Test 3 flashcards for world politics

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

A military alliance formed in 1949 based on collective defense, establishing under Article 5 that an attack against one member is treated as an attack against all.

Ibn Battuta

A 14th-century Moroccan Muslim scholar and traveler who documented the societies, cultures, and political systems across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe.

Impact of a U.S.-Iran war on missile stockpiles and readiness regarding China

A major conflict with Iran could consume significant stockpiles of sophisticated missiles, impacting U.S. military readiness and resource availability for a potential conflict involving China.

Outcome of the Vietnam War

Won by North Vietnam and its allies; South Vietnam's government collapsed in 1975, leading to national unification under communist rule.

Outcome of the U.S. War in Afghanistan

The Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021 following the withdrawal of U.S. and allied forces.

Liberalism in International Relations

An IR theoretical framework emphasizing international cooperation, global organizations, democracy, economic interdependence, diplomacy, and international law.

Realism in International Relations

An IR theoretical framework emphasizing state power, national interest, security competition, self-reliance, and international anarchy.

International Organizations (IOs)

Bodies established by sovereign states to facilitate global cooperation and address international issues (e.g., UN, NATO, WTO).

The P5

The five permanent members of the UN Security Council (United States, Russia, China, United Kingdom, France) possessing veto power over substantive resolutions.

International Financial Institutions (IFIs)

Global financial organizations providing loans, financial grants, and economic support to countries (e.g., IMF, World Bank).

Primary U.S. objective during the Cold War

Containment — preventing the global expansion of Soviet power and communist influence.

Responsibility to Protect (R2P)

An international security and human rights norm asserting that states must protect populations from mass atrocities like genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity.

Constructivism in International Relations

An IR theoretical framework asserting that international politics is shaped by shared ideas, norms, identities, culture, and social interactions rather than purely material power.

Michel Foucault's influence on International Relations

Introduced critical perspectives to IR by examining how power operates through knowledge, social institutions, language, and discourse.

Gender perspective in International Relations

An analytical approach examining how concepts of masculinity, femininity, and gender roles influence war, global security, and representation.

Hedging in foreign policy

A strategy where a country avoids fully committing to a single major power, maintaining diplomatic and economic ties with multiple competing powers.

Bandwagoning in foreign policy

A strategy in which a weaker state aligns itself with a stronger dominant power for security or gain.

Revisionist states vs. Status quo states

Revisionist states seek to change the existing international order, while status quo states aim to maintain and protect the existing order.

Regime security vs. National security vs. Human security

Regime security protects ruling political leaders from losing power; national security protects the state's territory and sovereignty; human security protects individuals from threats like poverty, disease, and violence.

Six-Day War (1967)

A 1967 conflict between Israel and Arab states (Egypt, Jordan, Syria) where Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza Strip, Sinai Peninsula, and Golan Heights.

Liberal International Order (LIO) & G. John Ikenberry

The post-WWII U.S.-led global system built on institutions, rules, alliances, and economic openness, prominently theorized by G. John Ikenberry.

Post-WWI vs. Post-WWII U.S. strategy toward defeated nations

After WWI, defeated powers faced punitive arrangements (e.g., Treaty of Versailles); after WWII, the U.S. helped rebuild defeated nations (Germany, Japan) to ensure long-term stability.

U.S. strategic shift post-World War II

The U.S. abandoned isolationism and committed to active global engagement by establishing multilateral security and economic institutions.

Enlightened self-interest

The concept that creating and supporting a stable, cooperative international system ultimately serves a nation's own long-term interests.

Lord Ismay's classic statement on NATO's purpose

'To keep the Russians out, the Germans down, and the Americans in' — referring to deterring Soviet expansion, preventing German rearmament, and maintaining U.S. commitment to European security.