International Relations: Key Vocabulary from Chapter 1

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering major theories, concepts, and analytical tools introduced in Chapter 1 of ‘Perspectives on International Relations.’

Realist Perspective

Focuses on conflict, power, anarchy, self-help, the security dilemma and balance-of-power politics among sovereign states.

Liberal Perspective

Emphasizes cooperation, reciprocity, interdependence, diplomacy and the role of international institutions and law.

Identity Perspective

Highlights the impact of ideas, norms, and shared or relative identities on state behavior; associated with constructivism.

Critical Theory

Broad set of approaches that critique existing power structures and envision radical change, including Marxism and post-modernism.

Marxism

Critical theory variant that attributes global inequalities to capitalism and calls for radical economic restructuring.

Postmodernism (IR)

Critical approach that deconstructs dominant narratives and exposes marginalized voices in international relations.

Feminism (IR)

Analyzes international relations as male-dominated and studies how gender shapes global politics; sometimes viewed as critical theory.

Systemic Level of Analysis

Explains outcomes by referring to the structure and dynamics of the international system as a whole.

Domestic Level of Analysis

Attributes causes to internal characteristics of states such as regime type, culture, or political institutions.

Individual Level of Analysis

Focuses on the beliefs, perceptions, and personalities of individual leaders or citizens as causal factors.

Foreign Policy Level of Analysis

Examines decision-making processes and bureaucratic politics that link domestic and systemic factors.

Security Dilemma

Situation where measures taken by one state to increase its security inadvertently threaten others, triggering arms races or conflict.

Balance of Power

Distribution of capabilities among states that prevents any one actor from dominating the system.

Anarchy (IR)

The absence of a central authority above states; core assumption of realist theory.

Self-Help

Realist concept that, under anarchy, states must rely on their own capabilities for survival.

Power (IR)

Ability of an actor to influence others and achieve desired outcomes; often measured in military and economic terms.

Alliance

Formal or informal agreement between states to cooperate militarily for mutual security.

Polarity

The number of powerful states (poles) in the international system—unipolar, bipolar, or multipolar.

Prisoner’s Dilemma

Game-theoretic model illustrating how rational actors may fail to cooperate even when cooperation would benefit both.

Reciprocity

Liberal principle that cooperation emerges when actors respond in kind to each other’s actions.

Interdependence

Mutual connections and sensitivity among states in economic, environmental, and security realms.

Collective Goods

Benefits that are shared by all actors regardless of individual contribution, often creating free-rider problems.

Intergovernmental Organization (IGO)

Institution created by states to facilitate cooperation (e.g., UN, NATO, WTO).

Nongovernmental Organization (NGO)

Private, voluntary group that pursues political, humanitarian, or environmental goals across borders.

Global Governance

The network of rules, institutions, and practices that guide and shape international relations.

International Regime

Set of implicit or explicit principles, norms, rules, and decision-making procedures around which actors’ expectations converge in a given issue-area.

Path Dependence

Idea that earlier institutional choices constrain future policy options and trajectories.

International Law

Body of rules and principles governing relations among states and other international actors.

Human Rights

Universal entitlements possessed by individuals that states are obliged to respect and protect.

Legitimacy (IR)

Perception that a rule or institution is appropriate and ought to be obeyed.

Multilateralism

Coordinated relations among three or more states according to generalized principles of conduct.

Constructivism

School of thought asserting that international reality is socially constructed through ideas, norms, and collective meanings.

Social Constructivism

Branch of constructivism emphasizing the co-constitutive relationship between social structures and agents.

Agent-Oriented Constructivism

Constructivist approach stressing the autonomy and creativity of individual actors in shaping norms and identities.

Logic of Appropriateness

Decision rule where actors act according to what is socially acceptable for their identity.

Logic of Consequences

Decision rule where actors evaluate expected outcomes and choose actions that maximize benefits.

Relative Identity

How one actor defines itself in comparison to others, influencing perceptions of threat or friendship.

Democratic Peace

Hypothesis that democracies are unlikely to fight wars against one another.

Soft Power

Ability to obtain desired outcomes through attraction and persuasion rather than coercion or payment.

Causal Arrows

Conceptual tools indicating proposed directions of causation in theoretical explanations of events.

Unilateralism

Policy of acting without regard for the support or cooperation of other states.

Minilateralism

Cooperation among a small number of states to tackle specific issues efficiently.

Human Security

Broader conception of security focusing on individual well-being rather than state defense.

Civil Society

Network of nongovernmental groups and associations that represent citizens’ interests.

Transnational Relations

Interactions across borders by non-state actors such as NGOs, corporations, or epistemic communities.