YR 2 - Global Politics: lib vs real Flashcards
(44 cards)
name 3 aspects of (general) realism
- sovereign states as the primary actor of geopolitics
- the balance of power
- international anarchy
- the inevitability of war
- the security dilemma
how can we define sovereignty
the authority of a state to govern itself
what is the Westphalian system?
- every state is sovereign over its designated territory
- all states are legally equal
- establishes the notion of non-intervention
what is the notion of non-intervention
‘nothing should authorise intervention in matters essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state’
What are the 2 types of realism in global politics?
classical realism + neorealism
what philosopher inspires classical realists about the nature of states?
Thomas Hobbes - said that human nature is selfish and a involves a ceaseless desire for power. Realists apply this to states, made up of humans. States are all similar in their hunger for power.
what do classical realists like to ignore in geopolitics regarding states?
the morality, religious beliefs, motives or ideological preferences of states / individual political leaders
What is the billiard ball model of politics? (snooker balls)
The (prominent) states are protected by their hard outer shell of sovereignty, hard to break these states
neorealists have a _________ explanation of geopolitics
STRUCTURAL EXPLANATION
What do neorealists believe is the main aim of all states
survival / security
neorealists believe that international anarchy proposes what kind of system for states?
a self - help system
what different capabilities can countries / states have that contribute to their measure of power?
- military
- economic
- large population?
- geographical: land, natural resources
what are the 2 reasons as to why the anarchic international system limits long term cooperation between states?
-insecurity
-fear of unequal gains
what is meant by the principle of the inevitability of war?
-the THREAT of war is always present
-it doesn’t mean that global politics is always a world of constant war
what different explanations do realists and neorealists give for the inevitability of war?
realists - it is due to human nature (hunger for power)
neorealists - the structure of the self-help system
what is meant by the security dilemma?
a situation in which the military preparations of one state creates an unresolvable uncertainty in the mind of another. Security dilemma contributes to a spiral of insecurity
what are the 2 possible responses a country can take to gain safety + security when they are under threat according to neorealists
balancing - an equilibrium of power between rival states
band wagoning - where states get behind a more powerful state
NAME the 3 main possibilities of worlds (__polar) ?
-unipolarity
-bipolarity
-multipolarity
what is meant by a ‘global hegemon’ ?
a globally dominant state
explain unipolarity / a unipolar world
there is a global hegemon who can produce peace + stability as it is secure so doesn’t need to start war to gain more power. The lesser powers cannot challenge the global hegemon, so they relax and accept the situation
give an example of a period of time which was arguably a unipolar world.
1990 - 2001. USA became the global hegemon after the USSR collapsed in 1990. (2001 = 9/11)
explain bipolarity / a bipolar world
-there is 2 superpowers competing, which makes 1 security dilemma.
-this structure is likely to create a balance of power.
-there is less chance of miscalculation and less opportunity for war than a multipolar system.
give an example of a period of time which was arguably a bipolar world.
1945 - 1990: the cold war. USA vs USSR
explain multipolarity / a multipolar world
-where there are 3 or more great powers and there is no potential hegemon with a power advantage.
-more security dilemmas, likely to escalate. less peaceful than bipolarity
