Global Politics and International Relations Study Guide

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering international law, the United Nations, theories and causes of war, peace mechanisms, military technology, and international political economy.

International law

Rules and agreements that guide how countries interact with one another, helping create expectations and reduce conflict.

Sovereignty

The condition in which countries have authority over their own territory and government.

Domestic law

Law that applies within a country and is enforced through national institutions, where governments have direct authority over individuals.

Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs)

Organizations created by governments to cooperate on shared goals, such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization.

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)

Independent organizations that address international issues.

UN Security Council

UN organ responsible for maintaining international peace and security, consisting of 15 members including 5 permanent members with veto power.

UN General Assembly

UN body that includes all member states, where each country has one vote to discuss international concerns and make recommendations.

UN Charter Chapter VII

The section of the UN Charter that gives the Security Council authority to respond to threats to international peace.

Article 39 (UN Charter)

Charter article under which the Security Council determines whether there is a threat to peace, breach of peace, or act of aggression.

Article 41 (UN Charter)

Charter article that allows non-military measures such as economic sanctions.

Article 42 (UN Charter)

Charter article that allows the Security Council to authorize military action when necessary.

Responsibility to Protect

International principle endorsed by UN member states in 2005 establishing that states have a responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

Declaration adopted December 10, 1948, establishing a common international standard for basic human rights including equality, freedom, and security; not a treaty itself, but strongly influenced later human rights law.

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

Major legal framework establishing international rules concerning oceans and maritime zones.

Territorial sea

Maritime zone that generally extends up to $12\,\text{nautical miles}$ from a country's baseline.

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

Maritime zone that generally extends up to $200\,\text{nautical miles}$, within which coastal countries have specific rights to natural resources.

Realism

International relations theory stating that powerful countries follow rules when it benefits their own interest.

Liberalism

International relations theory positing that international law helps countries cooperate and solve shared problems.

Constructivism

International relations theory positing that rules reflect shared ideas, identities, and international norms.

Marxism

Perspective emphasizing that international institutions may reinforce economic inequalities.

War

Organized, sustained conflict.

Interstate war

Armed conflict between two or more states, usually involving national governments directing their military forces (e.g., 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War).

Intrastate war

Organized armed conflict occurring primarily within a country (e.g., the Syrian war).

General war (Major war)

War that involves several major powers and can reshape international politics (e.g., World War II).

Hegemonic war

War whose outcome helps determine which state or states will dominate the international system, significantly changing the international balance of power.

Immediate causes of war

Specific disputes or events that directly contribute to escalation toward armed conflict, such as territorial disputes, policy disagreements, and competition over economic resources.

Underlying causes of war

Deeper circumstances developing over long periods that make war more likely, such as political instability, nationalism, military competition, and distrust between states.

Individual level of analysis

Analytical perspective on war focusing on leaders' beliefs, perceptions, personality, and decisions.

State level of analysis

Analytical perspective on war focusing on government institutions, domestic politics, economic conditions, and nationalism.

International level of analysis

Analytical perspective on war focusing on anarchy, power distribution, alliances, and relations among states.

Misperception

Individual-level cause of war wherein leaders misunderstand another country's actions or intentions.

Overconfidence

Individual-level cause of war wherein leaders believe their country will win more easily than is realistic.

Groupthink

Decision-making dynamic where decision-makers prioritize group agreement rather than considering alternatives.

Anarchy

The structural condition where the international system has no central authority above sovereign states, forcing countries to take responsibility for their own security.

Security dilemma

Situation in which one country increases its security, causing another country to view those actions as a threat.

Balance of power

Condition or strategy in which countries prevent one state from becoming too powerful, enabling peace when no single country can dominate others.

Hegemony

A condition occurring when one country has significantly more power than others, potentially maintaining stability by providing security and supporting economic institutions.

Diplomacy

Negotiations between countries to manage relationships and settle disputes, including treaties, meetings, mediation, and conferences.

Collective security

An arrangement where countries agree that threats to international peace should be addressed collectively.

Internal balancing

Strengthening a country's own economic and military capabilities to prevent threatening countries from gaining too much power.

External balancing

Forming alliances with other countries to counter a threatening state.

League of Nations

Organization established after World War I that attempted to prevent future wars, but failed to stop aggression by major powers in the 1930s.

European Union

Regional organization that encourages cooperation and integration among countries, using economic and political integration to help reduce conflict among members.

Economic interdependence

A condition in which countries depend on one another for trade, investment, and economic activity, making conflict more costly because it can disrupt these relationships.

Norman Angell

Thinker associated with the argument that modern economic interdependence makes war economically damaging and irrational.

Immanuel Kant

Philosopher associated with the argument that republican government, international cooperation, and economic connections can support lasting peace.

Nuclear deterrence

Military strategy that attempts to prevent attacks by threatening unacceptable retaliation.

Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)

Situation in which opposing nuclear powers can inflict devastating retaliation on each other, which may discourage either side from initiating war.

Nuclear proliferation

The spread of nuclear weapons to additional states, which can increase tension and make international security more complicated.

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

International agreement aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons, promoting peaceful nuclear technology, and pursuing nuclear disarmament.

Arms control

Agreements intended to regulate, limit, or reduce certain weapons and military capabilities.

Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)

Treaty entering into force in 1997 that prohibits the development, production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons.

Biological Weapons Convention (BWC)

Treaty opened for signature in 1972 that prohibits the stockpiling of biological and toxin weapons.

Drones

Uncrewed aircraft used for surveillance and military operations that allow operations without placing personnel in direct harm.

Double-tap strikes

Repeated strikes carried out on the exact same location.

Cyberwarfare

Cyber operations used to disrupt or damage an adversary's information systems, communications, networks, and digital infrastructure.

Hybrid warfare

A mode of warfare combining conventional and unconventional methods, including military forces, cyber operations, disinformation, and political pressure (e.g., Russia's actions in Crimea).

International Political Economy (IPE)

Field of study examining the relationship between political decisions and economic activity, highlighting how governments encourage or restrict trade through policy.

Autarky

Economic self-sufficiency in which a country attempts to meet its needs without relying heavily on international trade, reducing dependence but limiting the benefits of specialization.

Mercantilism

Economic perspective emphasizing national wealth, state power, and economic competition, historically focused on accumulating wealth through trade and maintaining favorable trade balances.

Adam Smith

Economist associated with arguments supporting free markets, specialization, international trade, and the concept of absolute advantage.

Absolute advantage

The ability of an economic actor to produce a good using fewer resources than another producer.

David Ricardo

Economist associated with developing the foundational theory of comparative advantage.

Comparative advantage

The ability to produce a good or service at a lower opportunity cost than another producer.

Opportunity cost

The value of the next-best alternative given up when making a decision; central to the theory of comparative advantage.

Terms of trade

The rate at which one country's exports exchange for imports, determining how much a country gains from international trade.

Protectionism

Government policies designed to protect domestic producers from international competition using tariffs, quotas, and subsidies.

Tariffs

Taxes imposed by governments on imported goods.

Quotas

Quantitative limits placed on how much of a specific good can be imported into a country.

Subsidies

Financial assistance provided by the government to domestic producers to support local industry.