Exam 2 Flashcards
infantry
foot soldiers who use assault rifles and other light weapons
counterinsurgency
an effort to combat guerrilla armies, often including programs to win the rural populations so that they stop sheltering guerrillas
landmines
concealed explosive devices often left behind by irregular armies that kill civilians after wars end
power projection
the ability to use military force in areas far from a country’s region or sphere of influence
electronic warfare
use of the electromagnetic spectrum (radar, infrared) in war
stealth technology
the use of special radar-absorbent materials and unusual shapes to scatter enemy radar
state-sponsored terrorism
the use of terrorist groups by states to achieve political aims
Weapons of mass destruction
nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, all distinguished from conventional weapons by their enormous potential lethality and their relative lack of discrimination in whom they kill
fissionable material
the elements uranium-235 and plutonium, whose atoms split apart and release energy via a chain reaction when an atomic bomb explodes
ballistic missiles
the major strategic delivery vehicle for nuclear weapons; it carries a warhead along a trajectory and lets it drop on the target
intercontinental ballistic missiles
the longest range ballistic missiles, can travel 5,000 miles
cruise missile
a small winged missile that can navigate across thousands of miles of previously mapped terrain to reach a particular target, it can carry a nuclear or conventional warhead
missile technology control regime
a set of agreements through which industrialized states try to limit the flow of missile-relevant technology to third world states
chemical weapons convention
1992 agreement that bans the production and possession of chemical weapons and includes strict sanctions against violators and non-participants
biological weapons convention
a 1972 agreement that prohibits the development, production, and possession of biological weapons but makes no provision for inspections
proliferation
the spread of weapons of mass destruction into the hands of more actors
NPT
1968 treaty that created a framework for controlling the spread of nuclear materials and expertise; created international atomic energy agency (UN) that is charged with inspecting the nuclear power industry in NPT member states to prevent secret military diversion s of nuclear powers
mutually assured destruction
the possession of second-strike nuclear capabilities, which ensures that neither of two adversaries could prevent the other from destroying it in an all-out war
strategic defense initiative
(SDI or Star Wars) a US effort to develop defenses that could shoot down incoming ballistic missiles
Anti-ballistic Missile Treaty
1972 treaty that prohibited the US and USSR from using a ballistic missile defense shield, which would have undermined mutually assured destruction and deterrence
comprehensive test ban treaty
CTBT: a 1996 treaty that bans all nuclear weapons testing
civil-military relations
the relations between a state’s civilian leaders and military leaders; usually military takes orders from civilian leaders but in poor countries can be military governments
military governments
states in which military forces control the government; they are the most common in third world countries where the military may be the only large modern institution
international norms
the expectations held by participants about normal relations among states (expected behaviors)
international organizations
IGOs and NGOs
UN charter
the founding document of the UN; it is based on the principles that states are equal, have sovereignty over their own affairs, enjoy independence and territorial integrity, and must fulfill international obligations
UN general assembly
a body composed of reps from all states that allocate UN funds, passes non-binding resolutions, and coordinates third world development programs and various autonomous agencies
UN security council
a body of 5 great powers (who can veto) and ten rotating member states that make decision about international peace and security, including dispatch of UN peacekeepers
UN secretariat
the UN executive branch, led by secretary general
peacebuilding
the use of military peacekeepers, civilian administrators, police trainers, and similar efforts to sustain peace agreements and build stable, democratic governments in societies recovering from civil wars
UN conference on trade and development
(UNCTAD) a structure established in 1964 to promote third world development through various trade proposals
World Health Organization
An organization in Geneva that provides technical assistance to improve health conditions in the third world and conducts major immunization campaigns
World Court or international court of justice
judicial arm of the UN; only hears cases between states
immigration law
national laws that establish the conditions under which foreigners may travel and visit within a state’s territory, work within the state, and sometimes become citizens of the state
diplomatic recognition
the process by which the status of embassies and an ambassador as an official state representative are explicitly defined
diplomatic immunity
a privilege under which diplomats activities fall outside the jurisdiction of the host country’s national courts
just war
a category in international law and political theory that defines when wars can be justly started and how they can be justly fought
human rights
the rights of all people to be free from abuses such as torture or imprisonment for their political beliefs and to enjoy certain minimum economic and social protections
universal declaration of human rights
1948 core UN document on human rights; lacks the force of international law; sets norms regarding behavior by governments toward their own citizens and foreigners alike
amnesty international
an influential NGO that operates globally to monitor and try to rectify glaring abuses of political human rights
responsibility to protect
(R2P) principle adopted by world leaders in 2005 holding governments responsible for protecting civilians from genocide and crimes against humanity perpetuated within a sovereign state
international criminal court
a permanent tribunal for war crimes and crimes against humanity
prisoners of war
soldiers who have surrendered and who thereby receive special status under the laws of war
international committee of the red cross
an NGO that provides practical support, such as medical care, food and letters from home to POWs
mercantilism
