Global Politics Vocab

Political Actors

People, organizations, or movements that wield some form of political power or engage with the political process (US gov. or president)

Stakeholders

People who are affected by political issues, yet do not exercise power/action to help voice out against those issues (citizens in a state)

The State

A clearly defined area with an independent government having complete control over the territory and people. Has the right to defend within its borders and is recognized by other states, actors, and internationally. It has a permanent population and has the right (in the territor) of force, control over money, currency, and laws (China)

Nation-State

A nation is an ethnic or cultural group with a common, defined culture; a nation-state may have a sovereign territory or it may not. (Japan, Albania, and Iceland).

Government

The governing system over a state (Britain’s Democratic Parliament and Monarchy)

Political Parties

Political parties are groups of people who have common views about how the government of a state should function. They are focused on political power; they either want it or want to hold onto it (Chinese Communist Party, Democratic Party)

Political Leaders

A political leader is in charge of some form of government, whether it be state, sub-national, or local governments (Obama, Biden)

Civil Society

Society considered as a community of citizens linked together by common interests and collective activity (non-profits, churches, online groups)

Inter-governmental Organizations (IGOs)

An entity created by treaty, involving 2 or more nations, to work in good faith, on issues of common interest (UN, NATO, EU, African Union).

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)

Organization of voluntary group of people that provide services or to advocate a public policy and are formed independently from governments (WWF, Oxfam, Human Rights Watch).

Private Actor

People whoa re not directly involved with the government but have the ability to change and influence people (Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk).

Social Movements

Groups of people who share a common concern about how society is functioning. Attempt to change attitudes and behavior among the social community (Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ+, Women’s Rights Movements).

Resistance Movements

A group of people who want change against. a particular government policy, laws, and leadership — Challenge to those in power (Reform of Thai Monarchy, Abortion)

Interest Groups

Formally organized group of people who aim to influence public policy (groups that are focused on gun control laws in the US).

Political Forums

Formal and informal meetings of political actors to discuss political issues. Formal political forums are regulated and have a definitive structure, rules, and regulations. Informal political forums discuss and debate different perspectives on a political issue, not restricted to a complex structure and rules. (World Economic Forum)

Media

Print, TV, online, social media. The main means of mass communication (CNN, Insta, TikTok, X, New York Times).

Realism

Seeks to explain the world as it really is rather than how it should be. It is a theory emphasizing that sovereign states operate in an anarchic, self-interested, and competitive international system, with a primary focus on national security, power maximization, and survival. Key principles include viewing states as primary actors, the inevitability of conflict, and the pursuit of a balance of power, often at the expense of moral considerations to achieve safety.

Neorealism/Structural Realism

Pursuit of power is the determining factor of state behavior; however, the structure of international systems forces states to operate in this way rather than human nature. It is a version of realism that states global behavior shapes the actions of states. With the balance of power being at the forefront, and the potential influence of NGOs and IGOs (Cold War).

Liberalism

Liberals stress the importance of cooperation in Global Politics. NGOs, IGOs, and MNCs play an important role in the international system. It emphasizes the rights of individuals and the mitigation of states’ powers and international cooperation. (United Nations plays an important role in Global Politics)

Neoliberalism

A political approach that favors free market, capitalism, deregulation, and reduction in government spending, all rational pursuits of self-interest of states and actors (international monetary fund).

Constructivism

Challenges traditional theories - challenges the assumption that the physical world matters more than the social world. Social Theory that asserts that significant factors of internal relations are shaped by ideational factors (states coming together to do the right thing, like fight climate change - Paris Climate Agreement).

Critical Theory

Family of theories that aim at a critique and transformation of society by integrating normative perspectives with empirically informed analysis of society’s conflicts, contradictions, and tendencies (post-modernism, feminism, and marxism).

Feminist Theory

Exclusion of the experience of women from Global Politics as a discipline and political processes in public life around the world, making a significant contribution through an exploration of patriarchy. ** Intersectionality (reproductive rights, gender-based violence, how women are affected by conflict).

Marxist Theory

Production, distribution, and consumption of goods in society were the major factors impacting society. Relationship of individuals to means of production. The bourgeoisie benefit from the capitalist system and exploit the proletariat and persuade the latter that capitalism benefits them (large media, oil conglomerates).

Post-Colonialism

Highlights the impact of colonial and imperial histories still have in shaping a colonial way of thinking about the world, and Western forms of knowledge and power marginalize the non-western world.

