PLSC 102 - Week 1 Slides

Introduction + Key Concepts

What is politics?

“who gets what, where, when, how and why?”

any interaction among individuals, groups, or institutions that seek to arrive at a decision about how to make a collective choice, or to solve some collective problem

actors

who is involved, their interests and preferences

interactions

relations and bevhaiors among actors, e.g., cooperation, bargaining, collective action, etc.

institutions

enforcing and regulating actors’ interactions and behaviors

phenomena

outcomes of these interactions and institutions, e.g. war/peace, environmental destruction/protection, etc.

What does it mean to be a “global citizen”?

• awareness that individual and local actions have global impact; to varying degrees, we are all affected by global challenges even if they are occurring elsewhere

• understanding that we exist within a larger global context

• appreciation of the interconnectedness and diversity of societies

• motivation to promote justice in our own capacity and communities

power

ability to establish and enforce rules; tied to state sovereignty

the ability of a state to prompt its preferred outcome in a given situation

sovereignty (1)

a state’s supreme, exclusive authority to govern its own territory

• states want to protect this from other countries, which requires growing and protecting their strength

• the way a state sees itself within the larger system serves as the foundation for the state’s power'

• came from the Treaty of Westphalia

sovereignty (2)

the ability of a state to run its institutions without fear of interference from other states or entities

allows a state to enforce its own laws within its borders, for better or worse

• protect cultural identity, beliefs, norms, institutions

• limit intervention where the state is perpetrating violence and crimes against humanity within its own borders (e.g. genocides)

anarchy

there is no central governing authority (absence of a world government) that can impose and enforce rules 100% and control state behavior

• stems from the reality of a system made up of equal, sovereign states focused on protecting their own interests

military power

Military as a means of projecting power

states with self-preservation and a broad mistrust of others i the international community see the military as the most important means of protection

• direct / active, indirect / passive

DIRECT / ACTIVE military power

an outright attack or invasion

• via attacks/invasions

INDIRECT / PASSIVE military power

illustrates it’s ability to prevail in a military confrontation without actively engaging in one

expansion of military power to discourage attack from other states (i.e., perception of a credible and severe threat of retaliation

• via deterrence

deterrence

the buildup of military power to such a level that an adversary would reconsider the use of their own military against them (e.g. North Korea)

• “extended deterrence” involving allies e.g. in the case of security pacts

security pact

an agreement among multiple states to support each other in case of a military attack (e.g. NATO, Warsaw Pact)

economic power

economic wealth as a means of projecting power

• internal, external

INTERNAL economic power

strong domestic economy

high gross domestic product (GDP) or currency

• monetary policy (central banks) to alter interest rates and currency to encourage domestic consumer spending

• increasing GPD and/or purchase goods at a low cost

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

key indicator for a country’s economic health; total value of goods and services within a specific period

factors of production

1. primary (agriculture)

2. secondary (manufacturing)

3. tertiary (service industry)

4. quaternary (research and development)

comparative advantage

when one state controls more of the factors and can create a good or service in a more cost-effective manner than a second state

• allows a country to strategically invest in the factors within its borders

specializing in goods and services a state can produce more efficiently with the same amount of resources (e.g., Ireland —> butter, China —> technology)

EXTERNAL economic power

leverage in international economic relationships; project power through international trade relationships and international economic organizations (e.g. WTO)

• sanctions (trade/financial/travel restrictions) as a form of coercion

political power

manipulation of political institutions to expand “sphere of influence” and protect own sovereignty

• overt, subversive

states can try to manipulate the political institutions of other countries to enlarge their sphere of influence and to pressure other states to implement their preferred policy outcomes

OVERT political power

influencing election via public support for a candidate; recognizing (or not) a country’s sovereignty

• states can use their power of recognition to welcome another state or maintain better relations with another (e.g., Taiwan)

SUBVERSIVE political power

covert operations to shape domestic decision-making and policy-making

norm

a generally accepted rule, institution, or behavior; standards of appropriateness given an actor’s identity and context

e.g.

• state sovereignty (constitutive, define legitimate actors)

• elections (procedural, determining leaders in democratic states)

• Responsibility to Protect (R2P) (regulatory, state obligations to population)

soft power

involves more friendly interactions that seek to win over a state or states rather than force them to comply

use of “friendly” interactions, e.g. via bilateral and multilateral agreements to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes

diplomacy

allows states to create mutually beneficial agreements to protect themselves and the international system at large

bilateral

engagement between two countries

multilateral

engagement between more than two countries

reciprocity

foundational element of any diplomatic relationship; all required countries find themselves in equal relational footing and should be treated as such (e.g. exchanging ambassadors)

basis of diplomacy, where states recognize equal relational footing (i.e., a level playing field)

cultural values

enabled by globalization, spread of ideals

state (country)

all states have 4 characteristics

1. land with defined territorial boundaries

2. have a government or system that enforces rules and boundaries

3. population that willingly gives its allegiance to that government

4. recognition of statehood by other states

nation

NOT a state

groups of people united by ethnic, linguistic, (usually) geographic, or other common characteristics

a nation can span states, be a nation-state (e.g. Japan), or state-less (ex. Basque)

• nation-state: a state comprised primarily of a single nation

Inter-Governmental Organizations (IGOs)

institutions made up of multiple state actors, bound by a specific set of rules and working together towards solutions to common problems

• can be highly unequal — powerful states can strong-arm less powerful states to behave in ways that align with their interests

e.g.: North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), United Nations (UN), International Monetary Fund (IMF)

lender of last resort

where a country turns only after it has exhausted all of its options for funding

can be counted on to support countries in the direst circumstances

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)

a nonaligned, third-party group that does not have the same motivations a state might; works to benefit people

institutions consisting of non-state actors, often working to fill policy gaps left by states and IGOs (either due to a lack of capacity or political will)

e.g.: International Red Cross, Doctors without Borders

levels of analysis (to understand conflict)

• individual

• state

• global system

conflict occurs when the policy decisions of one state create consequences for another state that change the environment, harming the second state of complicating the decisions it must make

individual level

focuses on the decision makers within a state and how the constraints the state places on them affect their chosen courses of action

e.g. decision makers, leaders

state level

focuses on the actions of states in relation to one another

e.g. bilateral / multilateral relations, IGOs, treaties, alliances

global system level

how cooperation and conflict among states intersects with the environments in individual states to evoke change

e.g. difference in reactions to India and Pakistan having nuclear weapons (+) versus North Korea (—)