrorism

Political and economic grievances that groups use to justify violence.

Law Enforcement Risk

The potential for profiling and civil rights violations in counterterrorism.

Strains of Long Wars

Prolonged conflicts like Afghanistan strain the military, economy, and alliances, and are hard to exit.

International Institutions

Rules of the game in society—humanly devised constraints that structure incentives and interaction.

Domestic Institution Example

Laws against speeding or the electoral vote requirement to become President.

International Institution Example

Sovereignty or the taboo against using chemical weapons.

International Organizations

Intergovernmental political organizations that possess agency and pursue political objectives.

Major IO Examples

The UN, NATO, and the WTO.

NATO Core Rule

An attack on one member is an attack on all.

Original Purpose of NATO

To counter the Soviet Union in $1949$.

Primary Function of the WTO

To promote and defend rules designed to support trade liberalization.

Sovereignty vs. Cooperation Tradeoff

Joining IOs requires giving up some control over independent policy to gain global benefits.

WTO Steel Tariff Ruling

An instance where the WTO challenged U.S. sovereignty by ruling against steel tariffs, forcing a policy reversal.

UN General Assembly Role

A forum for all countries that often sees significant disagreement due to conflicting national interests.

UN Security Council (P5)

The five permanent members: U.S., UK, China, Russia, and France.

Veto Power

The special power of the P5 permanent members to block UN Security Council resolutions.

UN Legitimacy

The reason the U.S. uses the UN despite sovereignty limits; gains global and domestic legitimacy for actions.

Negotiation Costs

IOs lower these by providing information and setting expectations for behavior.

Chemical Weapons Taboo

An international norm that defines the use of such weapons as morally inappropriate.

IO Agency

The ability of International Organizations to pursue objectives independent of the states that created them.

NATO Burden Sharing

The current issue where the U.S. carries more military burden than other members who spend less on defense.

Soverign Territorial Constraint

The rule implying the U.S. shouldn't violate territorial boundaries or interfere in domestic leaders/rules of other states.

Bargaining Failure

A situation where sides fail to reach a peace deal even though war is more costly for both (e.g., U.S.-Iran conflict).

U.S.-Iran Conflict: Support for Proxies

A conflict of interest involving Iran’s support for groups like the Houthis and Hezbollah.

U.S.-Iran Conflict: Key Interests

Conflicts over nuclear weapons and regime control in Tehran.

Problem of Private Information

When sides disagree on the distribution of military capabilities or the costs of war, preventing a peace agreement.

Asymmetrical Warfare

Using cheap methods like drones to damage a stronger power rather than matching them directly.

Strait of Hormuz Significance

A critical point through which a huge portion of global oil flows; closure causes price surges.

Strait of Hormuz: Impact on Asia

Region hit hardest by closure; Japan imports approximately $95 \%$ of its oil through it.

Maximum Pressure Strategy

Trump's use of heavy sanctions to force Iran to the bargaining table.

Regime Survival

Iran’s primary goal in war; ensuring the government stays in power.

Global Inflation (Energy)

Disruption of energy supplies from Middle East wars that raises the cost of shipping and travel.

48 Hour Countdown

Trump's threat to bomb civilian infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz wasn't opened.

Iranian Jet Shoot Down

An act by Iran to demonstrate its capability to inflict damage despite the power gap.

Endgame Dilemma

The choice between stopping early to limit costs (leaving the threat) or risking escalation to solve the problem.

Exchange of Offers in the Red

Offers made during war that are outside the range where both sides would be better off than fighting.

U.S. Public View on Iran War

Generally unpopular with approximately $60 \%$ disapproval due to gas price and safety concerns.

Procedural Minimal Conditions (Dahl)

Public contestation, Inclusion, and Democratic sovereignty.

Public Contestation

Choosing leaders through competitive elections and ensuring individual freedoms like speech and assembly.

Inclusion

Universal suffrage, meaning the right for all adult citizens to participate in the democratic process.

Democratic Sovereignty

The condition that decisions are made by elected bodies rather than unelected actors like a military or deep state.

19th Century Suffrage Expansion

The period in the U.S. when white male suffrage was expanded.

15th Amendment ($1870$)

Prohibited voting restrictions based on race or color.

13th Amendment

Abolished slavery in the United States.

14th Amendment

Granted citizenship to African Americans.

15th Amendment Nullification

Occurred for decades in the South through voter suppression tactics like literacy tests and poll taxes.

19th Amendment ($1920$)

Prohibited voting restrictions based on sex.

Voting Rights Act of $1965$

Enforced racial equality at the polls to circumvent local restrictive laws.

26th Amendment ($1971$)

Set the minimum voting age to $18$ during the Vietnam War.

Democratic Peace Theory

The theory that democracies rarely fight wars with each other.

Democratic Accountability

Voters pay the costs of war and can vote leaders out, making them more cautious about conflict.

Checks and Balances

Institutional hurdles that slow down democratic decision-making for war.

Democratic Peace Theory Critique

The observation that new or transitioning democracies may be more conflict-prone.

Woodrow Wilson's Approach

Promoted democracy and self-determination after WWI.

Cold War Democracy Promotion

Prioritized stopping communism, often resulting in support for dictators over democracies.

George W. Bush Approach

Attempting to force democracy in places like Iraq to solve regional grievances.

Good Enough Governance

Krasner’s argument to focus on promoting stability, growth, and basic services instead of forced democracy.

U.S. Approach: Authoritarian Regimes

Focusing on improving governance and stability rather than total transformation.

Economic Rationale for Trade

Specialization and trade raise national income.

Theory of Comparative Advantage

Countries should specialize in what they do best and trade for the rest to maximize growth.

Tariff Rationale

Imposed due to domestic pressure from groups that lose income to international competition.

Winners of Globalization (U.S.)

High-skilled workers in tech and finance as well as college graduates.

Losers of Globalization (U.S.)

Low-skilled manufacturing workers whose jobs move to countries with cheaper labor.

Factor Endowments

The specific resources (land, labor, capital, tech) a country has in abundance.

Trade Patterns Drive

Abundance of factors drives down costs, making goods using those factors more competitive.

Ricardian Promise

The idea that trade increases aggregate wealth, though it shifts income distribution.

U.S.-China Trade War Rationale

Concerns over China's rising power, unfair state-controlled practices, and lost manufacturing jobs.

Intellectual Property Protection

A specific demand from Trump for China to stop unfair practices.

Trade Deficit

When a country imports more than it exports; often framed politically as an indicator of unfair trade.

Manufacturing Sector Loser Example

A worker losing a $30/hr factory job to Mexico and finding a $12/hr job at Walmart.

Inequality in Trade

Long-term inequality caused when workers cannot easily switch industries after globalization shocks.

America First Trade Strategy

Skepticism of free trade because it is perceived as hurting American manufacturing.

Globalization Aggregate Wealth

Specialization and eliminating barriers increase total national wealth.

Exchange Rate

The price of one currency in terms of another.

Appreciation

When a currency increases in value and can buy more units of a foreign currency.

Effect of Appreciation on Imports

Imports go up because foreign products become cheaper for consumers.

Effect of Appreciation on Exports

Exports go down because they become more expensive for foreign consumers.

Exporting Firm Currency Preference

Exporting firms prefer a weak or depreciating dollar to stay competitive globally.

Currency Manipulation Accusation

U.S. claim that China keeps its currency value artificially low to boost exports.

Reserve Currency

A currency held in large quantities by governments; the U.S. dollar currently holds this status.

Reserve Currency Benefit

Allows the U.S. to run huge deficits and borrow money very cheaply due to global demand.