Power

The ability to make or resist change, or the ability to control/influence the behavior of people existing in all social relationships between people. It is the root of many structures in our society (China’s power over its citizens).

Hard POwer

Using force or money to push a political actor to do something they otherwise would not do (Military force/power).

Soft Power

Persuading others to get the desired outcome. Closely realted to cultural and social power (Korea’s use of the K-pop industry to gain more international recognition, generating Korea’s soft power).

Smart Power

Ability to combine hard and soft power into successful strategies where they reinforce themselves rather than undercut each other (The use of Saudi Arabia’s soft power by hosting World Cup and the use of hard power through direct violence).

Structural Power

Reflects the influence wielded by actors, states, groups of states, and influential cooperations/institutions. This establishes norms (norms established by the International Monetary Fund, IMF).

Resource Power

Power from the assets an actor possesses. It is noticeable and quantifiable, so a type of hard power (a country’s resources, economy, and strong military)

Relational Power

Actual outcome or influence that comes out of the resources. This is power conversion! How resources are used in a particular circumstance produces the desired outcome (China giving loans to other countries, creating relations where the other country is dependent on China).

Cyber Power

Using cyberspace to create advantages and influence events (Stuxnet)

Sovereignty

Full right & power of a governing body over itself without interference from outside bodies (Peace of Westphalia)

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that a government’s authority is created and sustained by the consent of its people, who are the source of all political power (Democratic Institutions).

Self-Determination

closely related to sovereignty because it assumes empires and colonies should be a thing of the past. No state should have the authority to take control of another. People should decide who they want to be their rulers (Democratic self-realized state like the U.S.)

Internal Sovereignty

Refers to the absolute authority of the state within its own borders. States that have strong internal sovereignty should have secure structures and systems of rule, which enable: the government of the state to have control over the people living within its borders, the government to have the power to make decisions and enforce laws, and the peoples’ acceptance of the authority of the state and its governance (Any state with an accepted government).

External Sovereignty

Refers to the ability of the state to act independently when dealing with actors and states outside of its borders. It is the power a state has when it interacts with another state and actor (Relations with different countries).

Supernationality

Means that IGO institutions make decisions as a group. Individual state members may disagree with the majority in such circumstances, but the will of the institution will prevail (UN).

Transnationalism

Can refer to migrants who maintain strong ties to their culture or heritage. Transnational cultural groups of people refer to groups of people who share a common sense of identity, but live in more than one state. Transnational companies, or multi-national companies, are companies that originated in one country but have grown to two or more countries (Amazon).

Legitimacy

Refers to an actor or an action that is commonly considered acceptable to a population. It provides the fundamental rationale for all forms of governance and other ways of exercising power (democracy or constitutionalism).

Input (Process) Legitimacy

Reflects how the state acquires power. The perceived fairness of the electoral system is a key indicator of when people will grant legitimacy.

Output (Performance) Legitimacy

reflects how well the state exercises its power. The fulfillment of everyday well-being, including providing security and justice, is widely considered a key way the state can earn the right to rule.

Top-Down Legitimacy

Rooted in the idea that authority and legitimacy originate from a central authority or institution and flow towards the population, rather than emerging from the majority population. Authorities achieve control through the flow of information, the suppression of dissent, and the creation of legal structures that concentrate power in the hands of the few (a monarchy like Saudi Arabia).

Bottom-Up Legitimacy

Originates through participation from the broader population and provides political power agency to a broad spectrum of society. This type of legitimacy is found in democratic systems where governance and power are born out of representation and participation.

Non-State Actors

Also need legitimacy. They include movements or insurgencies, effective governance, non-governmental organizations, and multinational companies.

Interdependence

The mutual reliance between and among groups, organizations, and geographic areas and/or states in access to resources that sustain living arrangements. Economic Interdependence, Security Interdependence, and Globalization (NATO).

Global Governance

Governance is a wide-ranging process that involves a much broader range of institutions, rules, and participants and occurs within and beyond the level of the nation-state, they are focused around political issues on a global scale (UN Security Council Resolutions, World Trade Organization, and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change).

Globalization

Promoted by rapid changes in technologies — and the development of a digital world, have only served to accelerate the growing interdependence that characterizes contemporary global politics.

United Nations

The major non-state actor in global politics, and, as such, it plays an important role in the global governance regime. It is made up of 6 major bodies. After WWII, on October 6th, 1944, Allied groups wrote a document called the Proposals for the establishment of a General International Organization (UN).

