International Relations Flashcards

Flashcards for reviewing International Relations lecture notes.

International Relations

The authoritative allocation of values beyond national borders.

Concept (in IR)

An abstract or generic idea generalized from specific instances, offering a definition that captures its exact meaning and defines measurable criteria for inclusion/exclusion.

Power (in IR)

The production, in and through social relations, of effects that shape the capacities of actors to determine their circumstances.

Relational specificity of Power

Direct and Diffuse.

How Power Works

Compulsory, Institutional, Structural, and Productive interactions.

Theories (in IR)

Systems of logically consistent hypotheses that relate causes to effects, relying on assumptions that lie outside of the theory.

IR as a field of study

Theoretical knowledge about international politics, that is, study the world as it is, not as we want it to be

Corporate Actors

Groups of individuals formally organized.

Characteristics of States

Territory with (reasonably) defined borders and Sovereignty (internal and external).

International Governmental Organizations (IGOs)

Act through bureaucracies, Members are (quasi-)states, Size varies, Influence politics globally.

Non-state actors / Transnational actors

Operate across borders.

Strategy (in IR)

Links goals and actions.

Policy Instruments

Tools to pursue strategies, e.g., Diplomacy, propaganda, economic incentives, military force

Conflict

Actual or perceived opposition.

Cooperation

Adjusting behavior to preferences of others; Seeking to realize one's interests while accommodating others.

Dominance

Hierarchy, stability at cost of oppression.

Reciprocity

Reward/punish behavior, simple but can spiral.

Identity

Prioritizing group over self, risk of out-group demonization.

Anarchy (in IR)

No central authority

Individual Level of Analysis

Leaders, motivations, perceptions; Personality, groupthink, risky decisions.

State Level of Analysis

Domestic structure, regime type, interest groups.

Systemic Level of Analysis

System-wide structures, self-help dynamics, power balance.

Treaty of Versailles

France, UK, US dictates peace terms to Central Power (Germany, Austria, England)

Axis Powers

Germany, Italy, Japan

Allied Powers

France, Britain, Soviet Union, US

Cold War

US and Soviet Union & their respective allies without a direct fall-fledged military confrontation by today: "Stedkovetretenkrieg"

Truman Doctrine

US policy to conform geopolitical expansion of Soviet Union

Brezhnev Doctrine

Soviet policy objective to have large influence over domestic & foreign policies of socialist states (in Central and Eastern Europe)

Decolonization

Process by which imperial power relinquish formal control over their overseas colonies

Nuclear Weapons

Have unprecedented destructive capacity

Civil War

War between fading within a state trying to create/prevent a new government for the state or some national part of it

Terrorism

Use of violence, often deliberately (absichtlich) and indiscriminately targeted (unable) grievances at civilians in pursuit (Swee mad) of political objectives

Cyber

Space relating to electronic communication networks & virtual reality

Cyber Warfare

Use of infrared & relabel technology by governments to damage or disrupt the activities or systems of an adversary system or a private entity of value to an adversary

Drones

Offer low-cost, low risk alternatives to manned missions (Missioner anti Menschen)

League of Nations

Global collective security arrangement, established with Treashat of Vessilla after WWI to secure world peace

United Nations

Revival of idea of collective security organizations founded 26 June 1945 with adoption of the UW Charter in San Francisco established after WW2 to secure peace & enhance integrity

UNSC

conversations(found… … defined existence & mature of security threat (Art. 35) … structures the response to it (Art. 40) and… … enforces its decisions through mandatory directives to UV members

Montreal Protocol

Multilateral agreement that examines the phasing out and obtaining of CFCs with the goal of reducing ozone depletion

Kyoto Protocol

first attempt to make it more binding began to be negotiated in 1997 (under EU-Quadership) come into effect in 2005, had 194 signatures by 2013

Military Alliance

Coalition of states that pools their military capabilities to guard against or deter a common free

International Law

Body of rules, norms, and standards that regulate international interactions by when ratified, states commit to obeying it

Balance of Power

Denotes, a rough equality of power behaves the major states in the system

Hegemony

Situation in which one state holds a preponderance (Distinguished) of power in the international system

Deep Roots of War

Claims warfare is an evolved human trait dating back to our primate ancestors

Shallow Roots of War

See warfare as a relatively recent cultural invention that emerged after the Muslim revolution

Co-Evolution of War

Inherited the capacity for coalitionary lethal aggression from a chimpanzee-like ancestor Geriet

Immediate causes of War

Disagreement or conflict of interest that leads two parties to engage in military conflict

International Level Anarchy

Absence of a centralized authority

Domestic Political Institutions

Democracies (almost) never fight each other

Groupthink

Psychological need of individuals to be accepted by colleagues may lead to serious judgment and decision errors

Over Optimism

Leaders often believe that they can win a military conflict easily and swiftly

Diplomacy

Dialogue and negotiation among representatives of government for individual and collective gangs

Power Balancing

State efforts to protect themselves in a dangerous world by carrying power against power

Internal Balancing

Reliance (Verbrenner) on own power resources

External Balancing

Security alliance with other states

Bandwaggering

Weaker states with more powerful states for protection

International Court of Justice

States mutually acknowledge or support specialized agencies

Laws of War

Sick and wounded soldiers on land, Sick and wounded soldiers at sea, Prisoners of war, Occupation Protocol additional to the Geneva conventions, 1977

International Organization

Body or association established by human man: strict, usually formed to help states implement their organization under relevant II

Sources of environmental problems

Negative externalities, Tragedy of the common

Negative externalities

Benefits (positive) and cost (negative) are met included in a good price

Management of global environmental problems

Raise awareness, direct attention, press for policy changes

Puzzle of International Cooperation

Problems of Tragedy of the common, lack of enforcement, relative gains concerns prevent it

Interdependence

Situations characterized by reciprocal effects among countries or among actors in different countries

Veo-liberal institutionalism

Coordination, Cooperation