Global MP1

Culture

Beliefs, customs, and traditions of a specific group of people.

Religion

System of beliefs & practices that provide meaning & purpose to life and connect human to spiritual & supernatural powers

Government

The institutions (and people) through which a society makes and enforces its public policies to provide order & security for people

Autocracy

A system of government in which the power to rule is in the hands of a single individual (monarchy or dictatorship)

Monarchy

A government ruled by a king or queen

Dictatorship

A form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.)

Oligarchy

A government ruled by a few powerful people (perhaps the military)

Theocracy

A government controlled by religious leaders

Representative Democracy

A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them

Direct Democracy

A form of government in which citizens rule directly and not through representatives

Economy

A system by which goods and services are produced and distributed and wealth is managed

3 basic economic questions

What to produce? How to produce? For whom to produce?

Traditional Economy

An economy in which production is based on customs and traditions and economic roles are typically passed down from one generation to the next.

Command economy

An economic system in which the government makes all economic decisions.

Market economy

Economic decisions are made by individuals or the open market.

Mixed economy

market-based economic system with (limited) government involvement

Technology

knowledge and tools people use for practical purposes/to achieve a goal

Cultural diffusion

The spread of cultural elements from one society to another

Ethnocentrism

Belief in the superiority of one's nation or ethnic group.

Xenophobia

Fear of foreigners; discrimination towards

Imperialism

A policy in which a strong nation seeks to dominate other countries politically, socially, and economically.

Decolonization

The collapse of colonial empires. Between 1947 and 1962, practically all former colonies in Asia and Africa gained independence.

Non-Aligned Movement

The group of nations that didn't side with either the US or the USSR during the Cold War (aka Third World)

UNDP - United Nations Development Programme

UN program that measures a nation's level of development through the Human Development Index and works to improve living conditions through economic development.

Global North

a term used to refer to the world's wealthy, industrialized countries located primarily in the Northern Hemisphere

Globalization

Growing integration of world's societies and economies

Interdependence

A relationship between countries in which they rely on one another for resources, goods, or services and when decisions in one impact conditions in another.

Global South

a term used to designate the less-developed countries located primarily in the Southern Hemisphere

Political Globalization

the process by which political decisions and actions are becoming increasingly international

Economic Globalization

The spread of trade, transportation, and communication systems around the world in the interests of promoting worldwide commerce

Social Globalization

The process by which people's lifestyles spread over global networks (food, entertainment, ideas, dress, etc)

Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs)

organizations that seek to coordinate policy across member nations

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)

Independent organizations with specific agendas, such as humanitarian aid or environmental protection, that conduct international programs and activities & provide charitable services

The United Nations

An international organization formed after WWII to promote international peace, security, and cooperation, protect human rights & improve the global standard of living

General Assembly (UN)

the supreme deliberative assembly of the United Nations

Security Council (UN)

main organ within the UN responsible for maintaining peace and security; composed of 5 permanent and 10 rotating members. P5 have veto power.

ECOSOC

UN Economic and Social Council. Promote improved living standards, health, education, etc.

Secretariat (UN)

Oversees administrative work of the UN as directed by the General Assembly, the Security Council and the other organs. The head of the Secretariat is the Secretary-General, Antonia Guterres

ICJ (International Court of Justice)

The principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN). Settle disputes among nations & provide legal advice.

MDGs

Millennium Development Goals (2000-2015). Targets to improve SOL, relied on aid & donations.

SDGs

Sustainable Development Goals (2015-2030). More goals & more inclusive of participants; self-sustaining.

State

a nation or territory considered as an organized political community under one government.

Nation

a group of people with a common culture living in a territory and having a strong sense of unity

Sovereignty

Ability of a state to govern its territory free from control or interference of its internal affairs by other states.

Self-determination

the right of people to choose their own form of government (Kurds, Palestinians, Uyghers, Papua, Catalonia are examples of groups still seeking today)

International Relations

A field in political science which concentrates on relations between countries, such as foreign policy, war, trade, and foreign aid.

Power

The ability to exert influence over others - to get them to do what you want them to do

Hard Power

The reliance on economic and military strength to solve international problems.

Soft power

The reliance on diplomacy and negotiation to solve international problems.

Balance of Power

distribution of military and economic power that prevents any one nation from becoming too strong

Unipolar System (Hegemony)

One powerful nation dominates international affairs

Bipolar System

An international system characterized by two superpowers that roughly balance each other (like the Cold War)

Multipolar System

A world political system in which power is primarily held by four or more international actors

National Interests

A country's political, economic, strategic & military goals and ambitions

Foreign Policy

A government's strategy in dealing with other nations in pursuit of its national interests

Diplomacy

The practice of conducting negotiations between countries (summits, treaties, alliances, embassies)

Foreign aid

A program of giving military and economic help to other countries.

Free Trade Agreement

an agreement between member countries to remove duties and trade barriers on products traded among them.

