1.1 Framing global politics and systems and interactions in Global POliTICS

Political actors

entities, such as a person, organization or movement, that wield some form of political power or engage with the political process.

Stakeholders

political actors that have an interest, or a stake, in a particular issue

Social movement

a collective of individuals advocating a shared goal.

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)

Any non-profit, voluntary citizens' groups that are organized on a local, national or international level. They can bring citizens’ concerns to governments, monitor policies and encourage political participation at the community level.

Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs)

organizations made up of states focused on a specific issue at a global or regional level. They can be of formal or informal character.

Multinational or transnational companies (MNCs/TNCs)

companies that operate across a significant number of states through resourcing and selling their products

Non-state actors

political actors that are not part of the state

Power diffusion

the movement of power away from states to various non-state actors

State sovereignty

States ultimate control over its territory, both externally in relation to other states and internally in relation to inhabitants.

Autocracy

a governmental system in which one ruler has all the power

Democracy

derived from the Ancient Greek words demos (people) and kratos (power). A political system that allows the population to partake in politics, both actively as elected representatives and passively as voters.

Anocracy

: a state that combines elements of democracy and autocracy.

Globalization

the increased interconnections of the world or “the world becoming a smaller place”

Regionalization of world politics

the growth of regional cooperation, sometimes under the umbrella of regional IGQOs, or through informal collaboration

Associational interest groups

formally organized groups representing specific interests, with permanent staff and clear procedures.

Anomic interest groups

spontaneous, disoriented groups chaotically organized and lacking central leadership.

Communal interest groups

groups established based on a common origin, tradition or loyalty.

Poldering

consensus-building between different interest groups in social or economic spheres.

Lobbying

the organized attempt to influence policy making on behalf of interest groups.

Formal political forums

gatherings in the context of an IGO, where parties meet about an agreed agenda item, with secretarial support and in pursuit of a clear and shared outcome.