Global Politics Units 1-4: Power, Human Rights, Development, and Peace

Vocabulary and case studies from the Unit 1-4 lecture notes on Power, Sovereignty, Human Rights, Development, and Peace and Conflict.

Power

The ability to influence the behavior of others to get a desired outcome, illustrated by US Sanctions on Russia in $2022$ using financial dominance.

Hard Power

The use of military threat or economic coercion to achieve goals, such as Russia’s Annexation of Crimea in $2014$.

Soft Power

The ability to shape the preferences of others through appeal and attraction, exemplified by Qatar spending over $200\, ext{B}$ to host the $2022$ FIFA World Cup.

Smart Power

The strategic combination of both hard and soft power, such as the $2015$ Iran Nuclear Deal (JCPOA) using economic sanctions and diplomacy.

Structural Power

The power to shape the frameworks and "rules of the game" in global politics; for example, the US Dollar acting as the global reserve currency.

Stakeholder

Any individual or group affected by a specific policy or issue, like Small Island Nations at COP28 ($2023$) demanding a "Loss and Damage" fund.

Actor

Any entity capable of influencing global politics, such as SpaceX providing Starlink internet to Ukraine in $2022$.

Intergovernmental Organization (IGO)

An organization composed primarily of sovereign states, such as the United Nations (UN).

Non-governmental Organization (NGO)

A non-profit group independent of government, such as Amnesty International documenting human rights abuses.

Multinational Corporation (MNC)

A company that controls production or services in multiple countries, like Apple Inc. influencing labor laws in Ireland and China.

State Actor

A person or entity acting on behalf of a sovereign government, such as the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs negotiating the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Non-state Actor

Any actor that is not a government, including private military forces like the Wagner Group in $2022$.

Social Movement

A collective, informal effort by a large group to bring about social change, such as Black Lives Matter in $2020$.

Resistance Movement

An organized effort by a population to withstand an occupying power, such as the People’s Defense Forces in Myanmar ($2021$).

State

A political entity with a population, territory, government, and sovereignty, such as South Sudan ($2011$).

Nation

A group of people sharing a common culture, language, or history, such as the Catalans asserting identity in $2017$.

Stateless Nation

A nation that does not have its own sovereign territory, such as the Rohingya forced out of Myanmar in $2017$.

Institutions

The rules, norms, and organizations governing global behavior, such as the WTO ruling on trade disputes in $2023$.

Sovereignty

A state’s supreme authority to govern itself, as exercised by the UK during Brexit in $2020$ to regain authority over laws and borders.

Responsibility to Protect (R2P)

The global norm that states must protect citizens from atrocities, which authorized military force in Libya in $2011$.

Humanitarian Intervention

Using military force to stop human rights violations in another state, such as US airstrikes at Mount Sinjar ($2014$) to prevent genocide by ISIS.

Responsible Sovereignty

The idea that sovereignty is a privilege earned by protecting citizens, used to argue Assad lost sovereign rights in Syria ($2013$).

Legitimacy

The popular and international acceptance of a government's right to rule, contested in Venezuela ($2019$) between Maduro and Juan Guaid%&o.

Interdependence

The mutual reliance between states, illustrated by the $2021$ global chip shortage affecting production across multiple nations.

International Law

Rules and treaties governing state interaction, such as the $2016$ tribunal ruling against China's maritime claims in the South China Sea.

United Nations (UN)

A global IGO established for maintaining peace and security.

African Union (AU)

A continental IGO focused on African integration.

ASEAN

A Southeast Asian regional organization focused on economic growth.

European Union (EU)

A political and economic union consisting of $27$ European states.

UN Security Council

The UN body with the specific power to authorize sanctions and military force.

Global Governance

The movement toward political cooperation to solve global problems, such as the $2015$ Paris Agreement.

Realism

A theory that states act in self-interest for survival, illustrated by the $2021$ AUKUS Pact to counter power.

Balance of Power

Focuses on forming alliances to prevent any one state from becoming dominant, like the "Quad" (USA, India, Japan, Australia).

Security Dilemma

When one state's security measures cause others to feel less safe, leading to arms races like North Korea’s missile tests in $2023$.

Liberalism

A theory that cooperation, trade, and international law lead to peace, seen in the $2020$ Abraham Accords.

Critical Theory

A perspective challenging power structures and focusing on oppressed groups, such as the post-colonial critique of climate finance.

