International Relations Chapters 1–3 Vocabulary Study Guide

Flashcards covering key terminology, historical events, realist theories, and alternative theoretical perspectives from Chapters 1, 2, and 3 of the International Relations study guide.

What is International Relations (IR)?

The study of relationships between countries and how those relationships connect to organizations, businesses, individuals, economics, culture, geography, and history.

What is the Collective Goods Problem?

A situation where everyone can benefit from something, but each individual has an incentive to contribute less, leading to the good potentially not being provided if too many people do this.

How does the dominance principle solve a collective goods problem?

By having a stronger actor impose a solution from the top down.

How does reciprocity address actor behavior in international relations?

By responding to another actor based on what they did—rewarding cooperation and punishing harmful actions.

How does the identity principle solve collective problems?

By changing people's preferences based on their shared sense of belonging to a group or community.

What are issue areas in international relations?

Specific areas of international activity where countries may disagree or cooperate, such as trade.

What does conflict and cooperation refer to in International Relations?

The different kinds of actions countries take toward one another over time—sometimes competing and sometimes working together.

What is international security mainly concerned with?

War and peace.

What is International Political Economy (IPE)?

The study of politics surrounding international trade, money, and other economic relationships.

What is a state?

A territory with a population and government that has sovereignty over its territory.

What is the international system?

The network of relationships among the world's states, organized by rules and patterns of interaction.

What are nation-states?

States whose populations share a common national identity, usually involving language and culture.

What is Gross Domestic Product (GDP)?

The total size/value of a state's economic activity in a year.

What are nonstate actors?

Actors other than governments that operate inside states or across borders.

What is an Intergovernmental Organization (IGO)?

An organization whose members are governments, such as the United Nations.

What is a Nongovernmental Organization (NGO)?

A group that operates independently of governments and can work across borders.

What is globalization?

The increasing integration of the world through communication, culture, and economics.

What is the North-South Gap?

The difference in wealth, resources, and power between relatively rich industrialized countries and poorer countries.

What was the League of Nations?

An organization created after WWI that was a predecessor to the UN.

What was the Munich Agreement of 1938?

The 1938 agreement allowing Nazi Germany to take part of Czechoslovakia; it became an example of failed appeasement.

What was the Cold War?

The hostile relationship between the United States and Soviet Union from roughly 1945–1990, without a direct full-scale war between them.

What was the U.S. policy of containment?

A U.S. policy designed to stop the spread of Soviet influence politically, economically, ideologically, and militarily.

What was the Sino-Soviet Split?

The 1960s breakdown in relations between communist China and the Soviet Union.

What is a summit meeting?

A meeting between national leaders, especially leaders of major powers.

What was the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962?

The 1962 U.S.-Soviet crisis caused by Soviet nuclear missiles being placed in Cuba.

What are proxy wars?

Conflicts where major powers support opposing sides rather than fighting each other directly.

What is realism in international relations?

The theory that international relations are mainly explained by power.

What is idealism in international relations?

An approach that emphasizes international law, morality, and international organizations instead of focusing only on power.

How is power defined in international relations?

The ability or potential to influence another actor's behavior.

What is geopolitics?

Using geography as a source of power and studying how leaders think about geography politically.

What does anarchy mean in the context of the international system?

The international system has no central world government that can enforce rules. It does not simply mean chaos.

What are norms?

Shared expectations about what behavior is considered appropriate or proper.

What is sovereignty?

A state's right to control what happens within its own territory.

What is the security dilemma?

When one country increases its security, such as building up its military, and another country sees that action as a threat.

What is the balance of power?

When states use their power or form coalitions to prevent another state from becoming overwhelmingly powerful.

Who are the great powers?

The small group of the world's most powerful states.

What are middle powers?

States that have significant influence but rank below the great powers.

What is neorealism?

A version of realism that focuses especially on how the structure of the international system and distribution of power influence states.

What is a multipolar system?

An international system with several major centers of power.

What was the Nonaligned Movement?

A movement of Third World countries that attempted to remain outside the U.S.-Soviet rivalry during the Cold War.

What is deterrence?

Threatening punishment to stop another actor from doing something.

What is compellence?

Using the threat of force to make another actor do something.

What is an arms race?

When countries continually build up their military capabilities in response to each other.

What are rational actors?

Actors treated as if they can identify their interests, rank their priorities, and logically choose actions.

What is national interest?

What is considered best for the state as a whole.

What is a cost-benefit analysis?

Comparing the expected costs and benefits of different actions.

What is game theory?

The use of mathematical models to analyze bargaining and strategic interactions.

What are zero-sum games?

Situations where one actor's gain equals another actor's loss.

What is the Prisoner's Dilemma (PD)?

A situation where actors pursuing their individual interests can end up worse off than if they cooperated.

What is Power Transition Theory?

The idea that major wars can happen when a rising power challenges the dominant power.

What is hegemony?

When one state has enough power to dominate the rules and arrangements of the international system.

What is Hegemonic Stability Theory?

The idea that international systems work most effectively when power is highly concentrated in one dominant state.

What is alliance cohesion?

How easily members of an alliance stay united, especially when their interests are similar.

What is burden sharing?

How the costs of an alliance are divided among its members.

What is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)?

A U.S.-led military alliance created in 1949, primarily involving Western European states.

What was the Warsaw Pact?

A Soviet-led Eastern European military alliance created to oppose NATO; it ended in 1991.

What was the U.S.-Japanese Security Treaty?

A U.S.-Japan alliance created in 1951 in response to the potential Soviet threat.

What is interdependence?

A situation where two states depend on each other for their well-being.

What is the neoliberal approach to international relations?

An approach arguing that international institutions can reduce conflict and help states achieve long-term mutual gains.

What is an international regime?

A set of rules, norms, and procedures around which countries' expectations come together in a particular issue area.

What is collective security?

A broad alliance where major actors agree to jointly oppose aggression by any actor.

What is the democratic peace concept?

The idea that democracies almost never fight wars against each other.

What is constructivism?

A theory emphasizing how changing norms and identities shape what states consider their interests.

What is postmodernism in international relations?

An approach that questions the idea of one fixed reality and focuses on how language and discourse shape our understanding.

What is subtext?

Meanings that are hidden or implied rather than directly stated.

What is difference feminism?

A feminist perspective arguing that gender differences are partly inherent and that women are, on average, less warlike than men.

What is liberal feminism?

A feminist perspective emphasizing equality and arguing that supposed fundamental differences between men's and women's abilities are minimal or nonexistent.

What is postmodern feminism?

Combines feminism and postmodernism to examine hidden gender influences and how gender roles are constructed.

What is the gender gap in political analysis?

Differences found in polling between men and women, including differences in support for military action and other political issues.

What are economic classes?

Groups of people categorized according to their economic status.

What is Marxism?

A theory emphasizing economic exploitation and conflict between social classes.

What is conflict resolution?

Developing and using peaceful ways to settle conflicts.

What is mediation?

Using a third party to help resolve a conflict.

What is militarism?

The glorification or strong emphasis on war, military force, and violence.

What is positive peace?

Peace that addresses the underlying causes of conflict—not simply stopping the fighting, but reducing things like oppression and exploitation.

What is a world government?

A centralized global governing body with strong powers to enforce rules.

What are peace movements?

Organized movements opposing particular wars or war and militarism generally.