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152 Cards in this Set

  • Front
  • Back
International Relations
The relationships among the World's Governments.
Collective Goods Problem
How to provide something that benefits all members of a group regardless of what each member contributes to it.
Dominance
Establishes a power hierarchy in which those at the top control those below.

Order, Stability, Predictability
Oppression, Resentment
Reciprocity
Rewards behavior that contributes to the group and punishing behavior that pursues self-interest at the expense of the group.

Incentives for Mutual Cooperation
Complex Accounting
Identity
Does not rely on self interest. When one in an Identity community cares about the interests of others in the community enough to Sacrifice their own interests.

Sacrifice for Group, Redefine Interests
Demonizing an Out-Group
Example: "The man wears the pants. Man has made the decision and women have followed it. I suggest you do the same and buy season tickets to the opera."
Dominance
Example: "Look, instead of fighting all the time, why don't you establish a pattern and trade off going to boxing one time and opera the next?"
Reciprocity
Example: "Who cares about opera or boxing? The point is that you love each other and want to be together!"
Identity
Example: Non Proliferation Treaty: Existing nuclear powers actively try to keep their exclusive hold on these weapons and prevent smaller nations from getting them.
Dominance
Example: Non Proliferation Treaty: The existing nuclear powers have an obligation to disarm in exchange for smaller countries' agreement to stay non-nuclear.
Reciprocity
Example: Non Proliferation Treaty: Many nations that have the technical ability to make nuclear weapons have chosen not to do so.
Identity
International security studies
- Movements of armies and diplomats
- Crafting of treaties and alliances
- Development and deployment of military capabilities
International political economic studies
- Trade and financial relations among nations
How nations have cooperated politically to create and maintain institutions hat regulate the flow of international economic and financial transactions.
International system
Relationships among the world's states according to certain rules and patterns of interaction.
Nation-states
A nation (group of people who share a sense of national identity) that has their own state.
State
A territorial entity controlled by a government and inhabited by a population.
Gross Domestic Product
Total of goods and services produced by a nation annually.
Non-state actors/ Transnational actors
Actors that are not involved with the government and can operate across international borders.
Intergovernmental Organizations
Organizations whose members are national governments. Fulfill a variety of functions and vary in size.
Nongovernmental Organizations
Private organizations which might include groups with political purpose, humanitarian purpose, or economic/technical purposes.
Multinational Corporations
Companies that span multiple countries. The interests of a large company doing business globally do not correspond with any one state's interests.
Individual Level of Analysis
Concerns perceptions, choices, and actions of individual human beings.

i.e. Great leaders, citizens, thinkers, soldiers, and voters influence the course of history.
Domestic Level of Analysis
Concerns the aggregations of individuals within states that influence state actions int he international arena.

i.e. Interest groups, political organizations, and government agencies.
Interstate Level of Analysis
Concerns the influence of the international system upon outcomes. Focuses on the interactions of states themselves, without regard to their internal makeup or the particular individuals who lead them.
Global Level of Analysis
Seeks to explain international outcomes in terms of global trends and forces that transcend the interactions of states.
Globalization
Encompasses trends including expanded international trade, telecommunications, monetary coordination, multinational corporations, technical and scientific cooperation, cultural exchanges of new types and scales, migration and refugee flows, and relations between the world's rich and poor countries.
The North-South Gap
A global gap between the industrialized, relatively rich countries of the north, and the relatively poor countries of the South.
Cold War
A period where two superpowers (US and Soviet Union) had a period of heightened tension between them that resulted in a network of alliances and deadly arsenals of nuclear weapons. (NATO vs. Warsaw Pact).
The Marshall Plan
U.S. financial aid to rebuild European economics after World War II in response to fears that the Soviet Union may take advantage of their vulnerability and expand.
Policy of Containment
Sought to halt the expansion of Soviet influence globally on several levels at once (politically, ideologically, and economically).
Chinese Communist Revolution/Sino-Soviet Split
When China became fiercely independent in the 1960s and opposed Soviet moves towards peaceful coexistence with the United States.
Summit Meeting
A meeting between superpower leaders in Geneva (1955).
The Cuban Missile Crisis
When the Soviet Union installed medium-range nuclear missiles in Cuba.
Proxy Wars
When two superpowers supplied and advised opposing factions in civil wars. Arbitrary alignments.
Issues Areas
Controversial issues that scholars and foreign policy makers focus their attention on.
Realism
Explains international relations in terms of power.
Idealism
Emphasizes international law, morality, and international organization, rather than power alone, as key influences on international events.
League of Nations
Forerunner in today's United Nations
Munich Agreement of 1938 (World War II)
France agreed to let Germany occupy part of Czechoslovakia.
Appeasement
Foreign policy agreement that allows for actors to act in certain ways that might have posed a threat to national security otherwise. Deters aggression and prevents war.
Thucydides
- Gave account on Peloponnesian War focusing on relative power among the Greek city-states.
- "The strong do what they have the power to do... the weak accept what they have to accept."
Machiavelli
- Urged power hierarchies to concentrate on expedient actions to stay in power, including the manipulation of the public and military alliances.
- Importance of power politics is timeless and cross-cultural.
Morgenthau
- International Politics is governed by objective universal laws based on national interests in terms of power.
- All nations had to base their actions on prudence and practicality.
Neoconservatives
Advocate military force to accomplish ambitious and moralistic goals.
i.e. Democratizing the Middle East
Power
Ability to get another actor to do what it would not otherwise have done.
Power in terms of Influence
How one nation might have the power to influence other nations into acting in a way favorable to the former.
Power in terms of Capabilities
Characteristics or possessions of states such as size, level of income, and military strength, serve as a capability.
Power in terms of GDP
Combines overall size, technological level and wealth as an indicator of how large a nation's sphere of influence is.
Power in terms of Ideology
Religion, ideology and nationalism governing the overall power one nation has over influencing and manipulating other nations within it's sphere of influence.
Relative Power
Comparison of power between two states rising or falling based on absolute terms and capabilities.
Long term Power
GDP, population, territory, geography, and national resources.
Short term Power
Size, composition, and preparedness of two states ' military forces.

