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IB Global Politics > CHAPTER 1: POWER, SOVEREIGNITY AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS > Flashcards

CHAPTER 1: POWER, SOVEREIGNITY AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS Flashcards

1
Q

Power

A
  1. power is the ability to influence other groups in politics and achieve outcomes
  2. States may be powerful in different ways: economically but not militarily and vice versa
  3. There is no universal definition of power
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2
Q

Hard Power

A
  1. Hard power: achieving aims through force (military force, sanctions)
  2. the largest armies, the
    most advanced weapons (including nuclear weapons) and the technology
  3. Proposed by Joseph Nye
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3
Q

Soft Power

A
  1. achieving aims through persuasion or influence (outreach, cultural ties)
  2. may take years to create
  3. Reliant on states’ credibility and international reputation
  4. Proposed by Joseph Nye
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4
Q

Smart Power

A
  1. Proposed by Joseph Nye
  2. achieving aims through force, persuasion and influence (payment, trade/aid)
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5
Q

Military Power Less Useful and Significant

A
  1. Unsuccessful in major conflicts since 2001
  2. Does not work against contemporary non-state actors or armed opposition groups
  3. Inter-state war is decreasing
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6
Q

Military Power Still Useful and Significant

A
  1. check the advance of non-state groups who threaten state sovereignty
  2. Intra-state war is increasing (civil wars)
  3. Inter-state Conflict is not nonexistent. Conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Hamas demonstrates a continuing threat
  4. still useful to protect civilians
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7
Q

Military Power and Soft Power(with examples)

A
  1. Military power is not just used to force other groups into action and is frequently used for humanitarian objectives to prevent human suffering
  2. 2014 – US, France and UK sent troops to Liberia to tackle the Ebola crisis
  3. 2009 – troops were sent to Haiti to deal with the earthquake
  4. 2005 – sent troops to South Asia to help deal with the tsunami
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8
Q

Economic Power

A
  1. Several ways e.g. Gross domestic product, GDP per person, Economic growth percentage
  2. Unlikely that a state will be a significant military power if not also an economic power
  3. States can use economic power as a form of hard power (imposing sanctions)
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9
Q

Structural Power(with examples)

A
  1. When states influence the political ideas, structure and framework of global politics itself
  2. States may wish to push others towards a more democratic, capitalist, free market model
  3. Ideological struggle between capitalist and communist demonstrates this
  4. Dominance of capitalist was largely achieved through hard power and economic success
  5. Examples: the Arab Uprisings, removal of authoritarian regimes
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10
Q

Relational Power

A
  1. When a state has a relationship with another state and uses this relationship to influence the
    other state to change its behaviour
  2. May use military, economic, hard, soft smart power to achieve its aims
  3. Must know the other state’s strength and weaknesses
  4. The three types of relational power: Threats and rewards. Controlling the agenda, Establishing preferences
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11
Q

Social and Cultural Power

A
  1. Globalization has made it possible for countries to export cultural resources
  2. Global brands are universally known but it’s Difficult to know whether brand popularity has any soft power benefit on countries
  3. Cultural power connects diverse populations around the world at a human level
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12
Q

Cyber Power

A
  1. Internet has empowered new groups both at a state and individual level
  2. Nation states invest in cyber security and accuse each other of launching cyber-attacks on others
  3. Private individuals have also launched cyber-attacks against governments and MNCs whereas Others have launched legitimate campaigns challenging state power
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13
Q

Gross Domestic Product

A
  1. measures the size of domestic output
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14
Q

GDP per person

A
  1. measures the size of the economy as a proportion of the total population
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15
Q

Economic Growth Percentage

A
  1. measures the annual or quarterly percentage by which a state’s economy has grown (or decreased)
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16
Q

Relational Power - Controlling the Agenda

A
  1. limiting the choices of the other state to reach the goal
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17
Q

Relational Power - Threats and Rewards

A
  1. likely to encourage the state to reach the desired goal
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18
Q

Relational Power - Establishing preferences

A
  1. getting the other state to want the same goals as your state
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19
Q

Cyber Power Examples

A
  1. Powerful blogs can be seeing during the Arab Uprisings in 2011
  2. WikiLeaks: leaked large volumes of secret United States government diplomatic information
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20
Q

Measuring Power as Resources

A
  1. by calculating the size of armies, economies, populations, etc.
  2. Does not consider what states do with these resources
  3. May be reluctant or unable to use their power resources
  4. States may misuse their power resources and make strategic mistakes
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21
Q

