introduction quiz

dr david owen introduction to global politics millersville university

what is global politics

the study of relationships between states/entities in the international system

also known as international relations, global affairs, international affairs. international politics

what is a state

governed entity with a settled population occupying a permanent area with recognized borders and sovereignty

what is sovereignty

the ability to rule without interference or fear of interference, it an independent rule

tools of (maintaining) sovereignty

international law, military, economy

absolute sovereignty

a government has the right to do whatever it wants in its own territory

limited sovereignty

a government gives up some independence for the greater good

How do states interact with each other

CONFLICT, trade, diplomatic meetings, treaties, tariffs, conflicts, IGO's

what is a nation

a large group of people sharing a common culture, religion, language, etc.

differences between states and nations

states are a recognized legal entity while nations are cultural and social

not all nations have their own state and not all states consist of one nation

what is the international system

comprehensive global context in which states operate

why isnt a state in the usa a state in global politics

it lacks sovereignty

non state actor

companies/groups that do not have sovereignty, settled population, or borders

ex. united nations, Apple, Amazon

international law

principles, rules, and regulations concerning the interactions between countries interact with one another

what is the difference between international relations and comparative politics

int relations is the student of different places relations as opposed to their politics/political systems

internal affairs

stuff states deem beyond international relations reach when it comes to their own state, the things that are in states own sovereignty

what can sovereign states do

have a military, print money, issue laws

separatism

advocacy/attempt to establish a separate nation WITHIN a sovereign state

diplomacy

managing international relations by negotiating/being nice

intergovernmental organizations

associations of several states to keep the peace within and outside of their own states

ex. united nations, NATO, international monetary fund

pros of IGO's

tackle larger problems, pursue economic goals, keep peace, increase collective responsibility

cons of IGO's

internal political disagreements, political and ideological biases, bureaucratic delays, corruption/incompetence

nongovernmental organizations

public/private interest groups trying to influence foreign policy; they raise international concerns about issues (foreign or domestic)

NGO's have caused an increase in what

global spread of democratic governments; because democracies allow increased knowledge of foreign policies/powers

us freedom of information act of 1970

established national archive to encourage the release of foreign policy relation information

what has led to a rise in NGO's

globalization and the rise of international conflicts

conflict + violence =

instability

nuclear proliferation

spread of nuclear weapons, materials, information, technology

contamination vs depletion

pollution, global warming, etc. vs oil and coal mining, deforestation, etc.

green revolution (1950s/1960s)

agricultural success that "got rid of" poverty/hunger

governments and nongovernments make reports on populations, foreign aid, all kinds of shit. what can skew these reports

self interest, professional prestige, competition

communique

official report about international meeting

manifest content

what was actually said

latent content

what was intended

expert polls

polls to get a PROFESSIONALS opinion on something

groupthink

the tendency of groups to make decisions because of a false sense of unity/support for the group leader

parochialism

when your knowledge and bias is limited because the only stuff you know is from the perspective of your own state of mind

globalization

the growing irrelevance of borders and an increase in the importance of international trade

westphalia peace treaty of 1648

the origins of europe, this created states

violent conflicts

disrupts in trade, damage to environment

how to alleviate conflict

reduce poverty, address injustices, eliminate inequality, maybe we cant (its inevitable)

military dictatorships + small radical groups not affiliated with any state =

todays threats to stability in the international system

what/who feeds cooperation

alliances, foreign policy, diplomacy, informal communication channels, other entities

what "other entities" fuels corporation

other states, IGO's, NGO's, corporations, international institutions

scale NGO's are on

nationstate

a state containing primarily one nation

anarchy

absence of hierarchy

what are the main issues international relations deals with

international security, law, political economy, terrorism and democratization, human rights

plato

life force in man is intelligent, only a few people can have insight into what is good, society should submit to these people (the republic)

aristotle

first to use comparative method of research, observing multiple points in time and suggesting explanations for the patterns found

thomas hobbes

described life in a state of nature as solitary and selfish, people can escape this through a unitary state, a leviathan

jean jacques rousseau

argued the state of nature is the social contract, people do what thye do for self preservation

immanuel kant

advocated for a world federation of republics bound by the rule of law, thought man was admittedly selfish but fixable

realism

states exist in an anarchic international system, states bases policies on what they think national interest is

liberalism

IR theory that focuses on non state actors and cooperation

radical theory

rooted in economics, actions are based on ones economic class

international relations constructivists

argue key structures are not fixed but ever changing/malleable

weapons of mass destruction

nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons that can quickly and indiscriminately kill tens of millions o f people

are global birth rates declining, increasing, or stagnant

decreasing