IR

Cultural Divide

The differences in beliefs, practices, and values between the U.S. and the Middle East, particularly in the context of military actions and civilian repercussions.

Air Strikes

Military attacks from aircraft that have been criticized for being inaccurate and lacking sufficient information about civilian presence.

Pentagon's Hesitation

The reluctance of the Pentagon to publicize details about air strikes due to misidentifications and collateral damage.

Proportionality

A principle in armed conflict that requires a balance between military benefits gained and the harm caused to civilians.

Civilian Casualty Estimation

The process of assessing the potential civilian impact of military attacks, influenced by factors such as population density and weapon type.

Collateral Damage

Inadvertent damage or casualties inflicted on civilians during military operations.

Misidentification of Target

An error in correctly identifying military targets, leading to unintended attacks on civilians.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

Drones used in warfare that have discussions around their impact on the levels of terrorism.

Blowback

The unintended consequences of military actions, resulting in increased violence or recruitment of individuals to terrorist groups.

Peace of Westphalia

A series of treaties that ended the Thirty Years' War in Europe, establishing principles of state sovereignty and religious tolerance.

Mercantilism

An economic theory that emphasizes the importance of trade and accumulation of wealth through a favorable balance of exports over imports.

Sovereignty

The ultimate authority and power of a state in a given territory, with no higher power above it.

Realism

An international relations theory that views states as the primary actors in an anarchic global system where security and power are paramount.

Liberalism

An international relations perspective that emphasizes cooperation among many actors and prioritizes economic gains over conflict.

Constructivism

An approach in international relations that focuses on the impact of ideas, culture, and social norms in shaping state behavior.

Collective Action Problem

A situation where individuals benefit from a resource but have little incentive to contribute to its provision.

Pareto Frontier

A concept in economics that represents the maximum feasible benefit that can be achieved for a group, where any improvement for one actor would harm another.

Game Theory

A mathematical framework used to model strategic interactions among rational decision-makers.

Proxy Wars

Conflicts instigated by major powers who do not engage directly, often supported by military aid to opposing factions.

National Security

Measures taken by a state to protect its citizens and interests from external threats.

Interests

What actors hope to achieve via political action

Power

Actor A getting actor B to do something they would not do otherwise

Strategic interactions

An actor acting on their interests while anticipating another actors actions based on their interests

Cooperation

2+ actors adopt policies to make one actor better off than under the status quo while the other actor stays the same

Bargaining

2+ actors decide how to distribute something of value

(the more A gets, the less B gets)

Coordination

all actors follow same decision(no benefit to non-compliance) (ex:national language)

Collaboration

working together but having incentive to defect

-(ex: arms race- could stop building weapons, would increase global safety, but resist vulnerability [game of chicken-public victory]

Prisoners dilemma

all actors are best off to cooperate, but all have incentive to defect despite actins of other actors

Collective action problem

ppl benefit even w/o action, so no one acts (ex: climate change)

Public goods

available to all and one persons ownership doesn't diminish another

Free ride

don't contribute to what you benefit (ex: tax evasion)

How cooperation succeeds

• Fewer actors (less dispute)

• Repeated interactions (dent betray if future trade)

• Institutions

         * establish rules, dispute resolutions, solve issues, gain      information (can check self-reports w/ other countries), make decisions easier w/ standards

Coercion

threat punishment

Reversion outcome

outcome w/o bargain (can act to move rev. Out in your favor [ex:seizing a piece of land before negotiations])

Outside options

Other deals

Anarchy

No higher power

Prisoner dilemma

Two convicts are separated and told this: if you rat on your friend, you will go free and your friend gets 10 yrs. if you both confess you both get one, if you remain silent you both get five. We gave the same options to your friend

Best options for player 1:

1 cooperates, 2 stars silent= 0

Both silent= 2 yrs

Both confess= 1 year

1 silent, 2 cooperates= 10 yrs

Stag hunt

Two hunters see a deer. One sees a rabbit

Best is either mutual co operation or mutual detection, ( both hunt rabbit or deer) so something is gained

Chicken

Nuclear arms- best if we stay while opponent backs down,

• next best is they stay we back down

• Worst is crash

Are treaties and international institutions anarchic

Yes- no centralized authority

War

use of organized military campaigns between 2 states that reaches a minimum threshold violence

       -organized- not a riot

       - 2 states-not mass killings   

       -min. Violence- not low level military ( 1000 deaths)

Interstate

Between States

Civil war

Within state

Bargaining model

like realism- sees two incentive above as reasons for war, but alternately recognizes costs of war

Interests that cause war

territory (wealth, military advantage, ethnic/ religious claims)

  - policy (mistreatment of citizens, anti-capitalist)

      * policy war- vehicle for political change/ regime replacement

  - regime type (Vietnam war- don't want a communist regime)

     * concerns relative power - don't want enemies ↑

Crisis bargaining

threatens force it demands are not met

Coercive bargaining

Use of threats to make demands

Cost of war

goods gained- assets ($, lives)= value of going to war

Bargaining range

when deals preferred to the reversion outcome (war) overlap for 2 states

Compellence

threaten change to states quo via force

Deterrence

deterrence- threaten maintenance of states quo via force

       *general deterrence- don't attack me or I’ll fight

       *extended deterrence-don't attack my ally or I'll fight

Mistakes in war

• One state yields to little/does not

• A state threatens too severely/overestimate need to threaten

• Not factoring a third party joining

.Incomplete info

• -an actor lacks info about another's capabilities/interests

       * capabilities- ability to prevail (economic strength, military mobilization, # of troops and arms)

Resolve

Resolve-now willing a state is to endure war (distinguishes btwn total war [fighting at full potential-all resources mobilized] vs  limited war [not @ full potential]

Risk reward trade off

balancing trying to got a better deal/ avoiding war

Credibility

• the validity of a threat to a target; why not believed:

     - a target does not believe an actor wants endure cost of war

     -states hide information for self-gain/hide weakness

Brinkmanship

bring both sides to brink of war (escalate but risk mistake)

Tying hands

show public display (send troops)(hard to back out)

           *audience costs- negative repercussions for not following a deal  

            ( international [appear weak to other states]or domestic  

Preventive war

Fight to prevent an advisory from gaining future power

First strike advantage

• when geography gives the attacker an advantage

                *ex:an attacker can launch a nuke & destroy all enemy nukes @ once

Preemptive war

Fought when offensive by other side is imminent

Indivisible good

Cannot be divided ( ex: Jerusalem)

Hawks

proponents of military actio

doves

promoters of diplomacy, trade, and non-military action

State leaders

what to demand, when to wage war (final authority)

bureaucracy

political organizations (diplomatic/intelligence agencies, military) influence via institutional resources/knowledge and wartime experience

Interest groups