Measuring power as Behavioral outcomes

A
  1. piratical effect that states have when they use their power resources
  2. Judgement about whether sanctions (or others) have achieved desired effects
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22
Q

Global Distribution of Power

A
  1. Unipolar, multipolar, bipolar
  2. Distribution of power is an indicator of global stability
  3. Imbalance of power can often mean that war or conflict is more likely
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23
Q

Unipolar World Order

A

1.when one state is more powerful than all the others

  1. Some argue that we live in a unipolar system, with the US on top.
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24
Q

Multipolar World Order

A
  1. when many states are powerful and compete with each other
  2. some argue that our world is multipolar, with countries all over the world having significant power.
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25
Q

Bipolar World Order

A
  1. when two states are equally powerful, main competition is between them.
  2. Some argue the world is bipolar with the US and China as the two major actors.
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26
Q

Realism

A
  1. global politics as being dominated by states and in which states are the most important actors in global politics, usually defending and prioritizing their own national interest and security above others
  2. largely in terms of states’ hard power capabilities
  3. See states as locked in competition with each other
  4. Offensive and defensive realism
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27
Q

Offensive realism

A
  1. when states attempt to expand their power
  2. proposed by Waltz
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28
Q

Defensive realism

A
  1. when states attempt to defend themselves against external threats
  2. main advocate is Mearsheimer
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29
Q

Liberalism

A
  1. those who view global politics as benefiting from states and other actors working together, following international law, respecting human rights and having a boarder range of core interests than their own core interest
  2. See states as more powerful when they work together
  3. States should use power by conforming to a world order and institutions governed by international law and respecting human rights
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29
Q

Power Transition

A
  1. Power is not a fixed concept; states can become more powerful or less powerful
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30
Q

Rising powers

A
  1. economic rise of the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China)
  2. Achieved remarkable economic growth between 2001 and 2011
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31
Q

Declining Power(US?)

A
  1. Financial crisis of 2008 exposed weakness in the US economy
  2. Military failure in Iraq and Afghanistan made the Obama administration reluctant to use its military power in future conflicts (Syrian Assad regime in 2013)
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32
Q

Power Diffusion(terrorist groups)

A
  1. Islamic State and al-Qaeda have gained considerable power through online international recruitment, control over land, and ability to launch deadly terrorist attacks
  2. Shown no interest in negotiating with other actors
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33
Q

Sovereignty

A
  1. states are sovereign when they exercise supremecontrol over what happens inside their borders
  2. External and internal sovereignty
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33
Q

Internal Sovereignty

A
  1. the ability of a state to exert legitimate control over its population and manage its affairs independently
  2. They can decide and enforce their own laws(e.g. taxes) and decide their own trade policies(e.g. tarrifs)
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34
Q

External sovereignty

A
  1. when states are recognized as independent and sovereign by other states, and are not interfered with; also, their external border is respected
  2. often established by intergovernmental bodies, such as the United Nations
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35
Q

Sovereignty and Legitimacy

A
  1. A state’s sovereignty is dependent on other states recognizing the state as a state
  2. The Treaty of Westphalia in 1648: ideas of statehood were formally established
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35
Q

Montevideo Sovereignty

A
  1. Sovereign states should have (1933 Montevideo Convention):
  2. A permanent population
  3. A defined territory and borders
  4. Effective government
  5. The capacity and legitimacy to enter into relations with other states
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35
Q

A Permanent Population(Montevideo) Limitations

A
  1. Refugees
  2. Sovereign state may suffer an insurgency (such as Iraq and Syria)
36
Q

Defined territory(Montevideo) Limitations

A
  1. disputed borders between nations e.g. Israel and Palestinian Territories and Kashmir region between India and Pakistan
  2. Non-sate groups are increasingly taking control of territory from nation states
37
Q

Effective government(Montevideo) Limitations

A
  1. Fragile states do not have effective governments e.g. DRC
  2. Some IGOs have an effective government but are not a state e.g EU
37
Q

Capacity to enter relations with other states(Montevideo) Limitations

A
  1. regions e.g. Kurdistan
38
Q

Gaining Recognized Statehood

A
  1. United Nations is the key international body which agrees the legitimacy of state borders
  2. Since it was founded in 1947, it has grown from 52 to 193 states
39
Q

