international affairs #4

human rights

The rights possessed by all individuals by virtue of being human, regardless of their status as citizens of particular states or members of a group or organization.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

A declaration, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948, that is defined as a “common standard of achievement for all peoples” and forms the foundation of modern human rights law.

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

The agreement, completed in 1966 and in force from 1976, that details the basic civil and political rights of individuals and nations. The ICCPR and ICESCR together are known as the “twin covenants.”

International Bill of Rights

The UDHR, ICCPR, and ICESCR collectively. Together, these three agreements form the core of the international human rights regime.

nonderogable rights

Rights that cannot be suspended for any reason, including in cases of social or public emergency.

prisoners of conscience (POCs)

Individuals imprisoned solely for the peaceful expression of their beliefs. The term was coined by the human rights organization Amnesty International.

individual petition

A right that permits individuals to petition appropriate international legal bodies directly if they believe a state has violated their rights.

International Criminal Court (ICC)

A court of last resort for human rights cases that possesses jurisdiction only if the accused is a national of a state party, the crime took place on the territory of a state party, or the UN Security Council has referred the case to the prosecutor.

International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)

The agreement, completed in 1966 and in force from 1976, that specifies the basic economic, social, and cultural rights of individuals and nations. The ICCPR and ICESCR together are known as the “twin covenants.”

Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer

A framework convention adopted in 1985 to regulate activities, especially emissions of CFCs, that damage the ozone layer.

externalities

Costs or benefits resulting from an actor’s decision that affect stakeholders other than that actor. When an externality exists, the decision maker does not bear all the costs or reap all the gains from the action.

cap-and-trade system

sets an overall limit on emissions, which is then lowered over time to reduce pollutants released into the atmosphere. Firms can sell “credits” when they emit less than their allocation or must buy from others when they emit more than their allocation.

nationally determined contribution (NDC)

The commitment each party to the Paris Agreement makes as to how it will contribute to reducing the threat of global warming.

Montreal Protocol

An international treaty, signed in 1989, that is designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of a number of CFCs and other chemical compounds.

Kyoto Protocol

An amendment to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, adopted in 1997 and entered into force in 2005, that established specific targets for reducing emissions of carbon and five other greenhouse gases through 2020.

nonrival goods

Goods for which consumption by one actor does not diminish the quantity available for others.

nonexcludable goods

Goods that, if available to be consumed by one actor, cannot be prevented from being consumed by other actors as well. 

common-pool resources

Goods that are available to everyone, but such that one user’s consumption of the good reduces the amount available for others. __________ ______ are rival but nonexcludable. 

public goods

Products that are nonexcludable and nonrival in consumption, such as national defense or clean air or water. 

tragedy of the commons

A problem that occurs when a resource is open to all, without limit. No one has an incentive to conserve, because others would use the resource in the meantime, so the resource suffers degradation.

Paris Agreement

An agreement negotiated under the UNFCCC in 2015, signed by 195 countries, and entered into force in 2016. It was the first agreement to require commitments to control greenhouse gas emissions from all signatories.

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

An international agreement enacted in 1992, and entered into force in 1994, that provides an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts on climate change.

global climate change

Human-induced change in the environment, especially from the emissions of greenhouse gases, leading to higher temperatures around the globe.

States create laws that require little actual change in behavior in order to be in compliance.

Skeptics of international law say that high compliance rates are not indicative of high levels of cooperation because

Option A States create laws that require little actual change in behavior in order to be in compliance.

Option B Hard law is not universal.

Option C The International Court of Justice doesn't have universal jurisdiction.

Option D Only states in certain regions actually have high compliance rates.

Self-enforcing.

The fact that international system is one of self help, international law must be

Option A Self-enforcing.

Option B High in precision but low in delegation.

Option C Universally supported by states and key IGOs. O

ption D Multilateral rather than bilateral.

How laws are made.

Secondary rules are rules about

Option A How laws are made.

Option B Who has to abide by an international law.

Option C Which laws are removed from the international regime.

Option D What behaviors are allowed in international relations.

How specific the obligations in the treaty are.

As a characteristic of treaties, preciseness means

Option A How specific the obligations in the treaty are.

Option B Whether there is delegation to a third party.

Option C Whether the United States or Russia created the treaty.

Option D Whether the treaty includes an appendix.

Because many treaties have distributive implications.

States often bargain over what goes in a treaty because

Option A Because many treaties have distributive implications.

Option B Because they don't know where the ideal point is for a treaty.

Option C Because treaties are soft law.

Option D Because a template for what a treaty should look like doesn't exist.

The boomerang model.

The process by which TANs produce change in their own states through links to groups in other states is known as

Option A The boomerang model.

Option B The international pressure model.

Option C The Global Civil Society model.

Option D The tipping point model.

Norm entrepeneurs advance their principled ideas.

Norms usually begin how?

Option A Norm entrepeneurs advance their principled ideas.

