International Relations and Global Politics Vocabulary

Flashcards covering key terms, historical events, institutions, and theoretical concepts in international relations and politics based on lecture notes.

Mercantilism

An economic doctrine based on the belief that economic and military power complement each other.

Enumeration

In American colonies, certain goods (rice, tobacco) could only be sold to England, and certain materials could only be bought from England.

Peace of Westphalia

Treaty ended 30 Years' War in 1648 – led to sovereignty and modern states.

Hegemony

Predominance of one nation-state over others.

Pax Britannica

"British peace"; century-long period starting with Napoleon's defeat in 1815 and ending with WWI, where Britain's economic and political influence led to openness and overall peace.

The Gold Standard

The monetary system that prevailed between ~1870–1914; currencies were tied to gold.

Treaty of Versailles

Peace treaty between Allies and Germany (1919); ended WWI.

League of Nations

Security organization after WWI; replaced by UN.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

Formed 1949 among the U.S., Canada, and most Western nations against the Soviet Union. Attack 1 = Attack all.

Bretton Woods System

Economic order established between allied nations at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, in 1944 – led to cooperation for low barriers on int. trade and investment.

Warsaw Pact

Military alliance between Soviets and Cold War allies (1955).

Decolonization

1940s–60s top-it end of European empires in Africa, Asia, etc.

Interests

What actors want to achieve through political action; their preferences over the possible outcomes that might result from their political choices.

Nationalism

A political ideology that prioritizes attachment to one's nation, where nations are groups defined by common origin, ethnicity, language, or cultural ties.

Actors

The basic unit for the analysis of international politics; can be either individuals or groups of people with common interests.

State

A central authority that has the ability to make and enforce laws, rules, and decisions within a specified territory.

Sovereignty

The expectation that states have legal and political supremacy – or ultimate authority – within their territorial boundaries.

Anarchy

The absence of a central authority with the ability to make laws binding all actors.

National Interests

Interests attributed to the state itself, usually security and power.

Interactions

The ways in which the choices of two or more actors combine to produce political outcomes.

Strategic Interaction

A best-response strategy of trying to guess another actor's interests and seeing how likely you are able to achieve your own.

Cooperation

An interaction in which two or more actors adopt policies that make at least one actor better off relative to the status quo without making others worse.

Bargaining

An interaction in which two or more actors must decide how to distribute something of value. One side's gain means another side's loss.

Coordination

A type of cooperative interaction in which actors benefit from all making the same choices and subsequently have no incentive to comply.

Collaboration

A type of cooperative interaction in which actors gain from working together, but nonetheless have incentives not to comply with any agreement.

Public Goods

Products that are nonexcludable and nonrival in consumption, such as national defense.

Collective Action Problems

Obstacles to cooperation that occur when actors have incentives to collaborate, but each acts with the expectation that others will pay the costs of cooperation.

Free Ride

Not contribute to public goods yet still benefit.

Iteration

Repeated interactions with the same partners.

Linkage

The linking of cooperation on one issue to interactions on a second issue.

Power

The ability of actor A to get actor B to do something they would otherwise not do.

Institutions

Sets of rules (known/shared by the relevant community) that structure interactions in specific ways.

War

An event involving the organized use of military force by at least two parties that reaches a minimum threshold of severity.

Interstate War

A war in which main participants are state actors.

Civil War

A war in which main participants are in the same state.

Security Dilemma

A dilemma that arises when efforts that states make to defend themselves cause other states to feel less secure; can lead to arms races and war because of fear of attack.

Crisis Bargaining

A bargaining interaction in which at least one actor threatens to use force in the event that its demands are not met.

Coercive Diplomacy

The use of threats to achieve specific demands in a bargaining interaction.

Bargaining Range

The set of deals that both parties in a bargaining interaction prefer over the reversion outcome.

Compellence

An effort to change the status quo through threat of force.

Deterrence

An effort to preserve the status quo through threat of force.

Incomplete Information

When actors are unaware of others' interests or capabilities.

Resolve

The willingness of an actor to endure costs in order to acquire a particular good.

Risk-Return Trade-off

In crisis bargaining, the trade-off between trying to get a better deal and trying to avoid war.

Credibility

Believability.

Brinksmanship

A strategy in which adversaries take actions that increase risk of accidental war, with hope the other will "blink" (lose nerve) and make concessions.

Audience Costs

Negative repercussions for failing to follow through on a threat or honor a commitment.

Preventive War

A war fought with the intention of preventing an adversary from becoming stronger later.

Preemptive War

War when one side sees the risk of war as imminent.

Indivisible Good

A good that cannot be divided without destroying its value.

Bureaucracy

The collection of organizations that carry out most tasks of governance within a state (military, diplomatic corps, intelligence agencies).

Interest Groups

Groups of individuals with common interests that organize to influence public policy in a way that benefits their members.

Rally Effect

People's tendency to become more supportive of their country's government in times of dramatic international events, such as crises or war.

Diversionary Incentive

The incentive for leaders to start war abroad to help at home.

Military-Industrial Complex

An alliance between military leaders and the industries that benefit from international conflicts (e.g., arms manufacturers).

Democratic Peace

Political phenomenon where democracies rarely ever go to war with one another.

Autocracy

Political system where individual or small group exercises power and public has little control.

Accountability

The ability to punish or reward leaders for their decisions.

Alliance

Institution that helps members cooperate militarily in the event of war.

Balance of Power

Situation where two states (or group) have roughly equal military strength.

Bandwagoning

Strategy where states join forces with the stronger side in a conflict.

Entrapment

Being dragged into an unwanted war because of an opportunistic ally.

Collective Security

A collective security organization founded in 1919 after WWI (e.g., League of Nations).

United Nations

Collective security organization founded in 1945 after WWII; over 190 members, includes all recognized states.

Collective Security Organizations

Broad-based institutions that promote peace among members (e.g., League of Nations, UN).

Humanitarian Interventions

Designed to relieve crises stemming from civil conflict or large-scale abuses like genocide.

UN Security Council

U.S., Great Britain, Russia, France, China – veto power.

Peace-Enforcement Operation

Military operation where force is used to enforce/make peace among warring parties that have not agreed to stop fighting.

Peacekeeping Operation

Where troops and observers are deployed to monitor a cease-fire or peace agreement.