PoliSci Study Guide for chapters 10-14

Less developed countries (LDCs)

countries at a relatively low level of economic development

Infrastructure

basic structure necessary for social activity, such as transportation and telecommunication

Primary Products

raw materials and agricultural products, typically unprocessed or only slightly processed. The primary sectors are distinguished from secondary sectors (industry) and tertiary sectors (services)

Terms of Trade

the relationship between a country’s export prices and its import prices

Oligopoly

a situation in which a market or industry is dominated by a few firms

Import-substituting industrialization (ISI)

a set of policies, pursued by most developing countries from the 1930s through the 1980s, to reduce imports and encourage domestic manufacturing, often through trade barriers, subsidies to manufacturing and state ownership of basic industries

Export-oriented industrialization (EOI)

a set of policies, originally pursued in the mid-1960s by several East Asian countries, to spur manufacturing for export, often through subsidies and incentives for export production 

Group of 77

a coalition of developing countries in the UN, formed in 1964 with 77 members, that seeks changes to the economic order to favor the developing world. It had grown to over 130 members but retains the original name

Commodity cartels

Associations of producers of commodities (raw materials and agricultural products) that restrict world supply of their products and thereby cause the price of their goods to rise

International Law

a body of rules that binds states and other agents in world politics and is considered to have the status of law

International Humanitarian Law (Laws of War)

a body of rules that seeks to limit the effects of armed conflict, protect concombatants, and restrict means and methods of warfare for humanitarian reasons

Customary International Law

laws that usually develops slowly, overtime, as states come to recognize practices as appropriate and correct

Obligation

the degree to which states are legally bound by an international rule. Rules with a high degree must be performed in good faith and, if breached, require reparations to the injured party 

Precision

the degree to which international legal obligations are fully specified are fully specified. The higher the degree, rules narrow the scope for reasonable interpretation

Delegation

the degree to which third parties (such as courts, arbitrators, or mediators) are given authority to implement, interpret, and apply legal rules; to resolve disputes over the rules; and make additional rules

Norms

standards of behavior for actors with a given identity; it defines what actions are “right” or appropriate under particular circumstances

Norms Entrepreneurs

individuals or groups that seek to advance principled standards of behavior for states and other actors

Norms Life Cycle

a three-stage model of how norms diffuse with a population and achieve a taken-for-granted status

Private authority

an expression of legitimate rulemaking by nonstate actors in international affairs, including establishment of norms governing the behavior of private global actors such as multinational corporations and international NGOs

Boomerang Model

a process through which NGOs in one state are able to activate transnational linkage to bring pressure from other states on their own governments

Transnational Advocacy Network (TAN)

a set of individuals and nongovernmental organizations acting in pursuit of a normative objective 

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. It is a part of a “twin covenant” to the ICESCR

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. It is a part of a “twin covenant” to the ICCPR

International Bill of Rights

the UDHR, ICCPR, and the ICESR 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 possess jurisdiction only if the accused is a national of a state party, or the UN Security Council has referred the case to the prosecutor