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INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS TERMS|
GUARANTEE PASS
Theory - Answer -a proposed explanation of an event or behaviour of an actor in the
real world. Definitions range from "an unproven assumption" to "a working hypothesis that proposed an explanation for an action or behaviour." In international relations we have intuitive theories, empirical theories, and normative theories.
Sovereignty - Answer -the condition of a state having control and authority over its
own territory and being free from any higher legal authority. It is related to, but distinct from, the condition of a government being free from any political constraints.
Civil society - Answer -(1) The totality of all individuals and groups in a society who
are not acting as participants in any government institutions, or (2) all individuals and groups who are neither participants in government nor acting in the interests of commercial companies.
Ethic of responsibility - Answer -For historical realists, an ethic of responsibility
represents the limits of ethics in international politics; it involves the weighing up of consequences and the realization that positive outcomes may result from amoral actions.
Security dilemma - Answer -in an anarchic international system one with no common
central power, when one state seeks to improve its security it creates insecurity in other states.
Anarchic system - Answer -a realist description of the international system that
suggest there is no common power or central governing structure
Classical Realism - Answer -the drive for power and the will to dominate are the
fundamental aspects of human nature. The behaviour of the state as a self-seeking egoist is understood to be merely a reflection of the characteristics of the people that comprise that state.
Moral relativism - Answer -If all states have a right to do anything to survive, then
there is no moral constant of behaviour to obey
Structural Realism - Answer -international politics is essentially a struggle for power,
but they do not endorse the classical realist assumption that this is a result from human nature. They attribute security competition and interstate conflict to the lack of an overarching authority above states and the relative distribution of power in the international system.
Neoclassical Realism - Answer -a version of realism that combines both structural
factors such as the distribution of power and unit-level factors such as the interest of states.
Liberalism - Answer -a political orientation that favors social progress by reform and
by changing laws rather than by revolution. In essence it argues for human rights, parliamentary democracy, and free trade - while also maintaining that all such goals must begin within a state.
Multilateralism - Answer -the process by which states work together to solve a
common problem
Empire - Answer -a distinct type o political entity, which may or may not be a state,
possessing both a home territory and foreign territories. This may include conquered nations and colonies
Collective security - Answer -a security arrangement in which all states cooperate
collectively to provide security for all by the actions of all against any states within the groups which might challenge the existing order by using sanctions and force.
Integration - Answer -a process of ever-closer union between states, in a regional or
international context. The process often begins with cooperation to solve technical problems.
Functionalism - Answer -An idea that suggests that cooperation should begin with
efforts aimed at resolving specific regional or transnational problems.
Transnational non-state actor - Answer -any non-state actor or nongovernmental
actor from one country that has relations with any actor from another country or with an international organization.
Pluralism - Answer -political power and influence in society does no belong just to the
elite groups in various sectors of society, but I distributed among a wide number of groups in society. It can also mean recognition of ethnic, racial, and cultural diversity.
Interdependence - Answer -condition where states (or people) are affected by
decisions taken by others. Can be symmetric or asymmetric.
Relative gains - Answer -states are less concerned about whether everyone benefits
(absolute gains) and more concerned about whether someone may benefit more than someone else.
Neo-liberalism - Answer -see the international system as archaic but believe the
establishment of international institutions and regimes can manage relations. Purports that actors with common interests will try to maximize their gains.
Liberalism of privilege - Answer -developed democratic states have a responsibility to
spread liberal values for the benefit of all peoples of earth.
Radical liberalism - Answer -This is the utopian side of liberalism. Scholars
advocated a world in which states promote values like social justice, economic well being, peace, and ecological balance. These scholars see the liberal order as predatory and clearly in need of transformation.
Democratic deficit - Answer -leaders have created to many policy making institutions
at the global, regional, and national levels with policy-making power led by individuals who are appointed and not elected. Thus policy decisions are not subject to review by citizens.
Society of states - Answer -an association of sovereign states based on their
common interests, values, and norms.
Cosmopolitan society - Answer -a condition in which international organizations,
transnational corporations and global markets are accountable to the peoples of the world.
Monopoly capitalism - Answer -A term introduced by Lenin that suggested that
competitive capitalism had been replaced by large corporations that control the market in specific sectors
Washington Consensus - Answer -the belief in Washington that global welfare would
be maximized by the universal application of neoclassical economic policies that favour a minimalist state and an enhanced role for the market
Problem-solving theory - Answer -Realism and liberalism are problem-solving
theories. Example: How can we fix capitalism? How can we make society more democratic?
Critical theory - Answer -theories that are critical of the status quo and reject that
things can be fixed under present system.