Collective Security

An arrangement where a group of nations agrees that a security threat to one member is a threat to all, prompting a collective response. It is a system designed to maintain international peace by deterring or stopping aggression through unified action, often replacing individual military alliances with a broader commitment to common defense (NATO).

Strategic Alliances (Economic)

a voluntary, contractual agreement between two or more independent firms to pool resources, technology, or expertise to achieve shared goals—such as entering new markets or developing products—while maintaining their legal independence.

Equality

All people have the same intrinsic value, closely linked to Rights and Justice.

Equity

fairness, justice, and freedom from bias in treatment.

Positive Liberty

People being able to do what they want to do (freedom of speech)

Negative Liberty

Freedom from coercion (fourth amendment)

Justice

People being treated fairly and getting what they deserve

Rights

Essential to living a life of dignity and purpose. Basic claims and entitlements humans have simply because they are human.

UDHR

Universal Declaration of Rights. Its key principles are that it is universal and inalienable, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated, everyone can participate and is included, and it is a way to hold countries accountable by providing a rule of law.

Civil Rights

legally enforceable guarantees of equal social opportunity, protection under the law, and freedom from discrimination in areas like employment, housing, and voting (Women’s right to abortion).

Civil Liberties

fundamental, constitutional guarantees that protect individuals from arbitrary government overreach (Freedom of speech, religion, and privacy).

Legal rights

legally enforceable entitlements, powers, or privileges granted by a legal system, such as federal or state law, rather than being inherent natural rights (Freedom of speech again)

Social Rights

fundamental human rights, ensuring an adequate standard of living, dignity, and well-being, including access to education, healthcare, housing, and social security (Right to education).

Economic Rights

socio-economic human rights that guarantee individuals the ability to live in dignity and meet basic needs, including work, food, housing, and social security (right to housing, healthcare).

Political Rights

entitlements that allow citizens to participate in the establishment, administration, and operation of their government (right to vote).

Cultural and Solidarity Rights

hey focus on community, identity, and collective well-being, encompassing the right to participate in cultural life, education, and collective, humanity-focused rights like a clean environment and development (Right to participate in culture/heritage, right to speak language).

Non-Binding International Law

While non-binding, it holds immense authority, with many provisions now considered binding customary international law and the foundation for international human rights law (UDHR).

Natural Rights

fundamental, inalienable entitlements that individuals possess by birth, rather than by government grant (birthright citizenship in the US).

Positive Rights

Require authorities such as governments to take action, placing responsibility to those in power (G20 Women’s Shutdown in South Africa).

Negative Rights

Require those in power to respect individuals by simply doing nothing at all (Freedom of speech, religion).

First-Generation Rights

Liberty, often negative, civil and political rights (right to privacy).

Second-Generation Rights

Equality, economic, cultural, and social rights. Often positive rights (right to housing).

Third-Generation Rights

Fraternity. Collective rights for communities, societies, and nations instead of individuals.

Collective Rights

Referring to the rights of groups of people/communities. Often, holistically looking at people with a shared cultural or ethnic identity. (right to self-determination).

Cultural Relativism

Some believe modern concepts are closely related to Western ideas. Some argue that the widely accepted concept of human rights does not always reflect the ethical and social standards of the global community. Insists that all cultures are unique and have their own moral code of what is wrong and what is right. It should be determined locally, not by a universal authority such as the UN. Thus, arguing for the universality of the UDHR is an example of Western values in a global community (China’s 5 Key Principles to Peaceful Coexistence).

Social Justic

Concerns comparisons of different people living within a regional state or globally. Considers things like access to resources, access to education, safety and housing, and opportunities.

Political ustice

Can concern the power that members of any society have in making decisions and changing in that society. Authoritarian governments like North Korea have little political rights as the citizens in the decision-making process within the state.

Also refer to the judicial systems within the state and how people are treated in such systems.

Egalitarian Justice

Focuses on social justice, like the UDHR and Human Rights NGOs. Equal respect and dignity, equal freedom and opportunities, humans are moral and understand what is right and what is wrong, and inhabit a world where people are often seen in economic and political terms.

Cosmopolitan Justice

Extension of egalitarian justice to individuals on a global scale via the obligation to act by global and regional IGOs. Humanitarian Intervention can be justified, even when violated state sovereignty if a state is structurally unjust, an intervention will success, and all other methods have been tried and not successful (UN Peacekeeping Missions).

Ecological Justice

Concern over the state of the environment and its impact on the health and well-being of humankind. Must consider all living beings in a conscious and proactive way, as human beings have created a world without consideration of nonhuman beings.