an economic theory and political ideology opposed to free trade; it shares with realism the belief that states must protect their own interest without seeking mutual gains through international organizations
economic liberalism
an approach that generally shares the assumption of anarchy but does not see this condition as precluding extensive cooperation to realize common gains from economic exchanges; emphasizes relative over absolute gains and a commitment to free trade and free capital flows
free trade
the flow of goods and services across national borders unimpeded by tariffs or other restrictions (a principle of UK’s policy after 1846 and US policy after 1945)
balance of trade
the value of a state’s exports relative to its imports
comparative advantage
the principle that says states should specialize in trading goods that they produce with the greatest relative efficiency and at the lowest relative cost
autarky
a policy of self-reliance, avoiding or minimizing trade and trying to produce everything one needs by oneself
protectionism
the protection of domestic industries against international competition by trade tariffs and other mean
dumping
the sale of products in foreign markets at prices below the minimum level necessary to make profit
tariff
a duty or tax levied on certain types of imports as they enter a country
nontariff barriers
forms of restricting imports other than tariffs, such as quotes
World Trade Organization
(WTO) founded in 1995 to replace the GATT and expanded its traditional focus on manufactured goods; created monitoring ad enforcement mechanisms
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
(GATT) founded in 1947 to work for freer trade on a multilateral basis; the GATT was more of a negotiating framework than administrative institution - became WTO
most favored nation
(MFN) trade restrictions imposed by a WTO member on its most favored trading partner must be equally applied to all WTO members
generalized system of preferences
(GSP) a mechanism by which some industrialized states begin in the 1970s to give tariff concessions to third world states on certain imports; an exception to MFN principle
Uruguay round
a series of negotiations under the GATT that begin in Uruguay in 1986 and agreed to make the WTO
Doha round
a series of negotiations under the WTO that began in 2001; has focused on agricultural subsidies and intellectual property rights among other things
North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA) a free trade zone encompassing US, Canada and Mexico since 1994
cartel
an association of producers or consumers of a certain product, formed for the purpose of manipulating its price on the world market
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countires
(OPEC) The most prominent cartel; its members control half the world’s total oil exports, enough to significantly effect the price of oil
industrial policy
the strategies by which a government works actively with industries to promote their growth and tailor trade policy to their needs
intellectual property rights
the legal protection of the original works of inventors, authors, creators and performers under patent, copyright, and trademark law
service sector
the part of an economy that concerns services; the key focus in international trade organizations is on banking, insurance, and other financial services
industrialization
the use of fossil fuel energy to drive machinery and the accumulation of such machinery along with the products created by it
centrally planned economy
an economy in which political authorities set prices and decide on quotas for production and consumption of each commodity according to a long-term plan
transitional economies
countries in Russia and Eastern Europe that are trying to convert from communism to capitalism
state-owned industries
industries such as oil production companies and airlines that are owned wholly or partly by the state because they are thought to be vital to the national economy
mixed economies
economies like those in the west that contain some government control and some private ownership
gold standard
a system in which the value of national currencies was fixed to the value of gold or other precious metals
exchange rate
that rate at which one state’s currency can be exchanged for the currency of another states
convertible currency
the guarantee that the holder of a particular currency can exchange it for another currency
hyperinflation
an extremely rapid, uncontrolled rie in prices (Germany in the 1920s)
hard currency
money that can be readily converted to leading world currencies
reserves
hard-currency stockpiles kept by states
fixed exchange rates
the official rates of exchange for currencies set by governments
floating exchange rates
the rates determines by global currency markets in which governments and private investors buy and sell currencies
managed float
a system of occasional multinational government interventions in currency markets to manage otherwise free-floating currency rates
devaluation
a unilateral move to reduce the value of a currency by changing a fixed exchange rate
central bank
an institution common in industrialized countries whose major tasks are to maintain the value of the state’s currency and to control inflation
discount rate
the interest rate charged by governments when they end money to private banks
Bretton Woods system
(1944) arrangement for managing the world economy; established the world bank and IMF
World bank
International bank for reconstruction and development; gives loans to help reconstruct economies
International monetary fund
(IMF) IGO that coordinates international currency exchange. balance of international payments, and national accounts
Special Drawing Rights
(SDR) a world currency created by the IMF to replace gold as a world standard; valued by a “basket” of national currencies
balance of payments
a summary of all the flows of money into and out of a country; includes current account, flows of capital, and changes in reserves
Keynesian economies
view that governments should sometimes use deficit spending to stimulate economic growth
fiscal policy
a government’s decisions about spending and taxation
monetary policy
a governments decisions about printing and circulating money, and interest rates
national debt
the amount a government owes in debts as a result of deficit spending
multinational corporations
(MNC) a company based in one state with affiliated branches operating in other states
foreign direct investment
the acquisition by residents of one country of control over a new or existing business in another country
host country
a state in which a foreign MNC operates
home country
the state where a MNC has its headquarters