Option B Treaties establish norms.

Option C The UN decides when a new norm is necessary.

Option D Norms just appear in the international system.

Law produced by treaty is only applicable to those states that sign them, but customary law applies to every state.

One of the main differences between law established by custom and law established by treaty is

Option A Law produced by treaty is only valid if the treaty is universally ratified.

Option B Law produced by treaty is very rare compared to law produced by custom.

Option C Law produced by treaty is only applicable to those states that sign them, but customary law applies to every state.

Option D None of the above.

Internalization

When norms get to the point where states act on them without having to think about them we say they have reached which stage in the norms life cycle?

Option A Internalization

Option B Adoption.

Option C Emergence.

Option D Lateral pressure.

Soft law is more flexible in cases where uncertainty is present.

One reason states might prefer soft law to hard law is because

Option A Soft law is more flexible in cases where uncertainty is present.

Option B Hard law is imprecise.

Option C Soft law only comes from treaties.

Option D Hard law requires a low level of delegation.

Empathy drives a sense of connection to the plight of others around the world.

One reason why people care about human rights in other countries is

Option A Empathy drives a sense of connection to the plight of others around the world.

Option B Money flows in patterns that reflect support for human rights in other countries.

Option C Politicians often find it advantageous to support human rights abroad.

Option D There are no reasons why people would care about human rights in another country.

They lack the capacity to make all the required changes it would take to be in compliance.

One reason why states sometimes violate human rights is because:

Option A They lack the capacity to make all the required changes it would take to be in compliance.

Option B They aren't members of enough International Organizations so they don't know which rights need to be protected.

Option C States model their behaviors on what their neighbors do in human rights.

Option D Domestic courts in most countries can't handle the caseload given how many human rights abuses there are.

Option D All of the above.

Which of the following documents is considered to be a part of the International Bill of Rights?

Option A The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Option B The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Option C The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Option D All of the above.

For "expressive" purposes.

The notion that states sign human rights agreements even though they have no intention of changing their behavior implies that some states sign human rights agreements

Option A For "expressive" purposes.

Option B Because they already uphold all human rights.

Option C To lock in pro-human rights policies.

Option D To receive more military aid from countries who have strong values on human rights.

Individual citizens can sue their own states if they believe their rights have been infringed upon.

The European Court of Human Rights operates with a strong system of individual petition. This means that

Option A The ICJ is no longer necessary for European countries.

Option B That states can take other states to court for a range of disagreements, but only if they are not connected to a larger issue.

Option C Individual citizens can sue their own states if they believe their rights have been infringed upon.

Option D None of the above.

New democracies want to "lock in" their human rights policies to ensure human rights are protected in the future.

The idea that new democracies are likely to sign human rights treaties is based on which of the following logics?

Option A New democracies want to "lock in" their human rights policies to ensure human rights are protected in the future.

Option B New democracies don't want to change their human rights behavior so they only sign human rights treaties for "expressive" purposes.

Option C New democracies are looking for a "seal of approval" from the UN.

Option D New democracies advocate for respecting human rights but only on issues that fit their interests.

It signed the Rome Statute but never joined the ICC.

The United States engaged with the ICC in what way?

Option A It signed the Rome Statute but never joined the ICC.

Option B It played no part in the development of the Rome Statute, but is now a member.

Option C It signed and joined the ICC immediately.

Option D It waited until the ICC had a track record of cases before it decided to join.

They believe that democratic institutions are more supportive of human rights.

The UN actively promotes human rights through election monitoring and peacebuilding because

Option A They believe that democratic institutions are more supportive of human rights.

Option B They don't know how else to address human rights.

Option C They don't want too much overlap between their human rights work and the work done by the European Union.

Option D The UN only does what the US, UK, and France want.

All of the above.

The ICC has jurisdiction over which types of crimes?

Option A

Genocide.

Option B

War crimes.

Option C

Aggression.

Option D

All of the above.

That it is hard to find a set of rights that is universally agreed to.

One of the big problems for global human rights is

Option A

That it is hard to find a set of rights that is universally agreed to.

Option B

Norms only spread regionallly, so a global set of human rights is impossible.

Option C

The UN doesn't work to promote human rights.

Option D

NGOs refuse to monitor human rights because they don't believe there is a comprehensive set of human rights.

All of the above.

Which of the following is a way that institutions help facilitate environmental cooperation?

Option A

Verifying that states are living up to their commitments.

Option B

Providing information about any externalities involved in environmental cooperation.

Option C

Setting standards.

Option D

All of the above.

Unintended and uncompensated consequences of an actor's behavior.

Externalities are defined as

Option A

Unintended and uncompensated consequences of an actor's behavior.

Option B

Extra costs that arise as a result of multilateral cooperation processes.

Option C

The social consquences that free riders face when caught not contributing to the public good.

Option D

Actors' preferences over cooperation on climate change.

The Law of the Sea that created exclusive economic zones.

