Global Politics - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the Global Politics lecture notes, focusing on the history of international relations, state structures, and major ideological frameworks.

Liberal Internationalism

Liberalism that promotes democratic governance, individual rights, free markets, and international cooperation.

Socialist Internationalism

Socialist internationalism endorses a communist form of governance, advocating collective ownership and a centrally planned economy.

Internationalization

The process of increasing involvement of enterprises and other organizations in international markets and operations; expanding cross-border trade and relations.

International Relations

The multidisciplinary study of interactions between countries, including the roles of states, intergovernmental organizations, NGOs, and multinational corporations.

Nation

A named group that generates identity and loyalty, sharing common histories, myths, culture, economy, and rights.

State

An entity defined by sovereignty over a territory and a people; commonly referred to as a country.

Nation-State

A state formed from a single nation; boundaries of nation and state are coterminous; most common in the modern world.

Territory

The geographic area a state controls, with established boundaries; size can change through negotiation, purchase, or conflict.

Sovereignty

Full power within territorial boundaries; independence and legal authority to create and enforce laws.

Government

The system that establishes social order, provides public services, and makes decisions affecting citizens.

Multilateral Diplomacy

Diplomacy involving multiple states to maintain the international system and resolve conflicts.

The Concert of Europe

A post-Napoleonic multilateral system balancing major powers through congresses and diplomacy, based on shared civilization and restrained alliances.

The Treaty of Westphalia

1648 treaty ending the Thirty Years’ War, establishing sovereignty of territorially defined nation-states and redrawing borders.

Napoleonic Wars

A series of European conflicts (1799–1815) that challenged Westphalian sovereignty and reshaped European politics (leading to the Napoleonic Code and culminating at Waterloo).

Napoleonic Code

Napoleon’s legal code that strengthened male authority within the family and restricted some rights for women and illegitimate children, while offering equal rights to male citizens.

Internationalism

The belief that the interests of all nations and peoples should take precedence over those of any single nation, emphasizing cooperation.

The Internationals

socialist political groupings (First, Second, Third, and Fourth Internationals) seeking to unite workers across borders for international socialism.

Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)

A radical trade union that organized workers across national borders to promote worldwide socialism and industrial democracy.

Marx on Nationalism

Marx viewed nationalist ideology as a tool used by the dominant economic class to disguise class tensions within a capitalist system.

Engels on Nationalism

Engels argued that economic class, not nationality, race, or culture, is the primary source of division among people.

Lenin on Nationalism

Lenin saw nationalism as a tool of the bourgeoisie to exploit workers and a barrier to international proletarian unity.

Cosmopolitan Attitude

An orientation associated with political internationalism that values all cultures and traditions over nationalist or isolationist views.

Rejection of Nationalism (Political Internationalism)

The idea that nationalism and isolationism should be rejected in favor of increased political cooperation and global organization (e.g., UN).

Nationalism

Fusion of ideals of the nation and the state, advocating for national self-determination; can mobilize for independence or form of governance.

Liberal Internationalism (Wilsonianism)

Aims to defend democracy, promote free trade, and protect human rights to foster international stability; concept linked to Wilsonianism and the League of Nations era.

Kant’s Influence on Liberal Internationalism

Kant’s Perpetual Peace inspired the idea of a federation of free states governed by the rule of law; expansion of republican democracies lowers likelihood of war.

League of Nations

International organization established in 1920 to promote peace and collective security as part of liberal internationalist thinking.

Public Services

Government-provided services such as education, healthcare, infrastructure, and welfare that improve living conditions.

Social Order

The government’s role in maintaining public safety and orderly conduct through laws and institutions.

Territorial Boundaries

Defined borders recognized internationally that establish a state's geographic reach and sovereignty.

Sovereignty and Governance (Summary Term)

The concept that a state has ultimate authority within its borders and the capacity to govern its population and territory.