Why We Disagree About International Relations – Key Vocabulary

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, perspectives, and methodological concepts from the lecture on disagreement in international relations.

Civil War in Syria (2011–present)

An ongoing multifaceted conflict that began with anti-government protests and evolved into a complex war involving domestic factions and foreign powers.

Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)

An extremist jihadist group that seized large territories in Iraq and Syria before losing most of its land by 2019.

Geographically Strategic Middle East

A region whose location and resources give it outsized military and economic importance in world politics.

Ethnically and Religiously Diverse States

Countries such as Syria and Iraq that contain multiple ethnicities and faiths, creating internal complexity and potential conflict.

Level of Analysis

The primary layer—systemic, domestic, or individual—at which scholars identify the causes of international events.

Perspective (Statement/Hypothesis)

An interpretive lens (realist, liberal, identity, etc.) that offers explanations for international outcomes.

Causal Arrow

A conceptual indicator showing the direction of influence between variables in a theory.

Systemic Level of Analysis

An approach focusing on external, international factors—such as the balance of power—that shape state behavior.

Domestic Level of Analysis

An approach that emphasizes internal state characteristics—political, economic, or societal—when explaining foreign policy.

Individual Level of Analysis

An explanatory focus on leaders’ choices, perceptions, and personalities as drivers of international events.

Realist Perspective

A view that prioritizes relative power and security competition among states.

Identity Perspective

A view that stresses the causal importance of ideas, norms, and identities in shaping global politics.

Liberal Perspective

A view that highlights institutions, interdependence, and cooperation as central to international relations.

Critical Theory Perspective

An approach that questions dominant paradigms, integrating multiple perspectives and power structures into analysis.

Intervention of Former Colonial Powers

Post-colonial involvement by European states in Middle Eastern affairs, often cited as a conflict driver.

Stagnant Resources Argument

The claim that limited or declining resources inevitably spark conflict among states or groups.

Correlation

A statistical relationship in which two variables move together without necessarily implying causation.

Causation

A relationship where one variable produces or influences a change in another.

Process Tracing

A qualitative method that follows a sequence of events to establish causal pathways.

Exogenous Variable

A factor originating outside a given analytical framework that can influence outcomes.

Endogenous Variable

A factor that operates within the analytical framework and whose value is explained by the model.

Rationalist Methods

Sequential, hypothesis-testing research techniques emphasizing logical deduction and measurable evidence.

Constructivist Methods

Approaches that study events holistically, viewing meaning and social context as integral to explanation.

Counterfactual Reasoning

The analytical practice of asking ‘what if’ questions to test causal claims by imagining alternative scenarios.

Judgment in International Affairs

The combination of knowledge and intuitive assessment needed to navigate complex global controversies.

Relativism

The belief that moral truth is culturally contingent, supporting ‘live and let live’ attitudes and state sovereignty.

Universalism

The doctrine that certain moral principles, such as basic human rights, apply to all people everywhere.

Pragmatism (Ethics)

An approach to morality that weighs universal standards against practical circumstances to guide action.

Right of Sovereignty

A principle granting states authority over their internal affairs, often invoked by relativists.