Human Rights

Fundamental rights inherent to all humans.

Positive Rights

Rights requiring the state to provide services, such as the South African NHI Bill ($2024$) for universal healthcare.

Negative Rights

Rights requiring the state to not interfere, such as the right to free speech often cited regarding the $2020$ Hong Kong National Security Law.

Cultural Relativism

The idea that human rights are culturally determined, used by the Taliban in $2022$ to defend education bans.

Universalism

The belief that human rights apply to all people equally, as seen in the $2008$ ban on cluster munitions.

Politicization

Using human rights issues as a tool for political gain, such as the US withdrawal from the UNHRC in $2018$.

Justice

The fair and impartial application of the law.

Retributive Justice

Justice achieved through punishment, such as the $2017$ conviction of Ratko Mladi%&c for genocide.

Restorative Justice

Justice through rehabilitation and reconciliation, exemplified by the $2016$ Colombia Peace Deal.

Liberty

Freedom from oppressive restrictions, as discussed in the context of the $2013$ Snowden leaks and mass surveillance.

Equality

The state of being equal in status and rights, such as the $2018$ Iceland Equal Pay Law.

Needs-based Equality

Distributing resources based on specific needs, exemplified by the $2021$ COVAX Initiative.

Legal Equality

The principle that all citizens are subject to the same laws.

International Criminal Court (ICC)

A permanent court for genocide and war crimes, which convicted Dominic Ongwen in $2021$.

UDHR

The $1948$ foundational document of human rights.

Tribunal

A court established for a specific conflict, such as the $2018$ Khmer Rouge Tribunal.

Human Rights Watch

An NGO that investigates and reports on human rights abuses.

Amnesty International

An NGO that campaigns for the rights of prisoners of conscience.

Marginalized groups

Groups excluded from main social life, such as the Uighur Muslims in China ($2017 ext{-Present}$).

Refugee

Someone fleeing war or persecution across an international border, such as the $6\, ext{M+}$ people in the $2022$ Ukrainian Refugee Crisis.

IDP

Internally Displaced Person; someone forced to flee home but remaining within their country, like $2\, ext{M+}$ people in the Tigray War ($2020$).

Codification

Writing rights into formal law, like the $2021$ Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

Development

Improving the quality of human life and standard of living.

Economic Development

Growth in a nation’s wealth or GDP, such as Vietnam’s tech boom in $2020$.

Social Development

Improvements in health and education, such as Rwanda reaching $90\, ext{\%}$ health insurance coverage.

Political Development

The evolution of institutions toward rule of law, like Tunisia’s $2014$ Constitution.

Environmental Sustainability

Development that preserves the environment for the future, like Costa Rica’s $2050$ carbon-neutral plan.

Economic Inequality

The gap between rich and poor, measured by indicators such as South Africa’s Gini Coefficient in $2023$.

WTO

A global IGO that regulates international trade.

IMF

An IGO providing loans for financial stability, such as the $3\, ext{B}$ bailout for Sri Lanka in $2023$.

Development indicators

Specific data points used to measure progress, such as literacy or life expectancy.

HDI

Human Development Index; measures life expectancy, education, and income, with Norway ranking top in $2022$.

GDP Per Capita

Total wealth of a nation divided by its population, which jumped in Guyana ($2020$) due to oil discoveries.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)

Investment from one country into another, like the Tesla Gigafactory in Mexico in $2023$.

Corruption

The abuse of power for private gain, illustrated by the $2016$ 1MDB Scandal in Malaysia.

Poverty

Lacking material possessions or money to meet basic human needs.

SDGs

The UN's $17$ Sustainable Development Goals for the year $2030$.

Dependency Theory

The idea that rich nations exploit poor nations, such as the $2017$ Sri Lanka port lease to China.

Modernization Theory

The idea that all nations develop through the same stages toward a Western style.

Peace

The absence of conflict or violence.

Positive Peace

The presence of justice and equality that removes causes of war, exemplified by the Nordic Model.

Negative Peace

The mere absence of active fighting, such as the $2020$ ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Direct Violence

Physical harm such as war or assault, exemplified by the $2023$ Gaza War.

Cultural Violence

Using culture or religion to justify violence, such as ISIS ideology regarding the Yazidis.

Structural Violence

When social systems harm people, such as the blockades and food crisis in Yemen causing mass starvation.