Exam 1 Flashcards
(64 cards)
What is International Relations
Study of interactions among the various actors that participate in international politics
Four foundational questions of international relations
How can human nature be characterized
What is the relationship between the individual and society?
What are the characteristics and role of the state?
How is the international system organized?
What best summarizes the main point of realism?
States act in their national interest
What is the name we give to the type of inquiry that believes that individuals, both alone and in groups, act in patterned ways?
behavioral
What approach to studying international relations is most likely to focus on “the other?”
alternative approaches
Examines individual or multiple cases
History
Develops rationales from core texts and analytical thinking
Philosophy
Finds patterns in human behavior and state behavior using empirical methods, grounded in scientific method
Behavioralism
Uses several methodologies; deconstructs major concepts and uses discourse analysis to build thick description; finds voices of “others”
Alternatives
What was the treaty of Westphalia?
ended the thirty years’ war; marked the end of rule by religious authority in Europe and the emergence of secular authorities
3 major impacts of treaty of Westphalia on international relations
- Concept and practice of sovereignty develops
- Centralized control of institutions to facilitate the creation and maintenance of military; military power grows
- Capitalistic economic system emerges (stable expectations facilitate long-term investment)
International relations scholars trace the origin of the modern state system to:
Treaty of Westphalia
What summarizes Adam Smith’s contribution to economic theory in the 1700s?
Smith was one of the first proponents of free markets and capitalism
What is Sovereignty?
Authority of a state to govern itself, recognized by other states and nonstate actors
What is Imperialism
The annexation of distant territory (most often by force) and its inhabitants to an empire
What is Colonialism
The settling of people from a home country among indigenous peoples of a distant territory
Ex: civilians of Spain -> Mexico
What is Nationalism?
people come to identify with a common past, language, customs, or territory
Key developments in 19th century Europe
- Revolutions-> legitimate rule requires consent of governed, and nationalism
- System managed by balance of power brings peace to Europe. Elites are united in fear of masses, and domestic concerns are more important than foreign policy
- European imperialism in Asia and Africa helps maintain European balance of power
- Balance of power breaks down due to imperial Germany’s too-rapid growth and the increasing rigidity of alliances, resulting in WW1
Key Developments of Interwar Years
- 3 empires collapse: Russian revolution; Austro-Hungarian dismemberments; Ottoman Empire by external wars and internal turmoil. -> Resurgance of nationalism
- German dissatisfaction with Treaty of Versailles (WW1) leads to fascism and allies with Italy and Japan
- Weak League of Nations unable to respond to JIG aggression nor reverse economic depression
Cold War Key Developments
- 2 Superpowers: US and USSR; divided by national interests, ideologies, and mutual misperceptions (geographic)
- Berlin Blockade(1948-49); Korean War(1950–53); Cuban missile crisis(1962); Vietnam War (1965-73); and Soviet military intervention in afghan (1979-89)
- Long peace between superpower rivals is sustained by mutual deterrence
The French people share a common geography, history, and language and thus are considered a:
Nation
What is true about industrialization and political power in Europe in the 1800s?
Industrialization favored the middle classes at the expense of aristocrats
The third Reich was another name for:
Nazi Germany
When did the vast majority of colonial lands gain independence?
during the Cold War
