Unit 3: Approaches To Global Politics

Question 1

Why do realists believe that war is an, ‘unbanishable aspect of international politics ‘?

Answer 1

Realism - belief in ‘power politics’ - egoism + anarchy = power politics

Realist thesis derives from human nature - humans are egotistical, pessimistic, self-seeking, power-seeking creatures

Highest body in the international system is the state - state of anarchy

Security Dilemma - weapons are ‘inherently ambiguous symbols’

Question 2

Why do liberals believe that there is harmony and balance in international politics?

Answer 2

International Organisations

Mutual reliance and interdependence

Democratic Peace Thesis

Question 3

How significant is globalisation?

Answer 3

Significant -

Hyper globalists (liberals) argue that we live in the border less world and the ‘post sovereign state’ has been born

Rise in number of non-state actors. Some non-state actors are now more significant than many states. E.g. NGOs, terrorist groups, religions

Intensifies globalisation and the shifts in power from national to the transnational

Insignificant -

‘Globalisation Sceptics’ realist argument - myth that sovereignty has been abandoned

Trend towards global governance proves arena fro states to achieve their goals

Question 4

Key features of the anti-globalisation movement:

Answer 4

Belief in localism as an antidote to globalisation - ideological conviction that localisation is infinitely preferable to globalisation

Attacking multilateral financial institutions - movements issue is to expose the errors of global trade agreements

Diverse movement of protestors - demonstrations routinely vandalised commercial outlets fronting corporations such as Nike - protests designed to show world transformed into ‘American monoculture’

Question 5

Arguments globalisation is a force for good:

Answer 5

Surest way of reducing poverty and narrowing inequality - globalisation positive as mutual benefits flow from engaging in the global economy

China is the most spectacular example of how an NIC can make globalisation work for its benefit, but states such as India, Brazil, Mexico, Malaysia and the East Asian ‘Tigers’ have adopted similar strategies

Transnational problems require transnational solutions - global interdependence makes it imperative for states to renounce competition because they increasingly have a shared interest in cooperation and fewer incentives to fight

Globalisation is creating a strong web of constraints on the foreign policy behaviour of those who are plugged into the network of global transactions

Shared problems can only be managed through collective, multilateral cooperation - linked to the ‘democratic peace theory’

Question 6

Arguments globalisation is a bad force:

Answer 6

Globalisation may not lead to greater transnational cooperation, but instead to cut-throat competition over resources

Globalisation empowers advantaged states but constrains the prospects of weak states - producing new inequalities as gap between wealthy and poor widens

Because benefits of globalisation will not be distributed equally, globalisation will likely generate conflict between winners and losers - temptation to seek isolation from the assault of globalisation on national autonomy by creating barriers to trade and other transactions may be irresistible

Globalisation game of winners and losers

Between-country inequalities are exacerbated by the tendencies implicit in the global trading system and particularly the principle of free trade

Advance of globalisation has been associated with growing rural poverty and widening of rural-urban disparities

Globalisation has fostered within-country inequality

Question 7

Arguments globalisation has undermined state sovereignty:

Answer 7

States are subject to the intergovernmental organisations that police the rules of regional and global trade

Globalisation has also made private firms and traders very powerful in relation to states

Globalised communications system weakens the states ability to keep out material it considers undesirable

Other developments, which weaken the power of states to protect their citizens, can be linked to globalisation

Question 8

Arguments globalisation has not undermined state sovereignty:

Answer 8

States still retain considerable power, which they seek to protect - sovereignty therefore remains an important concept

Whole operation of the global economy depends on agreements which states have entered into voluntarily

States retain much of their sovereign power

States seek to contain some of the globalising forces, for example by seeking to restrict access to sources of information they consider to be undesirable

Question 9

Globalisation is the same thing as ‘Americanisation’ as:

Answer 9

Globalisation is homogenisation and creating a world in America’s image

Globalisation amounts to American Cultural Imperialism

Globalisation means Global liberalisation and the dominance of the USA in global financial organisations

Question 10

Globalisation is not the same thing as ‘Americanisation’

Answer 10

It works both ways and globalisation is hybridisation

Globalisation has actually resulted in the rebirth of the local

Globalisation has actually resulted in polarisation not homogenisation (and in some cases this equates to an anti-Americanism)

Question 11

Key features of the anti-globalisation movement:

Answer 11

A belief in localism as an antidote to globalisation

Attacking multilateral financial institutions

A diverse movement of protestors

Question 12

Arguments globalisation is significant:

Answer 12

Hyper globalists (liberals) argue that we live in the border less world and the ‘post sovereign state’ has been born

Rise in number of non-state actors. Some non-state actors are now more significant than many states. E.g. NGOs, terrorist groups, religions

Intensifies globalisation and the shifts in power from national to the transnational

Question 13

Arguments globalisation is not significant:

Answer 13

‘Globalisation Sceptics’ realist argument - myth that sovereignty has been abandoned

Trend towards global governance proves arena fro states to achieve their goals

Question 14

Define a nation-state:

Answer 14

Political community bound together by the bonds of citizenship and nationality, meaning political + cultural identity coincide

Question 15

What is a ‘failed state’ and give an example?

