Ch. 6 - Int. Pol.

Al Qaeda

Al Qaeda

Sunni pan-Islamist extremist militant organization led by Salafi jihadists who self-identify as a vanguard spearheading a global Islamist revolution; often responsible for many terrorist acts

Overlap

extend over as to cover partly

Foreign Policy Analysis

analysis that attempts to understand states’ behavior in terms of actors and processes at the domestic (state and sub-state) level

Predict

say or estimate that (a specified thing) will happen in the future or will be a consequence of something.

Bureaucracies

a system of government in which most of the important decisions are taken by state officials rather than by elected representatives.

Psychological

of, affecting, or arising in the mind; related to the mental and emotional state of a person.

Rational

based on or in accordance with reason or logic; quality to think sensibly and logically

Executive

relating to or having the power to put plans or actions into effect.

Ambassador

an accredited diplomat sent by a state as its permanent representative in a foreign country; a representative or promoter of a specified activity.

Legislative

belonging to the branch of government that is charged with such powers as making laws, levying and collecting taxes, and making financial appropriations; law making

Summit Meetings

an international meeting of heads of state or government, usually with considerable media exposure, tight security, and a prearranged agenda.

Negotiation

discussion aimed at reaching an agreement.

Implementation

the process of putting a decision or plan into effect; execution

Contingent

subject to change

Reassert

to restate a fact/opinion with confidence

Resolution

a firm decision to do or not to do something.

Combat

fighting between armed forces

Parliamentary Consultation

a policy document that is put out by the Government for public comment and feedback.

Budget

a spending plan based on income and expenses

Expenditures

the action of spending funds; amount of money spent

“power of the purse”

he ability of one group to control the actions of another group by withholding funding, or putting stipulations on the use of funds; power to control money

Coalition

a temporary alliance for combined action, especially of political parties forming a government

Jurisdiction

the official power to make legal decisions and judgments.

Civil Liberties

guarantees and freedoms that governments commit not to abridge, either by constitution, legislation, or judicial interpretation, without due process.

Absentia

in the absence of; when the person who is subject to it is not physically present at those proceedings

Extradite

hand something/someone over to the jurisdiction of the foreign state in which the crime was committed.

Allegations

a claim or assertion that someone has done something illegal or wrong, typically one made without proof

Ideal

a standard or principle to be aimed at.

Abstraction

the quality of dealing with ideas rather than events.

Implicitly

in a way that is not directly expressed; tacitly.

Presume

suppose that something is the case on the basis of probability.

Assume

suppose to be the case, without proof.

Expected Utility Theory

Leaders evaluate policies by estimating the utility of potential outcomes (cost/benefit) and probability of different outcomes from policy; Predicts actors will choose the policy of greatest value, not the policy of highest payoff

Payoffs (benefits)

the final outcomes or results

Probability

the extent to which something is likely to happen or be the case.

Deviates

depart from established course of action

Irrational

not logical or reasonable

Ministries

the main institutions of the executive branch of government. In the United States, these institutions are called “departments.”

“Office Politics”

actions and behavior involving competition for status or power in a workplace

Promote

support or actively encourage; further the progress of.

Overhaul

take apart in order to examine it and repair it if necessary

Insurgents

a person fighting against a government or invading force; a rebel or revolutionary.

Warmonger

a person who encourages or advocates aggression towards other countries or groups.

Notorious

famous or well known, typically for some bad quality or deed; infamous

Charismatic

exercising a compelling charm which inspires devotion in others.

Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs)

a method of doing something; used to organize work and maximize efficiency; helps one perform the same task in response to similar input

Embassy

the official residence or offices of an ambassador.

Typical

having the distinctive qualities of a particular type of person or thing.

Atypical

not representative of a type, group, or class; out of the ordinary

Tailored

make or adapt for a particular purpose or person.

Infrastructure

the basic physical and organizational structures and facilities needed for the operation of a society or enterprise.

Mobilize

make something capable of movement

Logistics

the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation.

Pathology

the medical discipline that provides diagnostic information to patients and clinicians

Phenomenon

a fact or situation that is observed to exist or happen, especially one whose cause or explanation is in question.

Groupthink

group quickly arrives at a single solution and shuts down any further debate; does not consider a wide range of options; social pressure to reach a consensus; teamwork is valued, disagreement is viewed as disrespectful.

Optimal

best or more favorable

Assess

evaluate or estimate the nature, ability, or quality of.

Scrutinize

examine or inspect closely and thoroughly.

Incentives

a thing that motivates or encourages someone to do something.

Bipartisan

involving the agreement or cooperation of two political parties that usually oppose each other's policies.

Latitude

scope for freedom of action or thought.

Trait

a distinguishing quality or characteristic, typically one belonging to a person.

Palatable

acceptable or satisfactory.

Detainee

a person held in custody, especially for political reasons.

Ambiguity

the quality of being open to more than one interpretation; inexactness.

Perception

the way in which something is regarded, understood, or interpreted.

Bias

a lean or tendency towards something

Grapple

to struggle with something

Bounded Rationality

the limits on rationality based on ability, information access, and processing ability

Attribution

regarding something as being caused by a person or thing; individuals actively work to understand world accurately

Plausible

could be true, though not necessarily likely

Tendency

an inclination towards a particular characteristic or type of behaviour.

Vice Versa

with the main items in the preceding statement the other way round.

Deterrence

the action of discouraging an action or event through instilling doubt or fear of the consequences.

Subsidy

a direct payment made by a government to a company or other organization as a form of assistance.

Scenario

a postulated sequence or development of events.

Appeasement

the action of pacifying or placating (someone) by acceding to their demands.

Fascism

system of government led by a dictator who typically rules by forcefully and often violently suppressing opposition and criticism, controlling all industry and commerce, and promoting nationalism and often racism.

Prospect theory

a theory that contends that how individuals weigh options is heavily influenced by whether a particular outcome is seen as a gain or a loss

Status Quo

Sticking to the norm; the tendency of leaders to take considerable risks to avoid a perceived loss

Coerce

persuade (an unwilling person) to do something by using force or threats.

Cognitive Dissonance

a theory that holds that individuals tend to construct internally consistent views of the world and that psychological discomfort, results when some new piece of information does not fit with an individual’s existing beliefs