Also industrial capacity to quickly produce weapons.
Fungible Power
One element of Power can be converted into another.

i.e. Money can buy other capabilities.
i.e. Economic strength, diplomatic skill, or moral legitimacy can be made fungible into military power.
Geopolitics
Geography as an element of power.
Realists believe that the international system exists in a state of ______.
Anarchy

(Lack of central government to enforce rules).
Sovereignty
A government has the right, in principle to do whatever it wants in it's own territory.

i.e. Justifies lack of world police.
Security dilemma
A situation in which actions taken by states to ensure their own security threaten the security of other states. This is a recurring source of conflict.
Balance of power
General concept of one or more states' power being used to balance that of another state or group of states.

- Counterbalancing occurs regularly in the international system.
Great Powers
Half-dozen or so most powerful states.
Middle Powers
Rank somewhat below the great powers in terms of their influence on world affairs.
Neorealism/Structural Realism
Explains patterns of international events in terms of the system structure (International distribution of power) rather than the internal makeup of individual states.
Neoclassical Realism
Seeks to explain the grand strategies of individual states as opposed to recurrent patterns of international outcomes
Distribution of Power: Multipolar System
Flat hierarchy, more reciprocity (Less stable)

Equal power distribution among nations.
No country can win easily.
Distribution of Power: Bi-polar System
Split Hierarchies, Dominance within blocs, Reciprocity between blocs. (Stable)

i.e. Cold War arrangement
Distribution of Power: Unipolar System (Hegemony)
Steep Hierarchy, More dominance (More Stable.)

One state holding power over many.
(i.e. US is considered hyperpower/hegemon)
Power Transition Theory
Challenges to the top positions in the status hierarchy. Threat to surpass most powerful state.
Hegemony
One state's holding a preponderance of power in the international system. Single-handed dominance.

Dominate rules and arrangements by which international political and economic relations are conducted.
Hegemonic Stability Theory
A steep hierarchy can promote order (Central government-esque). Promoting free trade and world standards.
Alliance
A coalition of states that coordinate their actions to accomplish some end.
Realist Theory: Fluid Alliances
"Marriages of convenience".

Alliances based on national interest which helps the balance-of-power process operate effectively. (Deepens security dilemma).
Alliance cohesion
The ease with which the members hold together an alliance.
Burden Sharing
Who bears the costs of the alliance?
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
- Encompasses Western Europe, and North America.
- Using GDP as a measure of power.
Warsaw Pact
Soviet-led alliance in Eastern Europe during Cold War. Disbanded in 1991.
U.S.-Japanese Security Treaty
Bilateral alliance where the United states maintains nearly 35k troops in Japan and they pay for it annually to offset the cost of maintaining them.
Realist Theory: Statecraft
The art of managing state affairs and effectively maneuvering in a world of power politics among sovereign states.
Deterrence Strategy
When one actor uses a threat to punish another actor if it takes a certain negative action.
Compellence Strategy
When one Actor uses force to make another actor take some action, as opposed to taking none.
Realist Theory: Arms Race
A reciprocal process in which two (or more) states build up military capabilities in response to each other.
Realist Theory: Rational Actors
Assumption that those who wield power while engaging in statecraft behave as rational actors in their efforts to influence others.
National Interest
Interests of the state itself.
Realist Theory: Rational Actors: Cost-Benefit Analysis
According to the assumption that all states are "rational actors", all actors are able calculate the costs incurred by a possible action and the benefits it is likely to bring.
Game Theory
A branch of mathematics concerned with predicting bargaining outcomes. (Combination of moves by international actors).
Game theory: zero-sum games
One player's gain is by definition equal to the others loss.
Prisoner's Dilemma
Collective goods problem between rational players in the international system.