Ideational - Answer -refers to ideas like democracy, capitalism, peace and social
justice
Game theory - Answer -a branch of mathematics that explores strategic interaction
World order - Answer -This takes its unit of order not states, but individual human
beings, and assesses the degree of order on the basis of the delivery of certain goods (be they security, human rights, basic needs, or justice) for humanity as a whole
International order - Answer -The normative and the institutional pattern in the
relationship between states. Includes issues such as - sovereignty the forms of diplomacy, international law etc.
Feminism - Answer -a political project to understand so as to change women's
inequality, liberation, or oppression. Make it so gender no longer matters.
Sex and gender - Answer -"Sex" is biological difference, born male or female, the sex
act; sexual difference. "Gender" is what it means to be male or female in a particular place or time; the social construction of sexual difference
Foreign policy - Answer -the articulation of national interests and the means chosen
to secure those interest, both material and ideational, in the international arena
Statecraft - Answer -the methods and tools that national leaders use to achieve the
national interests of a state
Nationalism - Answer -the idea that the world is divided into nations that provide the
overriding focus of political identity and loyalty, which in turn should be the basis for defining the population of states. Nationalism also can refer to this idea in the form of a strong sense of identity (sentiment) or organizations and movements seeking to realize this idea (politics) Example: the idea of 'American exceptionalism', US is a place unlike any other, with values and traditions others should emulate
National self-determination - Answer -the right or desire of distinct national groups to
become states and govern themselves
Failed (or failing) state - Answer -a state that does not command the primary loyalty
of its citizens or subjects. These states have no monopoly of force at home and lack complete control over their own territory
Soft power - Answer -influence and authority deriving from attraction that a country's
political, social, and economic ideas, beliefs, and practices have for people living in other countries
Non-polar - Answer -an international system which power is not concentrated in a few
states but is diffused among a variety of state and non-state actors
Standard operating procedures (sops) - Answer -the prepared-response patterns that
organizations create to react to general categories of events, crises, and actions
Reciprocity - Answer -a form of statecraft that employs retaliatory strategy, only
cooperating if others do likewise
Foreign policy style - Answer -this describes how a country deals with other states
and how it approaches and decision making situation. Example: does the state act multilaterally or unilaterally, does it seek consensus on an issue or go with majority rule.
Foreign policy tradition - Answer -a tradition includes national beliefs about how the
world works and a list of national interests and priorities based on these beliefs. It also refers to past action or significant historical events that act as analogs and give guidance to leaders about what strategy would best secure their national interests.
Promotive foreign policy - Answer -a foreign policy that promotes the values and
interests of a state and seeks to create an international system based on these values
Intransigent foreign policy - Answer -a foreign policy that challenges the rules
established by the great powers or rule-making states
Adaptation strategies - Answer -a foreign policy based on reacting to international
events and adjusting national goals to conform to the effects of events external to that state
Great power - Answer -state that has the political, economic, and military resources
to shape the world beyond its' borders. In most cases such a state has the will and capacity to define the rules of the international system.
Security dilemma - Answer -in an anarchic international system, one with no common
central power, when one state seeks to improve its security it creates insecurity in other states.
Middle powers - Answer -liberal states with social democratic political systems and
economies based on trade
Niche diplomacy - Answer -involves concentrating resources in specific areas best
able to generate return worth having, rather than trying to cover the field.
Normative orientation - Answer -in foreign policy this means promoting certain norms
and values and being prescriptive in one's foreign policy goals
Non-polar world - Answer -a world in which there are many power centers and many f
them are not nation-states. Power is diffused and is in many hands in many policy areas
suasion. The key to this method is diplomacy. Example: President Obama's speech in Cairo, Egypt, addressed a global audience and was a clear attempt to convince the Muslim world that the US policy toward Islam was going to change.
Hamiltonian - Answer -US foreign policy is all about trade and economic prosperity.
Strong alliance between US govt. and big business, free trade and US economic hegemony are essential to US foreign policy.
Jeffersonian - Answer -Foreign policy should focus on policies that strengthen our
society and safeguard values and institutions of American democracy.
Wilsonian - Answer -Focuses on the idea that power comes with obligations and
responsibilities. The united States has a moral obligation to spread American values to build an international community based on rule of law. They Support the ICC
Jacksonian - Answer -The US must be stronger than all other countries, and its'
leaders must use their power to protect the citizens of the US and promote its national interests
Rise of Neoconservatives - Answer -America is an exceptional nation and we should
be willing and able to play the role of benevolent hegemon. Roosevelt and Reagan.
Pragmatic Internationalism - Answer -Obama's Foreign Policy: Engaging the world
and using diplomatic and nonforce options to secure US national interests
Security - Answer -measures taken by states to ensure the safety of their citizens, the
protection of their way of life, and the survival; of their nation-state. Security can also
mean the ownership of property that gives an individual the ability to secure the enjoyment of enforcement of a right or a basic human need
National security - Answer -a fundamental values in foreign policy of states secured
by a variety of tools such as military actions, diplomacy, economic resources, and international alliance. It also depends on a stable and productive domestic society.
