International Relations: State Interests, Law, and Global Cooperation

What are the types of state interests?

Moral/Religious, Economic, Security/Power, Ideological

What is sovereignty?

States have the ultimate authority and do not answer to an international authority.

What is anarchy in international relations?

The absence of a higher authority, leading to chaos among states.

What does reciprocity mean in international relations?

What's done to one actor will be done to the other; violations provoke responses.

What is the Prisoner's Dilemma?

An interaction between rational actors where defection or cooperation may be chosen.

What are the strengths of institutions in international relations?

Set standards of behavior, verify compliance, reduce decision-making costs, resolve disputes.

What are the weaknesses of institutions?

They can't truly enforce rules and may be biased.

What is international law?

A body of rules that is said to have the status of law.

What are the three key aspects of international law?

Precision, Obligation, Delegation.

High vs Low Precision

How exact the laws are. Can be either clear or ambiguous

High vs Low Obligation

How strictly a state must follow the rules. Can be either extremely strict or more lenient in requirements.

High vs Low Delegation

How much ability to interpret is granted to third parties.

What is the difference between hard and soft law?

One is precise and enforceable, while the other is aspirational and open to interpretation.

What is a norm in international relations?

A standard or expectation of behavior that is informal, unlike formal laws.

What are Transnational Advocacy Networks?

Activists and NGOs that advocate for change and pressure governments.

What motivates human rights violations?

Lack of capacity, power, or security.

What are the three main ways to punish violations?

Name and shame, sanctions, humanitarian interventions.

What are the types of goods in environmental politics?

Private, Public, Common Pool, and Club goods.

What is an excludable good?

A good that it is possible to exclude others who have not paid for it

What is a rivalable good?

One individuals use of the good diminishes another's ability to do so

What is the Tragedy of the Commons?

Short-term use of a good ruins it in the long run.

What makes cooperation on environmental issues easier?

Privatizing goods, reducing the number of actors, and simplifying problems.

What are the strengths and weaknessesof the UNFCCC?

It has lessened joint decision-making and acknowledged inequalities, however, it wasn't at all specific.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Kyoto Protocol?

Was more specific and set goals. However, it excluded major emitters like China and India, leading to mixed compliance.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Paris Agreement?

Each state submitted commitments, but on the other hand, the goals were often lackluster and had no punishments for not meeting them.

Why do states engage in trade?

To access goods that other states specialize in.

What is the Heckscher-Ohlin Theory?

It states that countries export goods that utilize their abundant resources.

What is the Stolper-Samuelson theory?

The theory that protection benefits the scarce factor of production.

What is the Ricardo-Viner theory?

Industries are the main actor, not factors. They would also benefit from protectionism

What is protectionism?

Limiting imports to protect domestic industries.

Regional trade agreement benefits

They lower tariffs, boots trade, and promote economic growth

What is the role of the WTO?

Sets rules, resolves trade disputes, and facilitates cooperation.

Sovereign lending

Loans from private financial institutions in one country to sovereign governments in other countries

What are austerity measures?

Cutting back on spending to make debt payments.

What is the main function of the International Monetary Fund?

To manage financial crises and provide loans to countries.

What does 'defaulting' mean?

When a country fails to pay back loans.

What is a fixed exchange rate?

An established value of currency with no fluctuations.

What is a floating exchange rate?

A currency's value that changes regularly.

What does it mean for a currency to appreciate?

It increases in value.

What does it mean for a currency to depreciate?

It decreases in value.

What is the Bretton Woods monetary system?

A system where the US dollar was fixed to gold to stabilize the economy.

IMF vs WB

1: focuses on short-term financial stability and helps countries facing currency or debt crises.
2: focuses on long-term development and funds projects to reduce poverty (education, infrastructure, health).

Benefits and loses of strong currency

Increases consumers buying power, but makes it harder for producers to sell goods overseas

Benefits and loses of weak currency

Makes produces goods more strong overseas, but weakens consumers buying abilities