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Flashcards

International Relations Key Concepts

hncampbell95 English 52 cards

Cards in this deck (52)

  1. 1AnarchyInternational politics is anarchical because no single state or coalition of states has absolute authority over the entire system. In anarchy, the nature of the state is characterised by hardship and struggle for survival. Liberal internationalists agree that anarchy is important and realists exaggerate it. Constructivists accept that it is a characteristic condition of the international system.
  2. 2AppeasementProblematic policy goal based on the assumption that acceding the demands of an aggressive state will prevent war. Often times it just leads the aggressive state to become more power hungry and tips the balance of power in their favour and can result in war (like WWII and Britain and France's appeasement policy with Hitler). There may be an occasion when appeasement may work, but it has become a dirty word and policymakers try to stay clear of it due to its potential dangerous outcomes.
  3. 3Balance of PowerConcerns the relative distribution of power among states into equal or unequal shares. Policy of promoting a power equilibrium on the assumption that unbalanced power is dangerous. disadvantaged states may form an alliance against a potential hegemonic state.
  4. 4Conditions of balance of power1) Multiplicity of sovereign states unconstrained by any legitimate central authority
    2) Continuous but controlled competition over scarce resources or conflicting values
    3) An unequal distribution of status, wealth, and power potential among the political actors that make up the system
  5. 5UnipolarityA situation in which one state or superpower dominates the international system
  6. 6BipolarityWhen two states or blocs of states are roughly equal in power
  7. 7MultiplolarityA situation in which there are at least three great powers. One state's greater military and economic strength does not necessarily give it dominance because weaker states can combine against it
  8. 8Important distinctions about balance of power1) Unipolarity, bipolarity, or multipolarity
    2) Regional or local balances
    3) Subjective or objective balance
  9. 9Cold WarPeriod in international history, beginning after WWII and ending in the early 1990s. Describes the relationship between USA and USSR
  10. 10Orthodox argument of the Cold WarStruggle between conflicting universal values. Market economy and multi-part democracy in the West and single-party statism and command economy in the East. US policy of containment as defensive reaction to Soviet aggression and expansion. USSR unable to sustain competition with USA, leading to end of Cold War
  11. 11Revisionist argument of Cold WarSoviet behaviour as a defensive attempt to build a legitimate security zone in Eastern Europe and prevent the US from constructing an international economic system for its own interest.
  12. 12Alternative argument to Cold WarCold War was beneficial to both sides by creating global stability through the theoretical possibility of nuclear conflict. It also reinforced their political systems
  13. 13CommunismIdeology, which in theory states that individuals treat each other fairly and equally and there is no need for a state to keep control (needless to say, this was never the case in practice). Marx was concerned with the abolition of private property through the creation of a communist society. It became the ideology of the USSR after the Bolshevik Revolution, which ultimately resulted in a communist dictatorship. Soviet leadership proclaimed the need to spread and support communism around the world
  14. 14ConstructivismEmphasises the social dimension of world politics. Insists that IR cannot be reduced to rational action and interaction within material constraints (realist) or institutional constraints at the international and national level (liberal). State interactions are shaped by identities overtime. International institutions have both regulative and constitutive functions. States have basic goals, such as security and stability, which construct their national interests. *Institutes refer to a stable set or structure of identities and interests
  15. 15ContainmentFundamental goal of USA national security policy during the Cold War. Based on the need to imprison Soviet influence within its existing boundaries and prevent its expansion. More a policy goal opposed to an actual policy.
  16. 16Critical Theory1) Set of Marxist-based critical analysis of international theory and practices (Frankfurt School).
    2) Through self-reflection, we can perceive society as a site of power struggles which constrain the realisation of human potential.
    3) Questions the dominant world order by taking a reflective stance on the framework of this order and questioning the origins and legitimacy of political and social institutions and the way they change over time.
    4) Seeks to determine which elements are universal to world order and which are historically contingent.
    5) Facilitate the extension of moral and political community in international affairs.
  17. 17Debt trapSituation in which a state has to spend much of its earnings from trade on servicing its external debts rather than on economic and social development. Origins lie in the formation of OPEC in 1973.
  18. 18DecolonisationProcess in which a colonial society achieves constitutional independence from imperial rule. Most often associated with the political independence of Africa and Asia after 1945 as a result of 1) Europe being financially and militarily exhausted from WWII, 2) USA pressuring Europe to giving up colonies, 3) self-determination, 4) public opinion in Europe turned against colonial domination, and 5) the UN began to support decolonisation. *Does not mean the end of foreign intervention