Where rational players choose moves that produce an outcome in which all players are worse off than under a different set of moves.
Liberal Theories: Kant: Law 1
Peace can be promoted through International Peace-keeping institutions such as the UN.
Liberal Theories: Kant: Law 2
Peace can be promoted based on domestic/state level "norms" or state preferences.

i.e. Democratic Peace Hypothesis
Liberal Theories: Kant: Law 3
Trade promotes Peace

Outcomes:
Increased Wealth
Increased Cooperation
Increased Global Well-being
What is the realist argument against Kant's 3rd Law?
A feeling of vulnerability between states can result from trade interdependence. This may increase tension.
What is the Neoliberal argument?

(Hint: Kant's 1st Law)
They agree with realists that states in the international system exist in anarchy, however, states achieve cooperation (Kant's 1st Law) because it is in their best interest. There are mutual gains!
International regime

(Not to be confused with "regime change")
A set of norms/rules/expectations among participating actors that are expected to converge in particular issue areas.

Increases transparency among nations, and makes cheating riskier.
Liberal Theories: Collective Security
Formation of grand alliances in order to protect collective interests.
Liberal Theories: Collective Security: Rule 1
Member states must be loyal to alliance
Liberal Theories: Collective Security: Rule 2
Member states must agree on what constitutes as aggression.
Liberal Theories: Democratic Peace Hypothesis
Although democracies fight as many wars as any authoritarian states, democratic republics almost never go to war with each other.
Bureaucracies
Agencies or diplomats maintained by states in order to develop and carry out foreign policy.
Interest Groups
Coalition of people with a common interest/goal who try to influence state actions/outcomes.
Lobbying
People who talk with legislators to influence certain issue areas.
Public Opinion
Range of views on foreign policy issues held by citizens of the state.
"Rally 'round the flag" Syndrome
The public's increased support for government leaders during wartime, at least int he short term.
Foreign Policy Process
How policies are arrived at and implemented.
Foreign Policy Process: Rational Model
Set goals, evaluate importance, cost-benefit analysis, choose action with highest benefits, lowest costs.
Foreign Policy Process: Organizational Process Model
Standard operating procedures in response to international relations between embassies, consulates, etc.
Foreign Policy Process: Government Bargaining Model
Decisions result from the bargaining process among various government agencies with divergent interests.
Foreign Policy Pitfalls: Why might individual decision making diverge from the rational model? (3 ways).
1. Misperception and Selective Perception
"Everything fine, although I do see flames out the window"
"Everything fine!"
-> Garbage (Something about flames)
Information screens - filters people put info from world around them.

2. Affective Bias - cost-benefit calculations undermined by emotions felt by decision makers

3. Cognitive Bias - Systematic distortions of rational calculations based on limitations of the human brian in making choices.
Foreign Policy Pitfalls: Two specific modifications to the rational model
1. Optimizing vs. Satisficing - Instead of picking the best option, people work on the problem until they find a good enough option. (Minimal criteria).

2. Prospect theory - provides an alternative explanation of decisions made under risk or uncertainty.
Foreign Policy Pitfalls: Groupthink
Tendency for groups to reach decisions without accurately assessing their consequences.

i.e. "We all agree" "So we must be right!"
Social Theories: Constructivism
Studies the nature of norms, identity, and social interaction and how they apply to International Relations.
Social Theories: Postmodernism
Studies International Relations like- and with the use of- text. How people talk and write about IR.

i.e. "States are fictions" constructed to make sense of large populations.

i.e. Take basic international infrastructure discussed in text, and deconstruct to find the essence of international relations, consequently revealing hidden meanings (subtext).
Social Theories: Marxism
Struggle between economic classes

More powerful classes oppress and exploit the less powerful by denying a fair share of the surplus the lower class creates.

