IR Exam 2 Flashcards
(42 cards)
1
Q
Drones
A
- Another term for unmanned aerial vehicles; these small flying vehicles, which can be armed or unarmed, are increasingly used in combat and reconnaissance operations
- No laws that govern them
2
Q
Tactical Nuclear Weapons
A
- Low-yield devices with about a third of the explosive power of the atomic bomb used in Hiroshima; designed for battlefield use; can take the form of artillery shells, bombs, or short-range missiles
3
Q
North Korea/ Kim Jong-Un
A
- An authoritarian state led by Kim Jong-Un since 2011, known for its pursuit of nuclear weapons, military-first policies, and isolationist stance; often in conflict with the U.S. and allies but occasionally engages in diplomacy, highlighting the complex balance of conflict and cooperation in global politics.
4
Q
Mercantilism
A
- an economic policy that combines business and
government. The government uses its power to enhance private business,
and private business provides revenues to the government to maintain
and enhance its power
5
Q
Protectionism
A
- protecting a state’s economy from foreign competition
6
Q
Tariffs
A
a tax levied on imported goods and services
7
Q
Non-tariff Barriers
A
- Restrictions on trade that do not involve tariffs, such as quotas, import licenses, subsidies, or strict regulations and standards; often used to protect domestic industries and can lead to international trade disputes, affecting cooperation between states.
Ex: Quotas, Subsidies
8
Q
Quotas
A
- limit the amount of a particular good that can be imported within a given time period
9
Q
Subsides
A
- providing money or other valuable assets designed to lower the cost of production or to shield a product from global competition
10
Q
Comparative Advantage
A
- countries should
produce the goods and services that they can produce most efficiently in comparison to other goods and services. Focus on what you are good at – trade for the rest!
11
Q
General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT)
A
- A 1947 international treaty aimed at reducing trade barriers like tariffs and promoting free trade. It later led to the creation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1995.
12
Q
World Trade Organization (WTO)
A
- established in 1995 to replace GATT
– currently 164 members
- An international organization that regulates global trade by enforcing trade agreements, resolving disputes, and promoting free trade; aims to reduce conflict and encourage cooperation among member states through rules-based economic interaction.
13
Q
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
A
- provides financial assistance to countries facing deep and persistent balance-of-payments difficulties
(when the net flow of money out of the country is much greater than inflow)
14
Q
World Bank
A
- focuses mainly on lending money to countries for long-
term economic development projects
Ex: Dams, road construction, poverty reduction initiatives
15
Q
Foreign Direct Investment
A
- the acquisition by residents
of one country of control over a new or existing
business in another country
16
Q
KOF Index of Globalization
A
- measures the
economic, social and political dimensions of
globalization.
Ex: Top 5 Most Globalized Countries: Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium,
United Kingdom, and Germany.
17
Q
United Nations (UN)
A
- An international organization founded in 1945 to promote peace, security, human rights, and development. It provides a global platform for diplomacy and cooperation among 190+ member states.
18
Q
Security Council
A
- The UN body responsible for maintaining international peace and security. It has 15 members—5 permanent (U.S., U.K., France, Russia, China) with veto power, and 10 rotating members elected for 2-year terms.
19
Q
General Assembly
A
- The main deliberative body of the UN where all 193 member states have equal voting power. It discusses global issues, passes non-binding resolutions, and approves the UN budget.
20
Q
International Court of
Justice (ICJ)
A
The UN’s main judicial body that settles legal disputes between states and gives advisory opinions on international legal issues. Located in The Hague, its rulings are binding but rely on state compliance.
21
Q
Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)
A
- A Cold War-era doctrine where two opposing states possess enough nuclear weapons to destroy each other, deterring both from launching a first strike due to guaranteed catastrophic retaliation—promoting stability through fear of total annihilation.
22
Q
P-5
A
- The five permanent members of the UN Security Council—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—who hold veto power and play a dominant role in maintaining international peace and security, reflecting post-WWII power dynamics.
23
Q
What are some examples of protectionist trade policies? What are some benefits to free trade? Why are some opposed to free trade?
A
- Protectionist Policies: Tariffs, import quotas, subsidies to domestic industries, and import bans.
- Benefits of Free Trade: Lower prices, more choices for consumers, access to foreign markets, and increased economic efficiency.
- Opposition to Free Trade: Fears of job losses, harm to local industries, wage suppression, and poor labor/environmental standards abroad.