Claims of and disputes over sovereignty

A
  1. Kosovo: declared its independence from the republic of Serbia
  2. Crimea/Ukraine: Russia annexed he region of Crimea in Ukraine
  3. South China Sea: china wants to expands its territorial waters
  4. Kashmir: both India and Pakistan claim sovereignty over the region

5: Israel and Palestinian Territories

39
Q

EU Sovereignty

A
  1. European Union: single currency, a flag, parliament, central bank and defined external border
  2. The EU is not an independent single nation state yet It has many identifying features of independent states
40
Q

Is State Sovereignity Being Eroded? Realist vs. Liberalist perspectives

A
  1. Realists: states are still the most important actor in global politics and they should be Able to act independently and protect their borders
  2. Liberals: states still exist but cooperate with each other on political and economic matters
    and should Maximize their security and prosperity by pooling rather than defending their sovereignty
41
Q

State Sovereignity Becoming Less Significant(Borders and state factors)

A
  1. Borders are decreasing in significance
  2. Border checks between states are disappearing e.g. in EU due to the Schengen Agreement
42
Q

State Sovereignity Becoming Less Significant(The economic factors and policies)

A
  1. Many states are reducing barriers to trade and joining trade agreement e.g. Trans-Pacific Partnership and the European Union
  2. Increasing freedom of movement for people and goods
  3. Multinational corporations have a lot of power
    e.g. Multinational corporations Force states to change their environmental policies
43
Q

State Sovereignty Still Significant(Borders and state factors)

A
  1. States still decide their own economic and political policies
  2. Some states still maintain regular border checks
  3. National identity still matters and it Remains a unique identifying and unifying force
43
Q

State Sovereignty becoming less significant(Intergovernmental organizations are becoming more numerous and powerful)

A
  1. The EU has supranational powers
  2. IGOs recognize states face shared challenges e.g climate change
  3. Try to resolve these through collective action
44
Q

State Sovereignty Still Significant(The economic factor and policies)

A
  1. Economic policy is still decided by nation states
  2. Resolving major economic crises requires actions by nation states
45
Q

State Sovereignty Still Significant(States choose to join IGOs and are the key contributors to the IGOs)

A
  1. No world governing body with the power to act above the nation-state level
  2. IGOs allow states the right to veto and protect core national interest
46
Q

Liberalism(Theory of Sovereignty)

A
  1. sovereignty is an important but not the exclusive principle in political relations
  2. It is not absolute and can be pooled
  3. Other states can be punished if they commit crimes within their borders, e.g. NATO’s military intervention in Libya in 2011
46
Q

Realism(Theory of Sovereignty)

A
  1. sovereignty is an absolute principle but breaching the sovereignty of other states is okay if their own national interest requires it
  2. Most major actors have high levels of sovereignty
  3. Limits the use of force by other states to bring dictatorship under control
  4. No intervention if no national interest
47
Q

Democracy

A
  1. a system of government in which the population elects a government and representatives to hold the government to account
  2. This should be a free and fair process in which every member of the adult population is able to vote freely without intimidation
  3. Many different democratic models
  4. distributing power
48
Q

Federal states

A
  1. There is a government that has central power over some policy but Governments at sub-national level have the power to make and enforce law e.g. USA
49
Q

Unitary States

A
  1. Central government has greater control and authority over its own territory and most decisions and laws are decided by a national legislature (parliament) e.g. UK
50
Q

Monarchy

A
  1. A form of government with a monarch at the top. But monarch can play different roles
  2. Many states in Europe; Asia and the idle East are governed by a hereditary monarchy
  3. Some have little more than a symbolic role (United Kingdom, Sweden and Norway)
  4. Others have greater political control (Saudi Arabia)
  5. Some have actively tried to reduce their power to elected governments (Morocco)
50
Q

Authoritarian States

A
  1. Government is not elected and governs with authority that cannot be challenged by the people
  2. Human rights abuses are likely to be widespread and the law is not respected
  3. May be removed by a military coup, foreign intervention or popular uprising, e.g. removal of Saddam Hussein in Iraq in 2003 (foreign (US) intervention) or removal of Egypt’s President Mubarak in 2011 (popular uprising)
50
Q

Fragile States

A
  1. May be democratic or undemocratic
  2. state’s internal sovereignty and power is weak
  3. government may be non-existent, illegitimate or just too weak
51
Q

Theocracy

A
  1. Rule or government by religion where power is held by religious groups e.g. Islamic Republic of Iran which is ruled by its Islamic Supreme Leader or Saudi Arabia which is under the ruling of Shura Council that enforce Islamic law
52
Q

Interdependence

A
  1. when groups in global politics rely on each other, have shared interests or have an impact on each other and is a key feature of a globalized world
  2. there are several challenges that states have in common e.g. Climate change
52
Q

Economic interdependence

A
  1. States trade with each other and the success or failure of their economies are linked
  2. A recession in one state is likely to have an impact on ability to trade and can lead to spreading from one state to another (global financial crisis in 2008)
52
Q

Promoting and protecting global peace security (UN Security Council)

A
  1. Passes resolutions and authorizes peacekeeping
52
Q

Why do states join IGOS?

