Concepts Flashcards
Sovereignty
- Having absolute power over land, borders, and people on the land
- Having the right to use the resources
- One person or small group of people have all the power in a state
- There is no higher power than the sovereign
State
- A more permanent and political entity than a nation
What are the advantages of being a state?
- Have your own:
Flag, print currency, buy weapons, sign international treaties, have international recognition
Nation
- It’s less organized than a state
- It’s a group of people with a common culture who group together
- It’s the people in the nation that consider themselves as a nation and is not recognized internationally
- Subjective state
Realism
- See anarchy
- States live in a competitive world
- They have to think of NATIONAL INTEREST
- POWER is very important
- Have a negative view of human nature
- “War of all against all”
- Think war is a political tool
Hegemons
- A leading power; superpower
- They are realists
- They concentrate on how to keep/stay in power
What is the difference between a hard and soft realist?
Hard realists (interventionalist, aka Hawks):
- The hard type
- Push for military intervention
- They don’t mind overthrowing governments for the sake of “national security”
- The Bush Doctrine ls a tactic used by Hawks
Soft realists (noninterventionist, aka Dovist):
- Realists who think it’s wrong to keep bombing countries
- They fear to make enemies (fear of blowback)
- Care for reputations
- Try to negotiate first
The doctrine of pre-emption (aka “Bush Doctrine”)
Before: Countries used to b sovereign unless they attacked others
Now: If they pose a threat or are suspected of harbouring people, we can attack them
War on terrosrism
How do realists see wars?
- War is a political tool
- Might makes right –> If you have the power, it becomes the truth
- Wars are good for the economy
- There should be no rules of war
- All wars must be sold
Soft power?
- Legitimacy: People recognize you should have power, so you use the power
- Reputation
- Has to do with ideas
Liberalism
- Everything that realism is not, so the critics of realis
- More optimistic about peace
- Believe in collective security
- Believe that we should invest more in proper nutrition, education, health, etc. because wars never solve anything
- Negotiation
- International installation
- Strengthen democracy
- Trade and free trade
Kantian Triangle
International organization + Democracy + Economic interdependance = Peace
Collective Security
If you are in a community and one of the countries feels threatened, the whole community helps
“You have my back, I have yours” type of mentality
What is the first casualty of war?
The truth
What is NATO?
North Atlantic Transit Organisation
- 28 members
- Created to combat communism, now fights terrorism
- Humanitarian interventions
- Self-appointed policemen
- NATO interventions usually kill more than being left alone
- More countries see NATO as a threat to international peace, than as a peace keeper
What is NATO?
North Atlantic Transit Organisation
- 28 members
- Created to combat communism, now fights terrorism
- Humanitarian interventions
- Self-appointed policemen
- NATO interventions usually kill more than being left alone
- More countries see NATO as a threat to international peace than as a peacekeeper
- Extension of US political and military power
Marxist and Neo-Marxist
- Conflict between classes (bourgeoisie vs proletariat)
- Bourgeoisie wants $ so exploits proletariat
- Bourgeoisie uses the state to install policies to make them richer (uses lobby groups)
- All wars are to protect capitalism
- Neomarxists are closer to realists than liberals
What are the national interests for realists/liberals/(Neo)Marxists?
Realists: National security, power, wars and military protection
Liberals: Provide social support, help economy, improve lives
(Neo)Marxists: The elite should not choose it because it does not represent the needs of the people
Feminism
- See the world run by men
- Believe in unnatural bias in politics and how history is written
- Patriarchy
- History of women: men refusing women’s rights
- Want right to vote/ political power
Who was against feminism?
- Patriarchy
- Church
- Dominant ideology
- Employers and other women
What makes a government legitimate?
- Within its borders: If the people recognizes it and respects its authority, it is legitimate
- On the international level: It has to be recognized by the P-5
Unilateralism
-When governments do not want to cooperate with other countries
Multilateralism
- When governments see that’s more worth it to work with other countries
Multilateralism
- When governments see that’s more worth it to work with other countries
What are the two dimensions of hegemony?
- Unipolar
- Multipolar
What is an unipolar hegemony?
There is only one superpower; It’s the ascendance of US hegemony after the fall of USSR
- US$ becomes supreme international currency
- Military bases are placed all over the world
- Allies are everywhere
- Sanctions are placed on countries that threaten US military might
- GDP is very high
- Controls IFIs –> manipulate interests rates and US’s decisions will have huge ripple effects around the world
- Huge power in UN
- Provides foreign aid
- Dominates media
- Can impose tariffs without consequences
What is a multipolar hegemony?
Decline of US hegemony
- Other countries become rich and powerful –> US imposes high tariffs on them
- The BRICs become more and more powerful and more developed
- US used to be a preacher of free trade, but now is becoming protectionist
- China and Russia both dislike US so might form a military alliance
- US is heavily indebted –> has both private and public debts
- China’s development is impressive: uses imperial colonial techniques like sending workers to newly acquired land
- US reputation is on the decline
- Internal political disfunction: huge gap between rich and poor
- Racism is encouraged by Trump
Balance of power
- A way to divide the power between the victors of WWII in order to avoid another world war.
- The more or less equal distribution of power is supposed to protect international peace
What are the challenges to US hegemony?
- BRICs but mainly China
- China has a lot of people who will work for very little since not many people have papers
- It’s a very oppressive state so workers cannot go on strike
- China’s GDP is rising exponentially
- China has a lot of soft power
Main criteria of just war theory
- Jus as bellum
- Jus in bellum
- Jus post bellum
What is Jus ad bellum?
- Just cause (self-defense when there is no time to negotiate or when you are attacked –> pre-emption strikes are not allowed)
- Just intent (Not to colonize or use a country’s resources –> has to be to neutralize a threat or install long-lasting peace)
- Has to be approved by 9 out of 15 members of the S. C. + all members of P-5
- Has to be a legitimate authority both at domestic and international level
- Proportional