Chapter 3

Question 1

Classical Realism

Answer 1

• : A form of realism that explains power politics largely in terms of human selfishness or egoism

Question 2

Neorealism

Answer 2

A perspective on international politics that modifies the power politics model by highlighting the structural constraints of the international system; sometimes called
‘new’ or structural realism.

Question 3

Republican Liberalism

Answer 3

: A form of liberalism that highlights the beneifts of republican
(rather than monarchical) government and, in particular, emphasizes the link between democracy and peace

Question 4

Liberal institutionalism

Answer 4

An approach to study that emphasizes the role of institutions (both formal and informal) in the realization of liberal principles and goals.

Question 5

Egoism

Answer 5

Concern for one’s own interest or wellbeing, or selfishness; the belief that one’s own interests are morally superior to those of others.

Question 6

State of Nature

Answer 6

A society devoid of political authority and of formal (legal) checks on the individual.

Question 7

Statecraft

Answer 7

The art of conducting public affairs, or the skills associated with it; statesmanship.

Question 8

National interest

Answer 8

Foreign policy goals, objectives or policy preferences that supposedly benefit a society as a whole (the foreign policy equivalent of the ‘public interest’).

Question 9

System theory

Answer 9

An approach to study that focuses on works of ‘systems’, explaining their operation and development in terms of reciprocal interactions amongst component
parts.

Question 10

Self-help

Answer 10

A reliance on internal or inner resources, often seen as the principal reason
states prioritize survival and security.

Question 11

Security dilemma

Answer 11

The dilemma that arises from the fact that a build-up of military
capacity for defensive reasons by one state is always liable to be interpreted as aggressive by other states.

Question 12

Relative gains

Answer 12

The position of states in relation to one another, reflected in the distribution of benefits and capabilities between and amongst them.

Question 13

Polarity

Answer 13

The existence within a system of one or more significant actors, or ‘poles’, which affect the behaviour of other actors and shape the contour of the system itself, determining its structural dynamics.

Question 14

Offensive realism

Answer 14

A form of structural realism that portrays states as ‘power maximizers’, as there is no limit to their desire to control the international environment.

Question 15

Defensive Realism

Answer 15

A form of structural realism that views states as ‘security maximizers’, placing the desire to avoid attack above a bid for world power.

Question 16

Neoliberal internationalism

Answer 16

A perspective on international politics that remodelled
liberalism in the light of the challenge of realism, particularly neorealism; it emphasizes the scope for cooperative behaviour within the international system while not denying its anarchic character.

Question 17

Democratilization

Answer 17

The transition from authoritarianism to liberal democracy, reflected in the granting of basic freedoms and political rights, the establishment of competitive
elections and the introduction of market reforms.

Question 18

Commercial liberalism

Answer 18

A form of liberalism that emphasizes the economic and

international benefits of free trade, leading to mutual benefit and general prosperity as well as peace amongst states.

Question 19

Free trade

Answer 19

A system of trading between states that is unrestricted by tariffs or other forms of protectionism.

Question 20

High politics

Answer 20

Issue areas that are seen not to involve a state’s vital national interests, whether in the foreign or the domestic sphere.

Question 21

Democratic Peace Thesis (or Theory):

Answer 21

The notion that there is a n intrinsic link between peace and democracy, in particular that democratic states do not go to war with one
another.

Question 22

Rule or law

Answer 22

The principle that law should ‘rule’ in the sense that it establishes a
framework within which all conduct and behaviour takes place.

Question 23

Absolute gains

Answer 23

Benefits that accrue to states from a policy or action regardless of their
impact on other states.

Question 24

Post-positivism

Answer 24

An approach to knowledge that questions the idea of an ‘objective’
reality, emphasizing instead the extent to which people conceive, or ‘construct’; the world in which they live.

Question 25

Neo-marxism

Answer 25

An updated and revived form of Marxism that rejects determinism, the primacy of economics and the privileged status of the proletariat.

Question 26

Unevendevelopment

Answer 26

The tendency within a capitalist economy for industries, economic sectors and countries to develop at very different rates due to the pressures generated by the quest for profit, competition and economic exploitation

Question 27

Dependency theory

Answer 27

A neo-Marxist theory that highlights structural imbalances within international capitalism that impose dependency and underdevelopment on poorer states and regions.

Question 28

Hegemony

Answer 28

The ascendancy or domination of one element of a system over others; for Marxists, hegemony implies ideological domination.

Question 29

Theoretical reflexivity

Answer 29

An awareness of the impact of the values and presuppositions that a theorist brings to analysis, as well as an understanding of the historical dynamics that have helped to fashion them.

Question 30

Discourse

Answer 30

Human interaction, especially communication; discourse may disclose or illustrate power relations.

Question 31

Deconstruction

Answer 31

A close reading of philosophical or other texts with an eye to their various blindspots and/or contradictions.

Question 32

Gender

Answer 32

A social and cultural distinction between males and females, usually based on stereotypes of 'masculinity' and 'femininity'.

Question 33

Deep ecology

Answer 33

A green ideological perspective that rejects anthropocentrism and gives priority to the maintenance of nature; it is associated with values such as bio-equality, diversity and decentralization.

Question 34

Holism

Answer 34

The belief that the whole is more than a collection of parts; holism implies that understanding is gained by recognizing the relationships amongst the parts.

Question 35

Ecocentrism

Answer 35

A theoretical orientation that gives priority to the maintenance of ecological balance rather than the achievement of human ends

Question 36

Distant proximity

Answer 36

A phenomenon, rooted in complexity, in which what seems to be remote also seems to be close-at-hand.

Question 37

Cultural relativism

Answer 37

The view that matters of right or wrong are entirely culturally determined, usually implying that it is impossible to say that one culture is better or worse than another.

Question 38

Communitarianism

Answer 38

The belief that the self or person is constituted through the community, in the sense that individuals are shaped by the communities to which they belong and thus owe them a debt or respect and consideration.