Untitled Flashcards Set

Q: What is deterrence in game theory?
A: Threatening retaliation to prevent an opponent’s action.

Q: What is credibility in game theory?
A: Believability of a threat or promise.

Q: What is a normal form game?
A: A matrix-based representation of strategic decisions and outcomes.

Q: What is a zero-sum game?
A: A game where one player's gain equals another's loss.

Q: What is the Prisoner’s Dilemma?
A: A situation where rational actors may not cooperate, even if it benefits both.

Q: What are extensive form games?
A: Games with sequential moves, represented as decision trees.

Q: What is a decision node in extensive form games?
A: A point where a player makes a decision.

Q: What is backward induction?
A: Solving a game from the end to determine optimal early moves.

Q: What is a commitment device?
A: A method of binding oneself to a strategy to influence others.

Q: What is a dominant strategy?
A: A strategy that is best regardless of what the opponent does.

Q: What is a Nash equilibrium?
A: A set of strategies where no player gains from changing unilaterally.

🎯 1b. Game Theory Case Studies

Q: How does the Korean War illustrate game theory?
A: Demonstrates deterrence, credibility, and escalation control.

Q: How is the Berlin Airlift relevant to game theory?
A: Shows credible signaling and non-military commitment.

🔐 2. Security Dilemma / Uncertainty

Q: What is the security dilemma?
A: Defensive actions appear threatening, increasing tension.

Q: Why is uncertainty significant in international relations?
A: States can't fully know others' intentions, leading to mistrust.

🌍 3. Human Security

Q: What is human security?
A: Protecting individuals from violence, poverty, and threats beyond military issues.

🌏 4. Russia

Q: Why is Russia important in IR discussions?
A: It's a key actor in conflicts, authoritarianism, and global power shifts.

❄ 5. Cold War

Q: How does the Cold War illustrate key IR themes?
A: Bipolarity, nuclear deterrence, proxy wars, and ideological conflict.

⚖ 6. Anarchy

Q: What is anarchy in IR?
A: The lack of a central authority in the international system.

🛡 7. Power/Security

Q: How do power and security relate in IR?
A: States use power to secure interests and deter threats.

🦅 8. Hegemon

Q: What is a hegemon?
A: A state with dominant influence in the international system.

🏗 9. System Structure / Polarity

Q: What is system structure in IR?
A: The arrangement of power among states (e.g., unipolar, bipolar, multipolar).

🗺 10. 9-Dash Line

Q: What is the 9-dash line?
A: China's territorial claim in the South China Sea.

🌊 11. South China Sea

Q: Why is the South China Sea important?
A: It's a geopolitical flashpoint for trade, resources, and sovereignty.

🇺🇸 12. Monroe Doctrine / Manifest Destiny

Q: What is the Monroe Doctrine?
A: U.S. policy to limit European interference in the Americas.

Q: What is Manifest Destiny?
A: The belief in U.S. expansion across North America.

💣 13. Terrorism

Q: What is lone wolf terrorism?
A: Attacks by individuals not directly connected to groups.

Q: What is affiliate terrorism?
A: Local groups aligned with larger terrorist networks.

🔁 14. Zero-Sum Games (See #1)

📌 15. Credibility

Q: Why is credibility crucial in deterrence?
A: Without it, threats or promises won’t influence behavior.

♟ 16. Anarchy & Game Theory

Q: How does anarchy relate to game theory?
A: Without a central authority, states act strategically to survive.

🔐 17. Prisoner's Dilemma (See #1)

💡 18. Dominant Strategy (See #1)

🔍 19. Uncertainty (See #2)

🧠 20. Other Minds' Problem

Q: What is the Other Minds' Problem in IR?
A: The challenge of inferring others’ intentions or preferences.

🧭 21. Polarity

Q: What is polarity in international systems?
A: The number of major powers (unipolar, bipolar, multipolar).

