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POLS2401- exam #1 Flashcards

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1
Q

In simple terms, how do you define International Relations

A

IR is the study of interactions and relationships between states/organizations. It explores conflict, cooperation, economic forces, and global affairs.

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2
Q

How has the scope of IR changed over time?

A
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3
Q

Where did IR begin as an academic discipline?

A

Abersytwyth University (1919)

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4
Q

Why was IR established?

A

IR was originally created to explore the idea of how to establish peace

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5
Q

Define a nation

A

a group of people that recognize each other as belonging to the same group/identity (e.g. language,religion, ties to homeland)

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6
Q

Define a state

A

a place with established borders, sovereignty, domestic support, and recognition from other international entities (“external actors”)

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7
Q

What’s the difference a nation and a state?

A

The main difference is the right to sovereignty, which is the exclusive right to govern a territory. A state has established formal institutions backed by laws and are recognized by other political powers. Meanwhile a nation is simply a group of people that share a commonality.

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8
Q

What are some of the most important characteristics of a nation?

A

common geographical background, language, religion, cultures etc.

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9
Q

What are some of the most important characteristics of a state?

A

territory, domestic support, sovereignty

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10
Q

The Treaty that started the system of states; what is it a result of?

A

The treaty that started the system of states is called the “Treaty of Westphalia” (1648). It ended the Thirty Years’ War in the Holy Roman Empire and the Eighty Years’ War between Spain and the Dutch Republic.

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11
Q

Sovereignty – what is it?

A

exclusive right of a state to govern its territories or others territories

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12
Q

Are states legally equal as per sovereignty?

A

Yes, the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

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13
Q

“States have a monopoly of violence” – What does this mean?

A

the state is the only legitimate authority within its territory that has the right to use, authorize, and regulate the use of physical force or coercion

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14
Q

Multinational states – what are they; examples?

A

a sovereign entity that comprises two or more nations or states. Korea is a great example because there are two states: North and South Korea

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15
Q

Can a nation exist in more than one state? Explain with example.

A

not every nation has a state, and some states contain all or parts of multiple nations.

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16
Q

Why don’t we consider Antarctica to be state? What about Taiwan and Sealand?

A

Antarctica doesn’t belong to anyone. There is no single country that owns Antarctica. Instead, Antarctica is governed by a group of nations in a unique international partnership. Taiwan lacks diplomatic recognition bc of pressure from China on other nations. Sealand does not tick the boxes of the characteristics of a state it was just a family that “claimed” land at sea.

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17
Q

What is a nation-state?

A

a state where only one nation exists and that state represents that nation, which basically doesn’t exist because almost all states have multiple nations within them

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18
Q

Discuss the implications of the French Revolution on the concept of sovereignty

A

Before the revolution, sovereignty was seen as the absolute authority of kings, who ruled by hereditary right and divine sanction. However, after the revolution the idea arose that sovereignty resides in the nation or its citizens

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19
Q

How did the Revolution redefine sovereignty?

A

Linked sovereignty to nations rather than to rulers endangering the idea of “national self-determination”

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20
Q

What was the Total War?

A

is a war that incorporates the mobilization of all sectors of society, which means that no sector of society is immune from the impact of war. All sectors become part of that war making machine.

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21
Q

What was the first modern total war?

A

WWI

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22
Q

Why did the first modern total war change the perception of war?

A

It changed the perspective because it was so destructive to human lives, the economy, and natural costs

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23
Q

Which new military technologies changed the concept of war?

A

trench warfare and machine guns

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24
Q

The Great War – also known as?

