POLSC 1400-01: Study Guide for Test 1

realism: National security and hegemony as primary interests.

• liberalism: cooperation and democracy between international institutions

• constructivism: the role of social constructs and identities in shaping state behavior and international relations.

• mercantilism: an economic theory emphasizing the role of the state in managing international trade to enhance national power and wealth.

• Peace of Westphalia: a series of treaties that ended the Thirty Years' War in 1648, establishing the principles of state sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of other states.

• sovereignty: the authority of a state to govern itself or another state, recognized as a fundamental principle in international law that ensures territorial integrity and political independence.

• hegemony: a dominant influence or authority of one state or group over others, often seen in the context of international relations where a hegemonic power exerts control over global or regional politics.

• Pax Britannica: a period of relative peace in Europe and the world during the 19th century, characterized by the dominance of the British Empire and its influence on global trade, politics, and culture.

• interests: the various economic, political, and social goals that states pursue in the international arena, often driving their foreign policy decisions and interactions with other nations.

• actors: individuals or groups that play a role in international relations, including states, non-state actors, organizations, and institutions that influence global politics and decision-making.

• state: the primary political entity in international relations, recognized as having a defined territory, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other states.

• anarchy: the absence of a central authority in the international system, where states operate in a self-help environment, often leading to competition and conflict among them.

• national interests: the goals and objectives of a state that guide its foreign policy, including economic, security, and ideological considerations that influence its interactions with other states.

• interactions: the ways in which states engage with one another through diplomacy, trade, military actions, and cultural exchanges, which can significantly impact international relations and the balance of power.

• cooperation: the process by which states work together to achieve common goals, often through treaties, alliances, and international organizations, which can mitigate conflict and promote stability in the international system.

• bargaining: the negotiation process through which states seek to reach agreements or compromises, often involving trade-offs and concessions, which can be essential for resolving disputes and advancing national interests.

• coordination: the systematic alignment of actions and policies among states to enhance effectiveness in achieving mutual objectives, often facilitated by international agreements and collaborative frameworks.

• collaboration: the act of working jointly with other states or entities to achieve shared goals, fostering trust and understanding, which can lead to more effective problem-solving and the establishment of long-term partnerships.

• public goods: goods that are non-excludable and non-rivalrous, meaning they are available for all to consume without reducing their availability to others, such as clean air, national defense, and public parks, which often require collective efforts for their provision and maintenance.

• collective action problems： situations where individuals or groups face challenges in coordinating their efforts to achieve a common goal, often due to conflicting interests or the incentive to free-ride on the efforts of others, leading to under-provision of public goods and necessitating mechanisms for cooperation and agreement.

• free ride： the phenomenon where individuals or entities benefit from resources, goods, or services without contributing to the cost or effort required for their provision, often leading to challenges in funding and sustaining public goods.

• iteration： the process of repeating a set of operations or actions to gradually approach a desired outcome or solution, often used in the context of policy-making or economic strategies to refine approaches and address collective action problems effectively.

• linkage： the establishment of connections between different issues or groups, which can facilitate cooperation and enhance the effectiveness of collective action by aligning interests and fostering mutual benefits.

• coercion： the practice of compelling individuals or groups to act in a certain way through the use of threats, force, or intimidation, often raising ethical concerns regarding the legitimacy and fairness of such actions in policy implementation and governance.

• institutions： Sets of rules (known and 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.

• interestate war： A war in which the main participants are states.

• civil war： A war in which the main participants are within the same state, such as the government and a rebel group.

• bargaining range：The set of deals that both parties in a bargaining interaction prefer over the reversion outcome. When the reversion outcome is war, the bargaining range is the set of deals that both sides prefer over war.

• prisoner’s dilemma