An example of privatization of the global commons as a way to address common pool resource issues is

Option A

The Law of the Sea that created exclusive economic zones.

Option B

When states involved in the Montreal Protocol created a fund to help offset costs to poorer states.

Option C

When the UN created the UN Environmental Program.

Option D

When the Paris Agreement allowed states to set their own level of commitment.

That cooperation occurs through many disparate institutions and that no figurehead institution exists.

The environment is often considered to be an issue area in which cooperation and institutions are decentralized. This means

Option A

That cooperation occurs through many disparate institutions and that no figurehead institution exists.

Option B

That cooperation on the environment happens on the margins of the UN.

Option C

The World Bank and IMF will address climate change through their environmental assessments of economic development.

Option D

States do not engage in cooperation on the environment through formal institutions.

Are at odds about who should pay the costs of addressing climate change.

In general, developing and developed states

Option A

Are at odds about who should pay the costs of addressing climate change.

Option B

Agree on the best strategy for addressing the costs of climate change.

Option C

Consider climate change to be a less pressing issue than tackling the issue of plastic pollution in the world's oceans.

Option D

None of the above.

A privileged group solution.

International cooperation on the Ozone layer was successful because it was led by a handful of states who were willing to pay the cost of change. This is known as

Option A

A privileged group solution.

Option B

Issue linkage.

Option C

Free riding.

Option D

Privatization.

Particularist interests are better able to get their preferred policies adopted than those policies preferred by the general public.

polluters are often able to "win" policy battles on environmental issues because

Option A

Particularist interests are better able to get their preferred policies adopted than those policies preferred by the general public.

Option B

Polluters often seek out the best methods for disposing of their pollution so they win the PR battle against actors who don't pollute.

Option C

Polluters often want the same thing as the general public so the costs of addressing pollution issues are zero.

Option D

Polluters do not win policy battles.

Underprovision of the good.

Public goods suffer from which type of problem as a result of free riding?

Option A

Underprovision of the good.

Option B

Overexploitation of the good.

Option C

Collective action problem.

Option D

Nonexcludability.

Combining public and private goods.

DuPont was able to substitute a new product to replace CFCs and turn a profit on the new product. This is an example of which type of solution to cooperation problems?

Option A

Combining public and private goods.

Option B

A privileged group.

Option C

Issue linkage.

Option D

Coercion.

Nuclear armed states no longer operate in the security dilemma.

The nuclear revolution argument says nuclear weapons promote long-term peace because

Option A

Nuclear armed states no longer operate in the security dilemma.

Option B

States devoting so many resources to nuclear weapons can’t afford to go to war.

Option C

States without nuclear weapons will never challenge each other because they fear a nuclear state will intervene.

Option D

None of the above.

All of the above.

Which of the following is a pillar of the post-war order?

Option A

Bretton Woods institutions.

Option B

Sovereignty.

Option C

Collective security.

Option D

All of the above.

Multilateral institutions.

The global order provided by the US has primarily been built through

Option A

Multilateral institutions.

Option B

Cultural exchanges.

Option C

The balance of power.

Option D

Bilateral agreements.

Both A and B.

Change to the global order causes which outcome?

Option A

Alters the set of losers in the system.

Option B

Alters the set of winners in the system.

Option C

Both A and B.

Option D

None of the above

Want to pull back from globalization in favor of closed borders.

Populist politicians generally

Option A

Have supported liberalization of trade and financial assets.

Option B

Encourage additional powers be delegated to IGOs that promote globalization.

Option C

Want to pull back from globalization in favor of closed borders.

Option D

All of the above.

9

How many states have nuclear weapons?

Option A

9

Option B

167

Option C

0

Option D

53

A nuclear umbrella.

One way that nuclear states can prevent other states from proliferating is by using their own nuclear weapons to protect those states instead. This is known as

Option A

A nuclear umbrella.

Option B

The Nonproliferation Treaty.

Option C

Coercive disarmament.

Option D

Mutually assured destruction.

Containment

Those who advocate for constraining China economically and militarily support which China strategy?

Option A

Containment.

Option B

Networking.

Option C

Institutional embeddedness.

Option D

Complex interdependence.

By lowering the otherwise high costs of acquiring a nuclear arsenal.

The spread of nuclear materials and nuclear knowledge has affected proliferation

Option A

By lowering the otherwise high costs of acquiring a nuclear arsenal.

Option B

By making non-nuclear weapons states demand disarmament.

Option C

By preventing the Nonproliferation treaty from going into force.

Option D

By creating pressure on conventional military budgets.

China is assumed to have interests that are incompatible with the existing global order.

China’s challenge for hegemony raises uncertainty about the global order because

Option A

China is assumed to have interests that are incompatible with the existing global order.

Option B

It has many of the same preferences as the United States.

Option C

China is pushing for nuclear disarmament when other nuclear states want to hold on to their weapons.

Option D

There is a war every time two states vie for hegemony.