International Relations Final

anarchy

the absence of a central, overarching authority above states in the global system. Unlike domestic systems, where a government enforces laws and order, the international system lacks such a governing body.

Sovereignty

refers to the supreme authority of a state to govern itself without external interference. It encompasses two main aspects:

internal sovereignty

The state's control over its own territory and population, making decisions independently within its borders.

external sovereignty

Recognition of the state by other states in the international system, acknowledging its right to exist and govern within its borders.

proximate causation

the immediate causes or direct triggers of an event or phenomenon in international relations. These are factors or actions that directly lead to an outcome. For example, a military attack leading to a war or a government breakdown leading to crisis

Underlying Causation

the deeper, more fundamental reasons or structural causes that contribute to an event or phenomenon. These are often systemic, historical, or structural factors that create the conditions for proximate causes to lead to particular outcomes

incentive to misrepresent

states having a reason to provide misleading or untrue information to benefit them before bargaining with another state

costly signaling

refers to actions taken by states to communicate their intentions, resolve, or capabilities to other states, in a way that is expensive or risky and signals a very serious intent.

commitment problems

when a state cannot credibly commit to future actions or promises, leading to distrust and potential conflict.

principal-agent problem

when there is a separation of interests between a principal (such as a state's leader or government) and an agent (such as diplomats, military leaders, or international organizations) who is acting on behalf of the principal

collective action problem

when a group of states or actors would all benefit from cooperating to achieve a common goal, but individual states have incentives to free-ride or defect, leading to a failure to reach a mutually beneficial outcome. ex: climate action

opportunity cost

the cost of choosing one option over another

Correlation vs. Causation

it's crucial to distinguish between these when analyzing patterns or events (e.g., does the rise in democracy correlate with peace, or does democracy actually cause peace?). Misinterpreting correlation as causation can lead to flawed conclusions about the causes of war, trade, or international cooperation.

observational studies

researchers observe and analyze existing data or situations without intervening or manipulating variables. This is common in international relations, where researchers study historical events or data to understand patterns

experimental studies

actively manipulating one or more independent variables to observe changes in dependent variables, often in controlled environments. These are harder to conduct in IR due to the lack of experimental control over global events or state actions.

selection effects

when the sample or group being studied is not randomly selected, leading to biased results

sanctions

States use sanctions to restrict business activities, such as trade, to gain policy concessions on issues often unrelated to the sanctions

excludable good

provider can effectively deny you access to it.

rivalrous good

consumption by one individual interferes with another individual's consumption.

private good

excludable and rival

public good

non-excludable and non-rival

club good

non-rival, excludable

common pool good

rival, non-excludable

The permanent members of UN general assembly

russia, china, US, UK, france