Answer 15

Failed State is a state where there is no government + lacks internal sovereignty

For example, Congo

Question 16

Two criteria for a state to be sovereign:

Answer 16

Internal Sovereignty

External Sovereignty

Question 17

Define Globalisation:

Answer 17

Growing interconnectedness of the world

Question 18

Define ‘Cultural Imperialism’:

Answer 18

Spread of one culture across the world

Question 19

What is glocalisation?

Answer 19

Appearance of being a local business when in fact are part of a multi-national co-operation

Question 20

What is ‘Americanisation’:

Answer 20

The idea that the American culture dominates the world

Question 21

What is an IGO and give an example?

Answer 21

Inter-governmental organisation

Example is G20

Question 22

What is an SGO and give an example?

Answer 22

Supra-national governmental organisation

Example is EU

Question 23

Example of social/cultural globalisation:

Answer 23

Food

Question 24

Example of political globalisation:

Answer 24

Spread of democracy

Question 25

Example of economic globalisation:

Answer 25

Lack of trade barriers e.g. NAFTA

Question 26

Transnational Corporations Characteristics:

Answer 26

Usually operate in more than one country + have no clear home or national base - therefore produce + market in a genuinely international sense

Seek competitive advantage + maximisation of profits by constantly searching for the cheapest + most efficient production locations

Have geographical flexibility in that they can easily shift resources + operations across the world

Question 27

Examples of Non-state actors:

Answer 27

TNCs

NGOs

Terrorist groups

Social movements

Religious Movements

Nationalist Movements

Question 28

What is a TNCs:

Answer 28

Transnational Corporations (TNCs)

Question 29

What is an NGO:

Answer 29

Non-Governmental organisations (NGOs)

Question 30

Arguments state sovereignty has been eroded by globalisation:

Answer 30

Permeable borders - Freedom of movement e.g EU has the Schengen Agreement

Rise of NSAs - Increase in powers for IGOs, charities e.g. Rise of ISIS across the world

Collective Dilemmas - Transnational problems require transnational solutions

Question 31

Arguments state sovereignty has not been eroded by globalisation:

Answer 31

States remain dominant - states still have power to cut themselves off from globalisation e.g. North Korea - cant access World News

Pooled Sovereignty - Shared sovereignty enhances Sovereignty and globalisation e.g. Germany used the EU to enhance its own sovereignty

Enduring attraction of nation state - People consider themselves as part of a nation e.g. Brexit = Britain left the EU due to National interests

Question 32

Define state:

Answer 32

Political association that establishes sovereign jurisdiction within defined territorial borders

Question 33

Define Sovereignty:

Answer 33

Principle of absolute and unlimited power

Question 34

Liberals arguments on the extent to which state sovereignty has been eroded by globalisation:

Answer 34

Argues that globalisation has increased and ultimately has become more powerful than states

Suppressed the power of states and now NSAs have more power - they have replaced states

Question 35

Realists arguments on the extent to which state sovereignty has been eroded by globalisation:

Answer 35

State is still the most important - impacts of globalisation on its economic, cultural + political forms has always been exaggerated: states remain the decisive political actors

If a state is involved in a NSA they are only interested in enhancing their own position

Question 36

Define ‘Collectivised State’:

Answer 36

State that seeks to abolish private enterprises + sets up a centrally planned or ‘command economy’

Question 37

Define ‘Capital Flight’:

Answer 37

Occurs when money rapidly flows out of a country due to an event of economic consequence

Question 38

Define ‘Pooled Sovereignty’:

Answer 38

Combined sovereignty of two or more states ‘pooling’ sovereignty implies gaining access to greater power + influence than state sovereignty

Question 39

Define ‘Westphalian State’:

Answer 39

States enjoy sovereign jurisdiction, in the sense that they have independent control over what happens within their territory + relations between + among states are structured by the acceptance of the sovereign independence off all states

Question 40

Define Nationalist Movements:

Answer 40

Shared group feeling in the significance of a shared geographical or demographic region

Expands globally due to cheaper aviation flights and technology

E.g. Texas Independence

Question 41

Define Religious Movements:

Answer 41

A movement intended to bring about religious reform with shared beliefs

Use social media to spread their message

e.g. Westborough Baptist Church and ISIS

Question 42

Define NGOs:

Answer 42

Any non-profit voluntary citizen group that has not been established by the government

e.g. CAFOD, OXFAM

Question 43

Define Terrorist Groups:

Answer 43

Group of people who commit calculated acts on populations through acts of terror

NSAs as their ideologies spread across the world

e.g. ISIS, IRA

Question 44

Transnational Corporations:

Answer 44

Company based in one country that have an effect around the world

Use knowledge to expand + spread democracy

e.g. MacDonald’s. Coca Cola

Question 45

Define ‘Monoculture’:

Answer 45

Practice of actively preserving a national culture via the exclusion of external influences

Question 46

Arguments Globalisation is producing a global monoculture:

Answer 46

Globalisation as homogenisation - weakens the state

Americanisation - e.g. Starbucks = global brand

Cultural Imperialism - growth of huge media corporations, spanning the globe

Question 47

Arguments Globalisation is not producing a global monoculture:

Answer 47

Cultural Globalisation is hybridisation and leads to a cultural backlash - home grown terrorism

Globalisation adapts to local traditions - Japan, China, SK + NK are examples of monoculturalism

Cultural globalisation not been met without resistance seen in form of polarisation - ‘Clash of Civilisations’