A
  1. Larger states force or persuade other states to adopt policies that meet their national interest
  2. Less powerful states can join to group together with other states and pool sovereignty which Gives them more influence if they were acting alone
  3. Unity allows states to Work together to solve issues where acting alone is insufficient
52
Q

Examples of efforts to advance world human and economic development

A
  1. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
  2. Replaced by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
  3. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) which has 54 member states
  4. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
52
Q

Political Interdependence

A
  1. State’s political decisions are likely to have an impact on other states
  2. Civil war in Syria has had a wide political impact across Middle East and Europe with the High number of Syrian refugees are seeking asylum in Europe.
  3. Political instability in fragile states has an impact on neighbouring states
52
Q

The United Nations

A
  1. Leading international organization
  2. It has 193 member states, representing most of the world’s sovereign states
  3. Agencies are used to achieve its four main objectives: Promoting and protecting global peace security, Protecting and promoting human rights(UNHRC), advancing world human and economic development, tackling shared challenges such as climate change
53
Q

Economic intergovernmental organizations

A
  1. Spread economic development and trade across the world
  2. Help states when they are in financial difficulty by assisting with the ‘technical’ – advising states on how to develop their economies
54
Q

The World Bank

A
  1. Focuses on states’ economic development and on reducing poverty
  2. Analysing and publishing data on global economic development
  3. Funding development projects in less economically developed states
  4. Is an example of global governance through financial regulations
55
Q

The World Trade Organization (WTO)

A
  1. Decides and enforces the rules of international trade
  2. Resolves trade disputes between states through negotiation
  3. Unanimous Agreement is required amongst all members before policy is officially adopted
  4. Criticized for failing to make progress in helping developing countries
  5. Is an example of global governance through being a trade agreement
56
Q

The International Monetary Fund (IMF)

A
  1. Works to improve global cooperation on financial stability
  2. Promote economic growth and reduce poverty across the world
  3. Known for forcing states to implement economic reforms(structural adjustment programs) in return for loans and technical advice
  4. Is an example of global governance through financial regulations
57
Q

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

A
  1. Founded in 1949 as a Response by the US in the Cold War to threats from the Soviet Union
  2. Most significant example of a formal security alliance
  3. NATO has lead military operations in different countries
  4. Expanded its membership to include former Soviet states in Eastern Europe
  5. In 2015, President Putin identified NATO as a key threat to Russia’s security
58
Q

Hybrid intergovernmental organizations

A
  1. Have several different functions
  2. Economic matters: shared currency or free trade agreement
  3. Political cooperation: organized crime, climate change or migration
59
Q

The European Union(EU)

A
  1. Has a very wide range of responsibilities and supporting institutions
  2. Founded after WW2 to unite former enemies (e.g. Germany and France) so that Member states would become politically and economically unified in order to make future conflict impossible
  3. In 1999, the EU launched a single European currency: the Euro which Allows for free movement of people, goods and services across the EU
60
Q

African Union(AU)

A
  1. every African state, except Morocco that comes together to mainly deal with security and political and economic development
  2. Since 2007, it has become more involved with peacekeeping missions
  3. Allows African countries to speak with one voice in international stage
61
Q

Realist Perspective on Global Governance

A
  1. states protecting their national interest
  2. Can be seen when permanent members of the UN Security Council use their veto
62
Q

Global Governance

A
  1. The way states organize themselves, make agreements and tackle shared challenges that is usually through international organizations with clear rules
  2. Multipolarity and institutional gridlock (situation which nothing can happen)
  3. Harder problems and lack of consensus and require action from more than one state
63
Q

Liberalist Perspective on Global Governance

A
  1. Liberal perspective: global governance is a key priority as it allows states to react to and solve problems that they have in common that
  2. Growth of IGOs suggests that the liberal ideal of global governance is processing well
  3. They are however frequently limited in what they can agree
64
Q