Economic sanctions

Boycotts, embargoes, tariffs and other economic measures that one country uses to pressure another country into changing its policies.

Covert operations

Secret activities undertaken by a state outside its borders through clandestine means to achieve specific political or military goals

Internationalism

A national policy seeking involvement in world affairs

Isolationism

A national policy of avoiding involvement in world affairs

Interventionism

A foreign policy characterized by a nation's willingness to participate and intervene in international situations, including another country's affairs.

Non-interventionism

The unwillingness to use military force overseas or join alliances where troops would be committed to action beyond territorial protection

Unilaterialism

A philosophy that encourages individual nations to act on their own when facing threats from other nations.

Multilateralism

A philosophy that encourages individual nations to act together to solve international problems

Realism

The idea that a country's foreign policy decisions are motivated by self- interest and the goal of gaining more power EX: increased economy, military power, and international influence.

Idealism

The idea that a country's foreign policy decisions are based on factors beyond self interest. EX: upholding important principals or values such as freedom, liberty or democracy.

Manhattan Project

A secret U.S. project for the construction of the atomic bomb, later used against Japan to end WW2

Atoms for Peace

In 1953, President Eisenhower's proposal to the U.N. to slow down the arms race while helping development.

proliferation

The spread of weapons of mass destruction (nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons) into the hands of more actors.

Nonproliferation Treaty (1968)

UN agreement to prevent spread of nuclear weapons to countries w/out it already; to disarm nations who had them, and to promote peaceful uses nuclear energy.

Disarmament

reduction of weapons, military supplies, and armed forces by a government

Nuclear Weapons States (NWS)

Countries who exploded nuclear device prior to 1967: United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China

Non-Nuclear Weapon States (NNWS)

A state that is party to the NPT that gave up or agrees not to pursue nuclear weapons

IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency)

UN "watchdog" agency that inspects nuclear facilities to make sure they aren't being used to produce weapons.

Nuclear-Weapons-Free Zones (NWFZ)

5 regional and 3 global spaces where countries agree not to build, receive, test or store nuclear weapons

NPT Non-Signers

Nations who never joined or quit the NPT that have nuclear weapons: (Israel), India, Pakistan, North Korea

nuclear terrorism

The use of or threat to use nuclear weapons or nuclear materials to achieve the goals of rogue states or revolutionary or radical organizations (steal, sabotage, dirty bomb)

Nuclear Threat Initiative

NGO that works to protect the world from WMD's by securing materials, borders and black market activity.

Ballistic Missiles

the major strategic delivery vehicle for nuclear weapons; rise out of the atmosphere and then drop on the target

Missile Defense

system, weapon, or technology involved in the detection, tracking, interception, and destruction of attacking missiles

Nuclear Triad

the military strategy of having a three-pronged nuclear capability, from land, sea, or air

Test Ban Treaty

1963 treaty prohibited all nuclear test detonations except those carried out underground, which was added later

New START

the United States and Russia agreed to cut strategic nuclear warheads, deployed missiles, and bombers

Nuclear Umbrella

Security guarantee when one nation promises to use its nuclear arsenal in order to defend another nation from attack

Juche

North-Korean ideology of self-reliance for the protection & security of the Kim dynasty.

Agreed Framework (1994)

An agreement between the U.S. and North Korea. North Korea was to replace its nuclear power plants with light water reactor plants by 2003, in exchange for normalized political and economic relations. By the target year, the agreement had broken down.

Six Party Talks (2003)

A series of multilateral negotiations (attended by China, Japan, North Korea, Russia, South Korea, and the United States) for the purpose of dismantling North Korea's nuclear program - fell apart.

Singapore Summit (2018)

Historic, first ever meeting between US President & NK leader. Kim promises denuclearization, Trump promises to suspend military exercises with the South.

Ayatollah

A traditional Muslim religious ruler; has supreme rule in Theocratic Iran.

Shah

a title of the former monarch (King) of Iran

Proxy War

a conflict in which two opposing states "fight" by supporting opposite sides in war; or by using third party groups to carry out attacks on opposition.

JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action)

2015 deal between Iran and P5 +1 to greatly diminish Iran's nuclear capabilities in exchange for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions

Stuxnet

a cyberworm created to disrupt Iran's uranium enrichment program and damage their nuclear capability

Nuclear Football

briefcase, the contents of which are to be used by the President of the United States to authorize a nuclear attack

biscuit

index card, carried by the President with verification codes to safeguard nuclear attack procedure

Nuclear Posture Review

A process "to determine what the role of nuclear weapons in U.S. security strategy should be"

Terrorism

the use of violence against civilians by non-state actors in the pursuit of political or ideological aims.

Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO)

the U.S. Department of State lists an organization as a "foreign terrorist organization" if it engages in terrorist activity or has retained the capacity or intention to do so and it threatens United States national or America's national security (ISIS, Boko Haram, etc)