challenges midterms

Why do political scientists develop theories?

To understand the cost of events.

What are the three most prominent theoretical approaches in international relations?

Realism, Liberalism, and Constructivism.

What did Thucydides identify as the cause of the Peloponnesian War?

The changing distribution of power between Athens and Sparta.

What did the treaties of Westphalia establish?

They established the rights of states to determine their own domestic policies after the Thirty Years' War.

What was a part of the 19th-century balance of power system in Europe?

Alliances were formed to counteract potentially more powerful factions.

What concept is underpinned by the idea that states hesitate to start wars with similarly powerful adversaries?

Balance of power.

What led to the end of Europe’s balance of power under the Concert of Europe?

The solidification of previously flexible alliances between the European wars.

What contributed to the ultimate failure of the League of Nations?

The league lacked the necessary political weight and legal enforceability.

What was a significant outcome of World War II?

The emergence of two superpowers and the decline of Europe as the epicenter of world politics.

What does the realist perspective imply about the international system?

It posits that there is an absence of an overarching authority.

What does the realist argument about relative gains suggest?

States will be reluctant to cooperate for mutual gain due to potential future disadvantages.

What does India's nuclear development illustrate about Pakistan?

It illustrates the security dilemma.

What was Libya's response following the US invasion of Iraq in 2003?

Libya abandoned its efforts to acquire weapons to hedge against potential US aggression.

What do hegemonic stability theorists argue regarding international stability?

Stability is likely when the most powerful state enforces norms to maintain the system.

What do realists attribute changes in the international system to?

Changes in the power relationships among the main actors.

What central tenet is associated with liberal thinking regarding individuals?

That individuals are rational and capable of collective action to reduce aggression.

What can reduce the likelihood of war, according to many liberal theorists?

Institutions and free trade.

What does democratic peace theory argue?

Democracies are unlikely to go to war with each other.

What has Constructivist theory focused on?

Social norms, ideas, and practices.

What do constructivists believe about state interests?

They believe those interests are not based solely on material factors.

What does dependency theory argue?

The inequality between developed and developing countries remains or intensifies over time.

What does a realist explanation for the Russia-Ukraine conflict highlight?

Russia's security concerns over the potential shift in balance of power favoring the West.

What does the term polarity refer to in international relations?

The distribution of capabilities among states.

What characterizes a multipolar system according to the balance of power norm?

Alliances are formed for specific purposes and can shift according to advantages.

Which theoretical perspective views international relations as governed by shared rules?

Liberalism.

According to constructivist thought, what can anarchy lead to?

Different outcomes at different times.

What perspective views states as arenas for competing interests?

Liberalism.

What personality traits affect dictators more than democratic leaders?

Personality characteristics because dictators are less likely to be checked by institutions.

What is cognitive consistency?

A psychological bias leading individuals to favor information that supports their beliefs and ignore contradictory data.

What is an example of mirror imaging?

Americans and the USSR viewed each other as inherently hostile during the Cold War.

What does realism focus on?

Material factors such as power and security.

What does liberalism emphasize?

Cooperation, international organizations, and rule-based systems.

What is Constructivism concerned with?

Non-material factors like ideas and social norms.

What is the rational model of decision-making in realism?

States make decisions based on rational assessments of power.

What influences decisions in the bureaucratic politics model?

Negotiations among various government agencies.

What does statecraft encompass?

The ways states interact through diplomacy and negotiations.

What is an arms embargo?

A sanction prohibiting the supply of weapons to a state or group.

What are smart sanctions?

Targeted sanctions aimed at specific individuals or groups.

What is deterrence?

The strategy of preventing aggression through the threat of retaliation.

What governs conduct during war?

Jus in Bello.

What constitutes justifiable reasons for entering war?

Jus ad Bellum.

What do cyberwarfare debates examine?

When a cyberattack constitutes an 'armed attack' under international law.

What are the three levels of analysis in international relations?

System level, state level, and individual level.