A

WWI

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25
Why was the US reluctant to join WWI?
they didn't see how it was of concern to them
26
“Complex alliance system” and how it contributed to the outbreak of the Great War
It's basically if one country is allied to another, which is allied to another which means that if one of them goes to war all of them go to war
27
What were the major consequences of the Great War for international politics?
everyone was mainly concerned with how they could create peace amongst the countries so that a war did not happen again. so they started making organizations to help
28
What was the Inter-War period?
(1919-1939) the period between wwi and wwii, a very sad time in us history. there was an economic depression and famine was very widespread
29
Role of the League of Nations?
an organization that would check countries from going to war
30
Why did the League of Nations fail? (US participation and type of voting system)
lack of military, lack of support form major powers, voting structure sucked (needed a unanimous vote for everything)
31
Why was the inter-war period a suitable time for the rise of extreme political ideologies?
Everyone was struggling and looking for something/someone to follow. Tensions and emotions were extremely high
32
Germany’s attack on which country prompted the beginning of WWII? What were the two theatres of this war?
Germany attacks Poland. The two theatres of this war were: European and Pacific
33
Major outcomes of the end of WW2? (Pay attention to shift from multipolarity to bipolarity.) what does this mean?
End of colonial system in Europe. The bipolar system emerges after wwii which is basically when you have two major powers that can compete internationally for influence across the world, they are militarily the most advanced countries. these two powers become the US and the USSR
34
What prompted American involvement in WWII? How did WWII end?
The U.S. enters wwii after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the war ends after the U.S. drops two nuclear bombs on Japan
35
The Cold War – what kind of system was this period characterized by? (think of polarity)
multipolar
36
Marshall Plan
a program that provided economic assistance to Western Europe after World War II
37
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was created in 1949 by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union
38
Warsaw Pact
a military alliance between all of the communist east European countries, headed by the Soviet Union in 1955. It was designed as a response to NATO. Members were to support each other if attacked.
39
Detente
period of the easing of Cold War tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union from 1967 to 1979
40
proxy wars
an armed conflict fought between two belligerents, wherein one belligerent is a non-state actor supported by an external third-party power
41
containment
geopolitical strategic foreign policy pursued by the United States during the Cold War to prevent the spread of communism after the end of World War
42
Truman doctrine
he United States would provide political, military and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat from external or internal authoritarian forces.
43
What event came closest to prompting a war between the US and USSR?
The Cuban missile crisis
44
Why was the Cold War called as such? Was it “cold” in the periphery? Explain.
there was no direct military engagement between the United States and the Soviet Union.
45
Gorbachev’s perestroika and glasnost – what are they?
Perestroika: economic and political reforms Glasnost: more open governance and sharing of information
46
How did Gorbachev’s perestroika and glasnost contribute to the end of the Soviet Union?
These policies led to unprecedented changes and reforms in the country which resulted in the dissolution of the Soviet Union as numerous republics sought independence. The Cold War ended in conjunction with the collapse of the Soviet Union, indicating how these reforms fueled the process.
47
Brezhnev Doctrine vs. Sinatra Doctrine
the Brezhnev Doctrine emphasized Soviet control over the socialist bloc, while the Sinatra Doctrine symbolized the loosening of that control, allowing greater autonomy for Eastern European nations
48
What is theory in International Relations?
Theory tries to see patterns of behavior, patterns of interaction
49
Why is theory needed?
help us make sense of the world. So many things happening at the same time. You can help us become more organized in seeing any patterns that might happen again and again
50
What was IR’s original focus on? What changed later (broadening of IR)?
relations between states
51
Traditional vs. Critical theories (do not worry about the middle ground theories)
traditional theories focus on human nature and anarchy, meanwhile critical theories focus on mainstream approaches and oppose commonly held assumptions
52
Levels of analysis: How many are there? What do each of them focus on?
there are threee levels of analysis: individual,group,state, and system. individual focuses on just the behavior of individual leaders, group focuses on focuses on the actions of groups of individuals, state looks at the internal characteristics of countries, and system is the global lens/abstract idea that there is a system that all nations react to that we dont necessarily see.
53
What is the oldest IR theory
Realism
54
Why is Realism considered ahistorical?
it lacks historical perspective or context
55
Who are the main actors in Realism
the state
56
Why are states considered unitary and rational?
they express their national interests as one voice and will make decisions in their own self interest
57
Zero sum game
if one is gaining others are losing out
58
relative gains
relative gain is related to zero-sum game, which states that wealth cannot be expanded and the only way a state can become richer is to take wealth from another state. It differs from absolute gain
59
views on human nature (realism)
realist believe that humans are sellfish and egotistical and will only act out of self interest