  19. 19Dependency TheoryRejects the focus on development as economic growth in favour of a much greater emphasis on equality and the fulfilment of basic needs and also focuses on power asymmetries between the First World and the Third World. FDI results in chronic underdevelopment and the Third World remains dependent upon First World countries as a result of the world capitalist system.
  20. 20DeterrenceThreat intended to dissuade a state from aggression. Form of persuasion in military strategy. For it to succeed, the threat must be credible. MAD was a nuclear deterrence strategy.
  21. 21DevelopmentMeasured in terms of changes in GNP per capita and comparative GNPs between countries. Countries are often considered developing if its GNP is increasing. Flawed measurement (strictly economic and ignores distribution/spread). Politically, seen as moving towards Western system of economy and government. Another way to measure is by looking at the poverty line.
  22. 22Embedded LiberalismConsistent with social liberalism. Individual freedom from coercion by the state is balanced against the positive freedom from state intervening to promote equality. Most scholars argue that the postwar era of embedded liberalism is over.
  23. 23European UnionOrganisation of member countries in Europe that cooperate in various areas (from single market to foreign policy, etc.) Takes form in three pillars: European Communities, the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), and cooperation in the fields of Justice and Home Affairs. Current looming issue is whether the EU can form a strong collective identity, the extend of integration, and economic policies. *Should probably know the key institutions from last semester's politics class
  24. 24Failed StateA sovereign state that is no longer able to maintain itself as a viable political and economic unit. Viewed by the international community as ungovernable and lacking legitimacy. They cannot provide basic needs or essential services for their citizens, have no functioning infrastructure, and are without a credible system of law and order. Possible causes of failed states are: 1) decolonisation process, 2) democratisation process, 3) mismanagement and corruption, and 4) the global capitalist system.
  25. 25Foreign AidMoney or resources lent to a country. Supporters argue that it is necessary in helping capital-poor countries acquire new skills and technology and develop. World Bank is the largest lender of foreign aid.
    Critics argue that it is ineffective. There is a negative correlation between aid and growth performance. It can create a vicious cycle.
  26. 26Free TradeOpen trade between countries based on the laws of comparative advantage. Governments to not restrict imports or exports. Fosters competition, promotes global growth and net wealth, promotes consumer choice, and creates efficient economies. Liberal internationalists stress that the important of free trade is to create a network of economic interdependencies resulting in peace.
  27. 27IntegrationA process involving 1) a movement towards increased cooperation between states, 2) a gradual transfer of authority to supranational institutions, 3) a gradual homogenisation of values, and 4) the coming into being of a global civil society and the construction of new forms of political community. The UN is an example of system-level integration, while the EU is an example of regional integration.
  28. 28International Monetary Fund (IMF)Purpose: 1) promote international monetary cooperation
    2) facilitate the expansion and balanced growth of international trade
    3) promote and maintain high levels of employment
    4) promote exchange stability and avoid competitive exchange rate depreciation
    5) eliminate foreign exchange restrictions
    6) offer resources to countries to correct maladjustments in their balance of payments without resorting to measures destructive of national or international prosperity
    7) shorten the duration and lessen the degree of disequilibrium in the international balance of payments of its members
    Increasingly, its role is to assist countries in the midst of a financial crisis.
  29. 29Levels of AnalysisThree levels of analysis: international, domestic, and individual. Important to pay attention to because their orient our questions and academic explorations.
  30. 30Multinational Corporation (MNC)Powerful actors that carry out commercial activities for profit in more than one country. They view the world as a single economic entity and have an immense impact on the global economy. Account for about 1/3 of FDI. Can be a misleading term because most MNC activity takes place within the territorial boundaries of a state - not between nations. Most controversial non-state actor because their are seen as 'predators.' However, they can also be seen as engines of progress.
  31. 31Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)Each state has an invulnerable second-strike capacity (why submarines were so important). Associated with the concept of deterrence. Dominated US nuclear thinking during the Cold War. Developed by McNamara.
  32. 32National InterestRelates to policies that concern the nation state as a whole (or a substantial portion) and not necessarily includes the interests of groups outside the state. Some associate it with foreign policy. Realists see it in terms of basic assumptions about the nature of IR and motivations of states. Others just see it as an expression of a nation's preference. It's a vague term.