Treaties

A
  1. States may operate through bilateral and multilateral treaties (formal written agreement) that may be agreed by states that group together on a shared issue rather than based on their region.
  2. If in treaty for, they represent formal international law
  3. Some are used to establish or change the rules of international organizations
65
Q

Application of Treaties

A
  1. States must sign treaties
  2. Must ratify treaties that they have signed through national legislature
66
Q

Treaty Examples

A
  1. Geneva Conventions (1949): These conventions govern the treatment of individuals in wartime, including prisoners of war, civilians, and those wounded in conflicts.
  2. Kyoto Protocol (1997): An international treaty where participating nations committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to combat global climate change.
67
Q

Legitimacy

A
  1. refers to groups or actions that are considered to be acceptable, which is usually by conforming to agreed laws or democratic principles
68
Q

Democracy(source of legitimacy)

A
  1. Leaders are elected and serve for limited periods e.g. US Constitution limits presidents to serve for two four-year terms in office but some states do not specify a maximum term length
  2. Many states have different ways of electing their leaders
  3. These rules are legitimately agreed, usually in a constitution
  4. Political parties seeking elected office must present their proposals for government in a manifesto (a written statement by a political party)
69
Q

Democracies are enhanced by:

A
  1. The ability to participate in elections freely and without intimidation
  2. Being able to choose from a wide range of political parties
  3. The extent of checks and balance (under control) on the government
69
Q

Balance of power(source of legitimacy)

A
  1. Organized so that power is balanced amongst three key branches of government
  2. Executive: the elected government, which produces policies and implements them
  3. Legislature: scrutinizes the proposals of the elected government, votes on whether these proposals should become law and holds the executive to account
  4. Judiciary: they ensure that the laws proposed by the executive, and agreed by the legislature, are upheld fairly per the rule of law, and that the executive complies with these laws and does not exceed its power
70
Q

Constitutions(source of legitimacy)

A
  1. Sets out and limits the powers of the state and also frequently sets out the fundemental human rights that citizens will be entitled to
  2. States that are rebuilding after war go through with agreeing to a new constitution
  3. Central to ensuring that every citizen has an equal stake in society
  4. The United Kingdom has no written constitution
70
Q

The rule of law

A
  1. Particularly important for a fair system of justice and human rights
  2. Law is always applied equally to all citizens and government
  3. Every citizen has the right to a fair and legitimate trial
71
Q

International Law

A
  1. Breaches of customary international law can be seen as illegitimate actions and May result in intervention from other states or groups
  2. Military action gets its legitimacy from UN Security Council Resolution
  3. If a state request the help of others to defend itself against a threat
  4. If a state feels that its national security would be at risk if it did not act, it can invoke Article 51 of the United Nations Charter that Preserves the right of states to individual self-defence e.g. Used by the United Kingdom in 2015 for air strikes against Islamic State
72
Q

Legitimacy of NGOS

A
  1. frequently offer an independent perspective on the legitimacy of government actions and gain legitimacy through their actions and the recognition IGOs give them
  2. (Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International put pressure on governments to improve their codification and protection of human rights laws)
73
Q

Legitimacy of IGOs

A
  1. gain legitimacy from treaties and agreements on which they are founded e.g. Treaty of Rome (European Union) and United Nations Charter (United Nations)
74
Q

Legitimacy of violent extremist groups

A
  1. debate whether they are fighting a legitimate cause or not, no internationally agreed definition
  2. One person’s terrorist is another person’s freedom fighter
  3. Terrorists often try to justify their actions by saying that they have no other option than violent struggle
75
Q

A state

A

A state represents a political entity distinguished by a defined territory, a permanent population, a sovereign government, and the capacity to engage in foreign relations.

76
Q

A nation state

A

The term nation-state represents a synthesis of state and nation, where the majority of its inhabitants are part of a single nation.

76
Q

A nation

A

A nation refers to a significant group of people bonded by shared cultural, ethnic, or historical ties

77
Q

A stateless nation

A

A stateless nation identifies a nation that doesn’t possess its own sovereign state territory. It may span across multiple states, often advocating for more autonomy or complete independence.

77
Q

UN General Assembly

A
  1. As the chief deliberative body of the UN, the GA is a platform where all member states can voice their perspectives.
  2. Deliberation over international challenges takes place at international meetings, resolutions typically require majority to pass.

IB Global Politics (8 decks)

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