60
Machiavelli – lion and fox
in politics, he argued that politicians have to be like a lion (strong),and also be as deceptive or cunning as the fox
61
dual-morality
you could have a certain set of personal morals, but when it comes to making political decisions you pick what is the best for the people and put aside your morals
62
morality of the individual vs. morality of politics
in politics everything must be done in the states interest, so if need be personal morality must be thrown out of the window
63
Waltz -- Neorealism (Structural Realism)
he says we need to focus on international structure rather than human nature to describe the behavior of countries
64
What is international politics based on? Why do states behave the way they do?
based on how big or small states are and how powerful or less powerful they are. They act on that particular system
65
What is Waltz's view on the impact of human nature on international politics?
he believes that there shouldn't be so much emphasis put on human nature, but rather on international structure in regards to international politics
66
Why is this theoretical approach criticized?
it doesn't really pay attention to changes in history and too much focus on states
67
Ways to manage security (explain with examples) Balance of power and Deterrence
Balance of power is the idea that if one country tries to become too powerful, others will balance it out by partnering with each other. Deterrence is when a state tries to stop other states from attacking it by deterring them away with something that could be costly to them such as nuclear weapons.
68
Are Realists warmongers? Why or why not?
They are not bc they oftentimes encourage countries not to go to war because it is not in their best interest
69
What movement led to the establishment of liberalism?
French Revolution
70
What is the liberalist approach towards human nature and anarchy?
believe that anarchy exists, but it can be tamed through cooperation
71
Who are the main actors in liberalism?
states
72
positive sum game
we're all gaining in international trade
73
absolute gains
basically it means if we are making less than someone else (nation), its fine we are still winning because we are still gaining; a win is a win!
74
views on human nature (liberalism)
they have a more optimistic approach to humanity and believe that humans are capable of cooperating with one another
75
views on anarchy (liberalism)
it exists, but it can be tamed through cooperation
76
How do liberalist overcome insecurity/anarchy?
through dialogue and diplomacy
77
How do liberals think that uncontrolled human desire for power can be tamed in politics/military/institutional checks
checks and balances
78
How can economic interdependence reduce the chances of going to war?
countries wont go to war with a nation that they rely on for a certain good because it would mess up their economy, so even if they have a problem they will suck it up
79
Democratic peace theory (DPT)
If you are a democratic country you do not go to war with another democratic country
80
Central argument of DPT?
Democratic states should not go to war against one another
81
Do democracies go to war with non-democracies? Why or why not?
yes, because they can tf
82
Do democracies go to war with other democracies?
no
83
What are the reasons democracies don’t go to war with each other
they share very similar values and view each other as legitimate and non-threatening
84
What are the three liberal ideas pushed by the US after WWII?
international trade, international law, and international norms
85
What happens when states break international law (despite the lack of a world government)?
It is all about saving face and making yourself look good, plus if you are the only one to break policy you are an outlier
86
Neoliberal institutionalism/neoliberalism – how do international organizations help overcome distrust between states?
they establish rules and norms that must be followed which allows for states to slowly build trust amongst each other without the fear of conflict
87
What is the main criticism of Liberalism
connection to imperalism, the use of force to spread democracy, warmongers
88
Types of power – know what they are along with examples
hard power- coerce other states to do something using miltary or economic instruments (eg. sanctions in Iran) soft power- emphasizes cooperation; luring others to your side (eg. hollywood can be a tool to influence ppl and change their way of living)
89
compare and contrast Realism and Liberalism
realist have a much harsher outlook on life and believe that humans are inheirently evil
90
Social constructivism's view on anarchy
they believe it is not absolute and it is what we make of it, they think that the anarchy that we see around us is socially constructed
91
Why are 500 British nuclear weapons less dangerous than 5 North Korean nuclear weapons?
Its all about meaning and perception of the countries; the UK is not seen as an enemy vs north korea that is seen as a threat to our govt/ppl
92
According to Constructivists, what defines our interests? (use the small state vs. big state example)
your identity defines your interests
93
What are norms in Constructivism? Can norms change with time (think of slavery and colonialism)?
yes ofc! they are not immediate and typically take a long period of time, but yes norms change
94
Differences between regulative and constitutive norms (rules); make sure to be able to provide examples
constitutive norms are broader rules and basically "the game", whereas regulative norms are the rules of the game (they regulate our behaviors)
95
What is “logic of appropriateness”?
countries are expected to behave based on their identity. for example a small state is expected to act within the limits of their power and not as if they are a big state.
96
Who are norm entrepreneurs?
norms can be created by states. they can be created by small groups of political elites. they can be created by people, groups of people that can be created by celebrities, by subject matter experts

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