24
Q
Which countries have nuclear weapons? What is the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)?
A
- Countries with Nuclear Weapons: U.S., Russia, China, U.K., France (recognized by NPT); plus India, Pakistan, North - Korea (not in NPT), and Israel (undeclared).
- NPT: A 1970 treaty aiming to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, promote peaceful nuclear energy, and work toward disarmament.
25
What are sources of international law – which is the most important? What are the limits or
weaknesses to international law?
- Sources: Treaties (most important), customary international law, general principles, judicial decisions, and legal scholarship.
- Limits/Weaknesses: No global enforcement body, reliance on state consent, inconsistent compliance, and political influence.
26
Why do states comply with international law most of the time?
- Reputation, reciprocity, long-term interests, and desire for order and predictability in global relations.
27
What are the advantages and disadvantages of globalization? How has the world become more globalized? What countries tend to be the ‘most’ globalized?
- Advantages: Economic growth, cultural exchange, access to goods/ideas.
- Disadvantages: Job loss, inequality, cultural erosion, environmental harm.
- How? Through trade, tech, migration, and global institutions.
- Most globalized: Small, open economies like Singapore, Switzerland, Netherlands.
28
What is the purpose of the United Nations? Defend the UN. What are the six organs of the UN?
- Purpose: Maintain peace, promote human rights, aid development, and uphold international law.
- Defense: Offers global platform, peacekeeping, humanitarian aid, coordination on global issues.
- Six Organs: General Assembly, Security Council, Economic & Social Council, International Court of Justice, Secretariat, Trusteeship Council.
29
What are some general criticisms of the United Nations?
- Slow decision-making, unequal power in the Security Council, limited enforcement, and bureaucracy.
30
How is the European Union ‘different’ from other international organizations? How would a realist view the EU? A liberal?
- Different: The EU has supranational powers—member states share laws, a single market, and a common currency (Euro).
- Realist view: The EU is fragile and driven by national interests; cooperation lasts only when it benefits powerful states.
- Liberal view: The EU shows how institutions and interdependence can promote peace, stability, and long-term cooperation.
31
What are human rights? What is the difference between negative vs. positive rights? Why has the international community begun to pay more attention to human rights?
- Human rights: Basic rights inherent to all people (e.g., life, liberty, dignity).
- Negative rights: Freedom from interference (e.g., free speech).
- Positive rights: Rights to something (e.g., education, healthcare).
- Attention: Due to globalization, media, activism, and historical atrocities.
32
What are some obstacles that stand in the way of upholding human rights?
- Sovereignty, lack of enforcement, political interests, cultural differences, and weak institutions.
33
Why is it hard to enforce human rights violations in the international political system? What are some institutions that have been created to address human rights abuses?
- Hard to enforce: No global police, states resist interference, selective enforcement.
- Institutions: International Criminal Court (ICC), UN Human Rights Council, NGOs like Amnesty International.
34
What’s up with Trump and tariffs (class discussion)?
Trump used tariffs (esp. on China) to protect U.S. industries and pressure trade partners. Critics say it hurt consumers and sparked trade wars; supporters say it defended U.S. jobs and leverage.
35
Economic Liberalism
- A theory that supports free markets, open trade, and minimal government interference—arguing that economic interdependence leads to peace and cooperation among states.
36
“cherry-picking”
When a state selectively follows international rules or agreements—accepting the parts that benefit them while ignoring the rest.
37
Deterrence
A strategy to prevent an adversary from taking unwanted action by threatening serious consequences, like military retaliation or economic sanctions.
38
What is NAFTA/USMCA?
- NAFTA (1994): A trade agreement between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to eliminate most tariffs and boost trade.
- USMCA (2020): The updated version of NAFTA with new rules on labor, environmental standards, and digital trade.
39
Supranational
An organization or authority above individual states, where member countries give up some sovereignty to make collective decisions—like the European Union.
40
Japan and whaling
- Japan has faced criticism for continuing whaling despite a global ban by the International Whaling Commission (IWC). It withdrew from the IWC in 2019 and resumed commercial whaling, citing cultural tradition and food practices.
41
How did “Dr.Strangelove” highlight the arms race and the deterrence strategy of MAD?
- The film satirizes the Cold War arms race and Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) by showing how one mistake could trigger global nuclear war—highlighting the absurdity and danger of relying on massive retaliation to prevent conflict.
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