Midterm 3 Flashcards
(105 cards)
state
a distinctive political community with its own set of rules and practices, more or less separate from other such communities
IR definition of state
the modern sovereign state, which possesses a “legal personality” and is recognized as possessing certain rights and duties
intervention
in IR, usually refers to direct intervention by one or more states in the internal affairs of another, by either military or nonmilitary means
nation
a named community, often referred to as “a people”, usually occupying a homeland and sharing one or more cultural elements, such as a common history, language, religion or set of customs. Nations may or may not have states of their own
empire
a system in which one country to centre of power directly or indirectly dominates and controls other weaker countries
statecraft
the skilful conduct of state affairs, usually in the context of external relations
arthashastra
sets out the ways and means of acquiring territory, keeping it and reaping prosperity from it
imperialism
the exercise of power by one group over another; from a latin verb meaning literally “to command”. Imperialism is sometimes used as a synonym for colonialism, but is broader because it doesn’t necessarily involve actual physical occupation of the territory in question or direct rule over the subjugated people
interdependence
can largely be traced to the global reach of the modern european empires and the networks and movements of people, technology and financial and economic systems
interdependence
in IR, the primarily liberal notion that states are increasingly interconnected through a web of relations, especially in the economic field, and that this makes warfare less desirable as a foreign policy strategy. The concept of complex interdependence simply introduces more variables, deepening the complexity of interdependence and strengthening the case for a more pluralistic approach to international relations than neorealist thought allows for
modernity
a temporal and cultural phenomenon linked in part to the rise of industrialization in Europe and NA and in part to profound changes in social and political thought associated with the intellectual movement the Enlightenment
human intervention
direct intervention by one country, or a group of countries, in the internal affairs of another country for humanitarian reasons
anarchy
the absence of political rule or sovereign authority. In realist and neorealist international relations theory, the international sphere is considered anarchic because there is no sovereign authority standing above the individual states to make up the sphere. States therefore have no choice but do defend themselves
the Concert of Europe
a largely informal agreement among the major powers of nineteenth-century Europe to act together on matters of mutual concern. It developed following the Congress of Vienna after the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte ad generally took the form of diplomatic meetings and conferences aimed at the peaceful resolution of differences
nation-building
the process in which a state is created and then its leaders attempt to mould it’s sometimes quite diverse groups of inhabitants into a coherent, “functional” nation
weak states
states that lack the capacity to organize and regulate their societies and cannot deliver an adequate range of political, social and economic goods to their citizens
quasi-states
overlap with a weak state. Robert Jackson uses it to refer specifically to the developing states that are dependent on the support of the international community and therefore possess what he calls “negative sovereignty”
state failure
a state is weak and reaches a point where factors such as corruption, incompetence, unfair distribution of resources, human rights abuses, favouritism on the basis of ethnicity, and the direct involvement of the military in politics feed into social unrest, persistente violence, economic breakdown and political turmoil
regionalization
a process in which a number of states in a given geographical area come together for mutual benefit, often forming a regional association, some like the EU are highly institutionalized and have myriad economic, social and political interconnections while others have minimal rules and less ambitious purposes
self-determination
the principle (embodying elements of both democracy and nationalism) that “peoples” (nations) have the right to determine their own political future
global governance
an extension of the concept of governance, referring loosely to the “Architecture” constituted by various authoritative political, social and economic structures and actors that interconnect and interact in the absence of actual “government” in the global sphere
idealism
the term has invited numerous interpretations in philosophy, politics and IR. In IR it is usually taken to refer to a particular school of liberal thought that emerged in the wake of WWI and sought positive change in world affairs, including the elimination of warfare. It remains an appropriate designation for any school of thought in IR that envisions a world order in which peace and justice are the norm
internationalism
the belief in the benefits of international political and economic cooperation; may also refer to a movement that advocates practical action in support of cooperation
realism
a school of thought in the human sciences, especially philosophy, sociology, politics and IR. IN the latter, it refers to a general approach that takes concepts such as power politics and national interest to be the foundations of action; realists oppose what they see as the idealism of liberal and critical theories