❓ 22. Problems with Polarity

Q: What are issues with polarity theories?
A: Over-simplifies global dynamics; real-world behavior varies.

🎥 23. The Unknown Known

Q: How can The Unknown Known documentary help in IR essays?
A: Offers insights into 20th-century U.S. foreign policy and decision-making.

☢ 24. Nuclear Weapons – Waltz vs. Sagan

Q: What is Waltz’s view on nuclear weapons?
A: Nuclear proliferation promotes stability through deterrence.

Q: What is Sagan’s view on nuclear weapons?
A: More nukes increase risks due to instability and accidents.

💻 25. Cybersecurity / Technology / Robots

Q: What are Zero Days?
A: Cyber vulnerabilities unknown to those who should fix them.

Q: What did Singer argue about robots and war?
A: Robotics change warfare’s ethical and strategic dimensions.

🧨 26. Ethnic War

Q: What is ethnic war?
A: Conflict driven by ethnic identity and grievances.

Q: What reading discussed ethnic conflict?
A: Mueller, Posen, and the Rwanda documentary.

🧬 27. Views on Ethnicity

Q: What are the main views on ethnicity?
A: Primordial (fixed), instrumental (used politically), constructivist (socially constructed).

🕵 28. Transnational Organized Crime

Q: What is transnational organized crime?
A: Cross-border crime involving networks that challenge state control.

⚔ 29. Counterinsurgency

Q: What is counterinsurgency?
A: Strategies to defeat insurgents and win civilian support.

🔺 30. Impossible Trilemma

Q: What is the impossible trilemma in counterinsurgency?
A: You can't simultaneously protect civilians, defeat insurgents, and build legitimacy.

🇷🇼 31. Rwanda / Genocide

Q: What happened in the Rwandan genocide?
A: Hutu extremists killed ~800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in 1994.

⚰ 32. Former Yugoslavia Conflicts

Q: What countries were involved in Yugoslav wars?
A: Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, and Kosovo.

🪖 33. Russia / Ukraine

Q: What is the conflict between Russia and Ukraine about?
A: Sovereignty, territorial integrity, and geopolitical rivalry.

🔄 34. Revolution in Warfare

Q: What is a revolution in warfare?
A: A major shift in how wars are fought due to technology or doctrine.

🧑‍⚖ 35. Current Political Leaders

Q: Who leads these countries?**

• Russia: Vladimir Putin

• UK: Rishi Sunak

• Germany: Olaf Scholz

• Ukraine: Volodymyr Zelenskyy

• USA: Joe Biden

• China: Xi Jinping

• France: Emmanuel Macron

• India: Narendra Modi

• Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu

• Brazil: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

⚠ 36. Moral Hazard

Q: What is moral hazard in intervention?
A: Protection may encourage reckless behavior (e.g., rebels expecting help).

🪖 37. Ethnicity Theories

Q: What are key theories of ethnicity?
A: Primordial, instrumental, and constructivist.

🛡 38. Force Protection

Q: What is force protection?
A: Emphasis on minimizing troop casualties, often limiting effectiveness.

☠ 39. Terrorist Groups

Q: Who are Boko Haram, Al Qaeda, Taliban, and ISIS?
A: Islamist militant groups with regional and global reach.

💻 40. Stuxnet / Cybersecurity

Q: What was Stuxnet?
A: A U.S.-Israel cyberattack on Iran’s nuclear program.

🧑‍💣 41. Lone Wolf Terrorism (See #13)

🌐 42. Affiliate Terrorism (See #13)

🕋 44. Osama Bin Laden

Q: Who was Osama Bin Laden?
A: Leader of Al Qaeda; mastermind of 9/11; linked to Taliban.

📣 45. Ethnic Outbidding

Q: What is ethnic outbidding?
A: Politicians use ethnic nationalism to gain support over rivals.

🇷🇸 46. Slobodan Milosevic

Q: Who was Slobodan Milosevic?
A: Serbian leader responsible for ethnic cleansing in the Balkans.