Untitled Flashcards Set

Deterrence

Threatening retaliation to prevent an opponent’s action.

Credibility

Believability of a threat or promise.

Normal Form Game

A matrix-based representation of strategic decisions and outcomes.

Zero-Sum Game

A game where one player's gain equals another's loss.

Prisoner’s Dilemma

A situation where rational actors may not cooperate, even if it benefits both.

Extensive Form Games

Games with sequential moves, represented as decision trees.

Decision Node

A point where a player makes a decision in extensive form games.

Backward Induction

Solving a game from the end to determine optimal early moves.

Commitment Device

A method of binding oneself to a strategy to influence others.

Dominant Strategy

A strategy that is best regardless of what the opponent does.

Nash Equilibrium

A set of strategies where no player gains from changing unilaterally.

Security Dilemma

Defensive actions appear threatening, increasing tension.

Human Security

Protecting individuals from violence, poverty, and threats beyond military issues.

Hegemon

A state with dominant influence in the international system.

System Structure

The arrangement of power among states (e.g., unipolar, bipolar, multipolar).

The 9-Dash Line

China's territorial claim in the South China Sea.

Monroe Doctrine

U.S. policy to limit European interference in the Americas.

Manifest Destiny

The belief in U.S. expansion across North America.

Lone Wolf Terrorism

Attacks by individuals not directly connected to groups.

Ethnic War

Conflict driven by ethnic identity and grievances.

Other Minds' Problem

The challenge of inferring others’ intentions or preferences.

Polarity

The number of major powers (unipolar, bipolar, multipolar).

Impossible Trilemma

The idea that you can't simultaneously protect civilians, defeat insurgents, and build legitimacy.

Moral Hazard

Protection that may encourage reckless behavior.

Counterinsurgency

Strategies to defeat insurgents and win civilian support.

Ethnic Outbidding

Politicians use ethnic nationalism to gain support over rivals.

Transnational Organized Crime

Cross-border crime involving networks that challenge state control.

Stuxnet

A U.S.-Israel cyberattack on Iran’s nuclear program.

Force Protection

Emphasis on minimizing troop casualties, often limiting effectiveness.

Terrorist Groups

Islamist militant groups with regional and global reach, including Boko Haram, Al Qaeda, Taliban, and ISIS.