International Court of Justice (ICJ)

Principal of judicial organ of the UN has the purpose is to settle disputes between states in accordance with international law, and provides legal opinions to the UN and agencies as requested. Has 15 judges, 9-year terms, elected by the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council.

International Criminal Court (ICC)

Target individuals guilty of war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity. ICC has jurisdiction over 2 types of crime: Crimes of concern to the global community, including genocide happening after 2002, and crimes of aggression after 1998.

United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC)

Its purpose is to ensure that people know about their rights, and that all people can use their rights. It consists of 47 delegates elected by the UN General Assembly who represent states.

United Nations High Commission for Refugees

Established in 1950 by the UN General Assembly after WWII. It is a global organization to protect refugees, displaced people, and stateless people (denied nationality). They protect refugees and their rights and work with IGOs and NGOs to provide help and material/financial support. (Rohingya Crisis, a minority in Myanmar who were forced to flee, went to Bangladesh).

Regional Right Tribunals

International judicial bodies operating in specific geographic regions, empowered to decide on human rights violations. Some major global Human Rights Institutions and instruments, such as the African Union and ASEAN.

Human rights civil society organizations

Independent, non-governmental groups that defend dignity, equality, and justice. They monitor abuses, lobby for legal changes, and support victims, playing a crucial role in holding states accountable (Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch).

Marginalized populations

groups excluded from mainstream social, economic, cultural, or political life, experiencing systemic discrimination based on characteristics like race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or low income (LGBTQ+ Communities).

Vunerable Populations

groups at higher risk for poor physical, mental, and social health outcomes, or reduced ability to safeguard their own interests due to factors like economic status, age, disability, or marginalization (Elderly and Children).

Codification of Rights

the formal process of writing down, organizing, and enacting rights into statutory law or a constitution to make them legally binding and accessible. It transforms rights, often derived from case law or common law, into a unified, written code (US Bill of Rights).

International Humanitarian Law

A set of rules seeking to limit the effects of war for humanitarian reasons. It protects those not fighting (civilians, medics, aid workers) and those no longer able to fight (wounded, sick, prisoners of war), while restricting the methods and means of warfare.

Human rights treaties

Human rights treaties are legally binding international agreements ratified by states to protect fundamental rights and freedoms, primarily established under the United Nations (the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)).

Human rights monitoring

Human rights monitoring is the active, systematic collection, verification, and use of information to address violations, promote accountability, and ensure state compliance with international standards (Amnesty International Reports, Human Rights Watch Reports).

Responsibility to Protect (R2P)

a 2005 UN-adopted commitment to prevent genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity. It mandates that states protect their own populations, the international community assists them, and collective action (including force) be taken if a state fails, with the goal of ending the worst atrocities (2011 NATO-led intervention in Libya).

Humanitarian Intervention

The threat or use of force by a state, group of states, or international organization against a non-consenting state to end widespread, massive human rights violations or atrocities (Kenyan-led UN Security Mission in Haiti).

Sanctions

Economic sanctions are coercive, non-military penalties imposed by governments or international bodies (e.g., UN, EU, USA) to alter a target's behavior, punish norm violations, or protect security (Sanctions against Russia).

Indigenous Rights

Collective and individual human rights recognize the specific, ancestral connection of Indigenous peoples to their lands, cultures, and self-determination. Established by the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Indigenous People are faced with widespread abuse and struggle to maintain their traditions. The UNDRIP has 5 components: right to self-determination, right to land, resources, and territory, right to be recognized as a distinct group, right to be free from discrimination, and the right to protect the environment.

Sharia Law

Sharia means the correct path. It is from the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad. It helps guide personal religious practices, but used in laws in some countries.

Development

A process that created growth, progress, positive change, or the addition of physical, economic, environmental, social, and demographic components. It is not agreed upon because development is multidimensional. (China is developing as a country economically through many initiatives.

Political Development

Development of the political and social institutions that form the political system of a society. Democratization is moving towards greater democracy and government accountability, and increased respect for and protection of human rights (Venezuela’s government is not a stable democracy, with high levels of corruption and a lack of government accountability).

Social/Human Development

Social Development is broadly related to human development. It includes reduced vulnerability, inclusion, well-being, accountability, people-centered approaches, and freedom from violence. Human development is linked more closely to the individual, whereas social development is linked more closely to the political and institutional development (Good health for human development and education rates for social development).