World Politics and International Relations Key Terms

Vocabulary flashcards generated directly from lecture notes covering core concepts, paradigms, interactions, and political regime definitions in World Politics / IR.

World Politics / IR

The study of how peoples and countries of the world get along, spanning open warfare to peaceful cooperation.

Theory

A logically consistent set of statements that explains a phenomenon of interest; helps describe, predict, and prescribe.

Puzzle

An observation about the world that demands an explanation because the world doesn't work as expected.

Probabilistic claim

An argument about factors that increase or decrease the likelihood of a particular outcome (not certainty).

Hypothesis

A testable statement derived from a theory that is ideally falsifiable and generalizable.

Realism (core idea)

Paradigm holding that states are unitary, rational actors in an anarchic system, focused on security and power; cooperation is rare.

Anarchy

The absence of a central authority in the international system that can enforce rules or resolve disputes.

Security dilemma

When one state's actions to increase its security (e.g., arming) make other states feel less secure, fueling conflict.

Self-help

Given anarchy, the idea that states can only rely on themselves for protection.

Relative gains

Concern with how much more one state gains compared to another, emphasized by realists.

Offensive realism

Realist variant arguing anarchy and uncertainty push states to maximize relative power and seek regional hegemony.

Defensive realism

Realist variant arguing states seek security, not maximum power, since overexpansion provokes balancing and reduces security.

Liberalism (core idea)

Paradigm emphasizing varied interests, multiple actor types, and the pacifying effects of democracy, trade, and institutions.

Neoliberal institutionalism

Liberal theory holding that institutions foster cooperation by enabling reciprocity, monitoring, and absolute gains even under anarchy.

Absolute gains

Concern with whether an actor is better off overall, regardless of others' gains; emphasized by liberals.

Democratic peace theory

The theory that mature democracies do not go to war with one another.

Commercial peace

The theory that economic openness and trade interdependence make war less likely by raising its costs.

Constructivism (core idea)

Paradigm emphasizing ideas, identity, and norms over material power; institutions can transform state interests.

Identity

A sense of self, based on qualities and beliefs, that defines a person or group.

Norms

Collective expectations for the proper behavior of actors with a given identity.

FLS Framework

A framework organizing IR around three concepts: interests, interactions, and institutions.

Interests

The goals or outcomes actors hope to obtain through political action; their preferences among possible outcomes.

Interactions

The ways in which two or more actors' choices combine to produce political outcomes.

Institutions

Sets of rules, known and shared by a community, that structure political interactions ("rules of the game").

Actors

The basic units of analysis in international politics; individuals or groups with common interests.

Bargaining

An interaction in which actors decide how to distribute something of value; one actor's greater share reduces others' share.

Cooperation

An interaction in which actors adopt policies making at least one actor better off without making others worse off.

Coordination

A cooperative interaction where actors benefit from making the same choice and have no incentive to deviate (e.g., driving side).

Collaboration

A cooperative interaction where actors benefit from working together but have incentives to defect (e.g., Prisoner's Dilemma).

Public good

A good that is nonexcludable and nonrival in consumption, such as national defense or clean air.

Collective action problem

An obstacle to cooperation where actors have incentives to cooperate but expect others to bear the costs.

Free riding

Failing to contribute to a public good while still benefiting from others' contributions.

Power (in bargaining)

The ability to get another actor to make concessions while avoiding making concessions oneself.

BATNA

Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement; the better your BATNA, the harder a bargain you can drive.

Reversion outcome

What occurs if no bargain is reached, which may equal the status quo or a worse outcome like war.

Iteration

Repeated interactions between the same actors over time, which increases incentives to cooperate.

Linkage

Connecting cooperation on one issue to interactions on another issue to increase incentives to cooperate.

War

An event involving organized military force by at least two parties that reaches a minimum threshold of severity.

Incomplete information

A situation where actors lack knowledge of others' capabilities and/or resolve, risking bargaining failure.

Capabilities

Factors determining a state's physical ability to prevail in war: troops, armaments, resources, strategy, support.

Resolve

An actor's willingness to endure costs to acquire a disputed good; abstract and hard to assess.

Brinkmanship

Approaching the brink of war with costly, credible actions to signal serious resolve.

Tying hands

Making public, specific commitments that raise the political cost of backing down, signaling resolve.

Commitment problem

The inability of states to credibly promise not to exploit a future shift in bargaining power.

Preventive war

War fought to stop a rising adversary from becoming stronger in the future.

Preemptive war

War fought in response to fear of an imminent first strike by an adversary.

First-strike advantage

A situation where military technology, strategy, or geography favors striking first.

Indivisibility

A situation where both sides want a good that cannot easily be divided or shared, complicating compromise.

Crisis bargaining

An interaction in which at least one party threatens the use of force if its demands are unmet.

Coercive diplomacy

Seeking to influence a bargaining outcome by threatening to use force ("do this or else").

Compellence

Threats intended to get another actor to change the status quo (do something new).

Deterrence

Threats intended to prevent another actor from changing the status quo (maintain current situation).

Rally effect

A short-term boost in a government's public approval following a foreign policy crisis.

Diversionary incentive

The incentive for leaders to start international crises to rally domestic public support (weak empirical support).

Hawks

Domestic actors or officials who favor the use of military force in foreign policy.

Doves

Domestic actors or officials who oppose the use of military force in foreign policy.

Accountability

The ability of a political system to punish or reward leaders for their decisions, raising the political cost of war for elected leaders.

Selectorate

The group of people whose support a leader (democratic or not) depends on to remain in power.

Democracy (definition)

A political system where candidates compete for office through frequent, fair elections with broad adult suffrage.

Autocracy

A political system where an individual or small group holds power with little constraint or competition.

Liberal democracy

A political system with competitive elections plus protections for civil liberties like speech, religion, and association.

Closed autocracy

A regime where citizens cannot choose the chief executive or legislature through multi-party elections.

Electoral autocracy

A regime with multi-party elections for leadership but lacking freedoms that make elections truly free and fair.

Electoral democracy

A regime where citizens choose the executive and legislature through free, fair, multi-party elections.

Democratic peace (dyadic finding)

The finding that democracies rarely fight each other, though they are not less war-prone overall (not monadic).