Widening school of security - Answer -A.K.A Copenhagen School, this refers to
authors who extend the definition of security to include economic, political, societal, and environmental policy areas.
Common security - Answer -A.K.A. cooperative security stresses noncompetitive
approaches and cooperative approaches through which states - both friendly and foes can achieve security. Sometimes expressed, as until all people are secure from threats of war, no one is secure.
Globalization - Answer -Fundamental shift in the spatial scale of human social
organization that links distant communities and expands the reach of power relations across regions and continents
Terrorism - Answer -the use of violence by non-state groups or, in some cases,
states to inspire fear, by attacking civilians and/or symbolic targets, and eliminating opposition groups. This is done for purposes such as drawing widespread attention to a grievance, provoking a severe response, or wearing down an opponent's moral resolve, to effect political change
Community - Answer -A human association in which member share common
symbols and wish to cooperate to realize common objectives
Material structure - Answer -an arrangement based on economic, political and
military resources
Realpolitik - Answer -first used to describe the foreign policy of Bismarck in Prussia, it
describes the practice of diplomacy based on the assessment of power, territory, and material interests, with little concern for ethic realities
Norms - Answer -They specify general standards of behaviour and identify the rights
and identify the rights and obligations of states. Together, norms and principles define the essential character of a regime, and these cannot be changed without transforming the natures of the regime.
Post-modernity - Answer -the postmodern international system is one where
domestic and international affairs are intertwined, national borders are permeable, and states have rejected the use of force for resolving conflict. The European Union is seen as an example of the evolution of the state-centric system.
Americanization - Answer -the spread of American values, practices, popular culture,
and way of life
Weapons of mass destruction - Answer -weapons that can f*** us all over if used.
Revolution in military affairs (RMA) - Answer -This is the effect generated by the
marriage of advanced communications and information processing with state-of-the-art weapons and delivery systems. It is a means of overcoming the uncertainty and confusion that are part of any battle in war
Tactics - Answer -the conduct and management of military capabilities in or near the
battle area.
Asymmetric conflicts - Answer -When stakes are high and those actors in conflict are
not equal in terms of weapons and technology, the weaker side adopts asymmetrical tactics. These include guerilla warfare, roadside bombs, attacks on civilians, and other terrorist tactics.
New wars - Answer -wars of identity between different ethnic communities or nations,
and wars that are caused by the collapse of states or the fragmentation of multiethnic states. Most of these new wars are internal or civil wars.
Third-tier states - Answer -sometimes called the "less-developed states" or the
"postmodern states." These countries fail to provide the basics, such and border protection, law and order, and maintenance of a functioning economy
Nuclear weapon state (NWS) - Answer -A state that is party to the Nonproliferation
Treaty and has tested a nuclear weapon or other nuclear explosive device before Jan. 1, 1967
Deterrence - Answer -the threat or use of force to prevent an actor from doing
something the actor would otherwise do.
Non-nuclear weapons state (NNWS) - Answer -a state that is party to the Treaty on
the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons, meaning that it does not possess nuclear weapons.
Poverty - Answer -a situation suffered by people who do not have money to buy food
and satisfy other basic material needs
World Bank Group - Answer -a collection of five agencies that promotes development
in medium and low-income countries
World trade Organization - Answer -permanent institution covers intellectual property
and investment issue
Bretton Woods System - Answer -name given to the three institutions that comprise
the post WWII international political economic system.
Great depression - Answer -global economic collapse that ensued following the US
stock market crash in 1929
Development - Answer -large capital investments in large projects; advanced
technology, expansion of private sphere. Top down. Participatory reliance on appropriate knowledge and technology; small investments in small-scale projects; protection of the commons. Bottom up.
Trade liberalization - Answer -the removal or reduction of barriers to free trade such
as tariffs or quotas on the trading of specific goods.
Marshall Plan - Answer -financial and economic aid for Europe after WWII
Dollar standard - Answer -An international financial system in which the US dollar is
used by most countries as the primary reserve asset, in contrast to the gold standard in which gold played this role
Export-led growth - Answer -an outward oriented economy that is based on exploiting
its own comparative advantages, such as cheap labour or resources
Protectionism - Answer -not an economic policy but a variety of political actions taken
to protect domestic industries.
Summit diplomacy - Answer -a direct meeting between heads of government (of the
superpowers in particular) to resolve major problems. The "summit" became a regular mode of contact during the Cold War.
Dependency theory - Answer -Wallerstein's theory
Interdependence - Answer -a condition where states or people are affected by
decisions taken by other.
Free market - Answer -a market ruled by the forces of supply and demand, where all
buying and selling is not constrained by government regulations or interventions
Global capital markets - Answer -these are banks, investment companies, insurance
companies, trusts, hedge funds, and stock exchanges that transfer funds to industries and other commercial enterprises globally
