International Politics Ch. 1 & 2

Security

-the pursuit of freedom from threat

-achieved by states maintaining independent identities & functional integrity

National/International Security

-most common

-national defense, conflict & war, etc.

Economic Security

countries/corporations seeking wealth through economic relations & exchanges

Human Security

focuses on quality of life of individuals within states

Anarchy

-a fundamental challenge that influences world politics

-a lack of a central authoritative government

Diversity

-a fundamental challenge that influences world politics

-thousands of nationalities & almost 200 countries

Complexity

-a fundamental challenge that influences world politics

-countries are very interconnected

-can cause problems

-reduces the impact of anarchy

Systemic/International Level

-level of analysis

-focuses on interactions among countries/states

-emphasizes the impact of the structure of the international system

State/National Level

-level of analysis

-focuses on states/countries/units themselves

-emphasizes the attributes of countries & how these attributes shape policies/behavior/interactions

Individual Level

-level of analysis

-focuses on individual policymakers, CEOs, etc.

-emphasizes personalities, preferences, etc. of decision makers & their effects on policies/interactions

Theories

-present different perspectives on the nature & dynamics of world politics

-simplifies complex phenomena

Realism

theory that stresses how states pursue self interests (conflict/war)

Liberalism

theory that emphasizes cooperative approaches between states

Constructivism

theory that stresses ideas, identity, culture, etc. of people

Foreign Policy Analysis

theory that emphasizes the decision makers & the processes/policies they produce

Marxism/World Systems

theory that talks about class-based economic interests and whoever controls the money is key to behavior

Feminism

theory that asks what the world would be like if it wasn't historically dominated by men

Post-Colonialism

theory that highlights how historic colonial practices influence current injustices, etc. & claims that colonialism is still affecting global politics

Race

theory that emphasizes how racial differences (inequality, injustice, etc.) impact international relations

Prisoner's Dilemma/Stag Hunt

A situation in which 2+ actors cannot agree to cooperate for fear that the other will pursue personal interests

Collective Action Problem

A situation in which the members of a group would benefit by working together to produce some outcome, but each individual is better off leeching off of the others who actually participate

State

a territory w/ institutions, people, & defined borders

Sovereign State

an independent political identity holding supreme authority over its territory and population

Nation

large group of people who inhabit a specific territory that are connected by history, culture, experiences, education, etc.

Nation-State

when a state rules on behalf of a single culturally/ethnically unified group of people who share a common national identity

country

a geographic term referring to a particular place

Non-states

international organizations, nongovernmental organizations, multi/transnational corporations, transnational advocacy networks

Sovereignty

when a state has supreme authority over a people & territory, making self-help the main motivation for states

Interdependence

mutual connections/reliance between states, making no state able to fully act out of self-interest

Security Dilemma

question of how states secure themselves w/o threatening other states, making them secure themselves in retaliation

Treaties of Westphalia

two treaties that ended the Thirty Years' War & began the modern international system (1648)

Pre-Westphalian System

-before 1648

-domesticated agriculture

Feudalism

-political system where rulers granted land to aristocracy in return for loyalty & peasants would work the land

-weak monarchy system that evolved after the fall of Roman Empire

Thirty Years' War

-(1618-1648) religious conflict between protestants & catholics developing into a large war with almost every European power involved

-Holy Roman Empire broke apart at the end, forming many sovereign states & new international system

Westphalian Sovereignty

-increase of sovereign states that had to meet 3 conditions:

1) had an identifiable population

2) was located within borders that were recognized by others

3) possessed sovereignty

Imperialism

-colonization & exploration of other territories

-was how this system expanded globally by european powers

-led to competition over land & resources

Nationalism

-the emotional connect of the mass public to their state

-a norm that began in the French Revolution & spread through Westphalian system

-often formed rivalries

Democracy

a new political norm introduced by the American & French Revolutions

Cold War

-last major phase of the Westphalian system

Neo-Westphalian System

• (1990-Present)

-Rising importance of non-state actors

-Globalization

-Increasing stresses on states

-Responsible sovereignty

Multinational Corporations (MNCs)

companies w/ operations in many countries

-Apple

Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs)

international groups that devoted to specific issues to help states

-Red Cross

International Organizations (IOs)

groups formed by multiple states for different issues

-United Nations for peace after WW2

Subnational Actors

individual/political entities that fall within a state

-NC

Sovereign Wealth Funds

investment funds owned specifically by states

-have grown rapidly within this system

Globalization

the increasing integration of global security through the spread of tech, trade, transportation, etc.

New Stresses on States

-increased foreign immigration

-terrorist groups/individuals

-nativism

-economic threats

Supranational Regimes

Its whose rules can override those of their member states