Labor = source of economic surplus

Capitalism is effective, however it will cripple under its own weight and eventually turn to socialism. Government will be overturned eventually leaving a peaceful classless society and eventually world.
Peace studies: Conflict resolution
Development and implementation of peaceful strategies for settling conflicts using alternatives to violent forms of leverage
Peace studies: Mediation
Conflict resolution by use of a third party whose role is to mediate between two conflicting parties.
Peace studies: Arbitration
Both sides agree in advance to abide by a solution devised by a mediator.
Peace studies: Positive peace
When peace resolves the underlying reasons for war
Feminism: Difference Feminism
Women have unique contributions to the world of IR.

Their nurturing aspect makes them key to affective human relations, decision-making and for conflict resolutions
Feminism: Liberal Feminism
Rejects stereotypical gender roles. Men and women are equal and under pressure act int he same fundamental manner.
Feminism: Postmodern Feminism
Believes that both Liberal and Difference feminism has valid points, but they are arbitrary and flexible.
Why does Goldstein refer to IR as "a man's world"?
Because males have certain tendencies as males which has transformed the world of IR to be more masculine based.
Feminism: Gender-gap
Polls find women about 10% lower than men on average in their support for military actions.
Hegemonic War
War to control total world order.
Total War
One state waged to conquer and occupy another
Limited War
Military actions to gain some objective just short of total war (conquer and occupy).
Raids
"Hit and run" method.

Single action wars.

i.e. Bombing run or a quick incursion by land.
Civil War
War between factions to create/prevent new government for entire state or some part of it.
Guerrilla War
Warfare without front lines. Irregular forces protected/hidden by civilian forces. Meant to harass and punish enemy to limit it's operation and ability to occupy.
Truth Commissions
Help society heal and move forward after long internal wars.

i.e. Hear honest testimony from the period, to bring light to what really happened during these wars, in exchange to offer most of the participants asylum from punishment.
Conflict
The condition against which bargaining takes place.
War on four basic levels of analysis: Individual
Use of war and other violent means of leverage in international conflicts is normal and reflects rational decisions of national leaders.

Or it could reflect a flawed misconception of international relations.

i.e. Information screens, cognitive biases, groupthink, etc.
War on four basic levels of analysis: Domestic
Draws attention to the characteristics of states or societies that may make them more or less prone to use violence in resolving conflicts.
War on four basic levels of analysis: Interstate
Explains war in terms of power relations among major actors in the international system.
War on four basic levels of analysis: Interstate: Power Transition Theory
Conflicts generate large wars at times when power is relatively equally distributed and a rising power is threatening to overtake a declining hegemon.
War on four basic levels of analysis: Global
Major warfare in the international system is cyclical.

Based on the creation and decay of world orders.

This best explains only general tendencies toward war in the international system over time.
Conflict of Ideas: Self Determination: Treaty of West-Phalia
Ended 30 yrs. War. Every ruler has the right to determine the religion of his subjects.
Conflict of Ideas: Self Determination
Implies that people who identify as a nation should have the right to form a state and exercise sovereignty over their affairs.
Nationalism
Devotion to the interests of one's own nation over the interests of other states.
Ethnic Groups
Large groups of people who share ancestral, language, cultural, or religious ties and a common identity (individuals identify with the group).
Genocide
Systematic extermination of ethnic or religious groups in whole or in part- to try to destroy scapegoated groups or political rivals.
Ethnocentrism
In-group bias, is the tendency to see one's own group in favorable terms and an out-group in unfavorable terms.
Fundamentalist movements
Organize their lives and communities around their religious beliefs willing to sacrifice/kill/die for those beliefs.
Secular Political Organizations
Created apart from religious establishments.
Islam
Religion practiced by Muslims

Basically divided between Sunni Muslims, and Shi'ite Muslims
Counterinsurgency
Warfare often includes programs to try to "win the hearts and minds" of the populations so that they stop sheltering guerrillas.
State-sponsored terrorism
Use of terrorist groups by states-usually under control of the state's intelligence agency
Weapons of Mass Destruction
Comprise three general types: nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons.
Missile Technology Control Regime
Industrialized states try to limit the flow of missile-relevant technology to states in the global South, but with limited access.
1992 Chemical Weapons Convention
Ban the production and possession of chemical weapons has been signed by all the great powers and nearly all other states with few exceptions.
1972 Biological Weapons Convention
Banning of the development, production and possession of biological weapons.
Proliferation
Spread of weapons of mass destruction
Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1968
Controlling the spread of nuclear materials and expertise.
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
Halt all nuclear test explosions.
Mercantilism
Realist-esque

Each state must protect it's own interests at the expense of others, not relying on International organizations. Emphasizes relative power.
Economic Liberalism
Belief that cooperation helps realize common gains. Building International Organizations or institutions helps mutual benefit between nations.