  33. 33OrderStable pattern of relations among international actors that sustains a set of common goals or purposes. To exist: 1) the actors must tacitly agree to abide by certain uniform practices that preserve the international system as a whole and 2) armed conflict must not be so pervasive as to undermine the integrity of the system.
  34. 34Realist Interpretation of Maintaining OrderThe balance of power, diplomacy and the formation of alliances provide the best methods of maintaining order.
  35. 35Liberal Internationalist Interpretation of Maintaining OrderInternational institutions have a much greater role in developing mutually accepted norms and rules of conduct, maintaining order.
  36. 36Critical Theorist Interpretation of Maintaining OrderOrder is little more than institutionalised injustice. How it is best maintained relates to justice and whether the present international system can and should be transcended.
  37. 37Three Levels of World Order1) Order in social life
    2) International order
    3) World order
  38. 38Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)Intergovernmental organisation that serves the interests of the world's most developed countries. Goals are:
    1) to achieve the highest sustainable economic growth and employment and a rising standard of living in member countries, while maintaining financial stability, and thus contribute to the world economy
    2) to contribute to sound economic expansion in member as well as non-member countries in the process of economic development
    3) to contribute to the expansion of world trade on a multilateral non-discriminatory basis in accordance with international obligations
  39. 39PostcolonialismA broad cultural critique of the persistent effects of colonialism on postcolonial societies and beyond. *Look at last semester's notes if you still don't get it
  40. 40PostmodernismCharacterised by three main themes:
    1) hostile towards claims to universal or absolute truth
    2) seeks to unmask grand emancipatory narratives as oppressive
    3) respect for difference
    For IR, attention to ways in which knowledge and power are entangled in the theory and practice of IR
  41. 41Prisoners' DilemmaExample in game theory, which shows how and why a rational selection of strategies may be less profitable than non-rational selection in certain situations. Lesson of the game is that cooperation among states is difficult to achieve in the absence of communication and of ways to enforce agreements.
  42. 42RealismClaims that there is no natural harmony of interest among states and the struggle for power cannot be tamed by international norms. Beyond state sovereignty, politics is just survival opposed to progress.
  43. 43RefugeesSomeone seeking refuge from danger. Defined by the 1951 Convention as 1) individuals who, owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in political or social group, are outside their country of nationality and are unable/unwilling to avail themselves of protection of that country.
    2) Needs the protection of a foreign country.
  44. 44RegionalismThe intensifying political and/or economic processes of cooperation among states and other actors in particular geographic regions. Results from the increasing flow of goods, people, and ideas within a spatial entity, making them more integrated and cohesive. Can develop from below or from above.
  45. 45Rogue StateA state that regularly violates international standards of acceptable behaviour. Evokes the image of an outwardly aggressive threat to international peace.
  46. 46Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP)Set of political and economic measures instituted by the IMP with the World Bank to help states confronting chronic balance of payment deficits, generally through structural adjustment loans. The goal is to enable indebted countries to increase their earnings so that they can meet their obligations to overseas banks and other international institutions. Highly controversial as they are seen as too rigid, create unsustainable forms of development, and increase inequality.
  47. 47Third WorldUsed loosely to refer to the economically underdeveloped countries. Characterised as agrarian, rural, poor, and economically dependent. Term makes lots of generalisations.
  48. 48Women in Development (WID)Campaign to advance the position of women within the development community. It includes measures to improve access to finding, make gender equity a priority, and to ensure more gender-sensitive UN development programmes.
  49. 49World-System TheorySynonymous with the term 'capitalist world-economy.' Refers to an entity within whose boundaries there is a single overarching division of labour but which in fact includes a number of separate state structures. The core region benefits the most while the periphery still lags behind.
  50. 50Post-PositivismA broad term, encompassing a diverse range of theoretical perspectives. Rejects positivism (the idea that natural sciences can be applied to the social sciences). Promotes a normative approach to IR
  51. 51Relative Gains/Absolute GainsStates are primarily concerned with the distribution of gains from cooperation and improving their position within the international system or at the very least, to maintain their relative position in the system.
    Relative gains look strictly at power balances while absolute gains includes economic and cultural effects as well.
  52. 52Theory1) Empirical: Explains patterns by elaborating on why they take place.
    2) Normative: Concerns how things ought to be
    3) Constitutive: expressed through other concepts (examples: critical theory, realism, liberal internationalism)
    * metatheory: a theory whose subject mater is some theory

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Flashcards on International Relations Key Concepts, created by hncampbell95 on 07/03/2015.
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