Final Flashcards
What is the definition of science 2 things does science consist of?
in social science, the outcomes are human behaviors
1. testability
2. respectability
What is political science?
political science is the determination of who gets what, how, and when
What was the mercantilism era like and what year was it in?
it was the emergence of international relations in 1500
How does mercantilism relate to trade goals?
Western Europe decided to spread their economic influence and control over economic, political, and social activity on almost every planet
What is mercantilism?
the system by which imperial governments forced their military onto other nations in order to become richer
What was the Pax Britannica?
It was the 100 years peace, between the years 1815 and 1914, in where powerful nations didn’t really fight because they had the same economic goals
What is the nickname for Pax Britannica?
The era of free trade
What is Colonial Imperialism?
It was when European powers saw the rest of the world as a chessboard for military and economic supremacy
What were the 4 consequences of WW1 for world politics?
- 15 million people died
- hyperinflation
- the rise of fascism
- led to modern international system
What were the 2 consequences of WW2 for world politics?
- 25 million killed in combat and 30 million civilians
- US and Russa-2 main superpowers in Cold War
What are the 3 I’s in world politics?
- Interests
- Interactions
- Institutions
What does interests mean?
what actors want to achieve through political action
What does interactions mean?
how the choices of two or more actors combine to produce political outcomes
What does institutions mean?
the set of rules that a community follows that structure interactions in specific ways
What are the 3 broad categories of interests?
- power/security
- economic/material
- ideological
What are the 2 broad categories of interaction?
- cooperation
- bargaining
In what 4 ways do institutions cooperate?
- setting norms
- verifying compliance
- reducing costs of joint-decision making
- resolving disputes
What are the 2 reasons actors follow rules?
- cooperation value outweighs bargain costs
- cheaper to just follow the institutions already made
What are the 3 main approaches to the study of wars and the possible 4th?
- incomplete information with incentive to misrepresent
- commitment problems
- issue indivisibilities
- bargaining model of war
What is compellence?
an effort to change the status quo by use of force
What is deterrence?
an effort to preserve the status quo through the threat of force
How does incomplete information and uncertainty relate to war?
When states have incomplete information, this
can lead to uncertainty regarding the value or
ability of a state’s adversary can lead to war
What is credibility and what are the 2 reasons on why is it hard to achieve?
target’s beliefs;
1. carrying through on threats is costly
2. conflicting interests in bargaining interaction
What is brinkmanship?
States can signal their resolve by approaching the brink of war
What are the 3 ways states pay for power?
- Mobilizing and deploying military force
- Increasing military power/armament
- Paying for military technology
What is the difference preventive and preemptive war?
Preventive war that is fought with the
intention of preventing an adversary from
becoming relatively stronger in the future; Preemptive to gain strategic advantage
What is the difference between alliances and collective security organizations?
alliances form over compatible interests; csos form over common interests
What is the ATOP project?
The Alliance Treaty Obligation and Provision is the the most comprehensive project to collect and code information on alliances throughout history, from the years 1815 to 2003
What are 2 reasons why states enter into alliances?
- complementary interests
- common interests
What are the 3 weaknesses according to the balance of power theory?
- Not all alliances form with intent of balancing a stronger state
- States can often choose many potential partners in order to achieve balance of power
- Not all strong powers provoke similar
balancing responses
What is the relationship between credibility and uncertainty?
The more credible the guarantee to the ally, the greater the incentive for that ally to behave opportunistically
What are the 2 thresholds to measure conflict severity in civil conflict (battle deaths)?
- 1,000 battle death threshold
- 25 battle death threshold
What is terrorism?
Use of violence against civilians (noncombatant groups) by individuals or nonstate groups (e.g., rebel groups)
for political ends
What are the 3 reasons to study civil conflict in world politics?
- Theoretical tools used to examine
interstate war and negotiations apply to
intrastate conflicts - Consequences of civil conflict are rarely
contained - Civil conflict increasingly predominant
form of conflict in world
What are 2 reasons for civil wars occuring?
hint: alliteration
- greed
- grievance
What are the forms of conflict?
- Irredentist
- Separatist
- Groups want to establish own regime
What is irredentist?
Members seek to attach their territory to that of a neighboring country
What is separatist?
wants to create its own independent
state in the territory
What are 3 causes war conflict stemming from bargaining failure?
- Information problems
- Commitment problems
- Issue indivisibility
What is political violence?
Political violence is violence outside of state
control that is politically motivated.
What are some examples of lawful use of force?
– Capturing and punishing criminals – those who violate the rights of others
– Protecting the existing order
– Defending the country from aggression
– Attacking other countries
What is a coup d’etat?
elites overthrow the government
What is a guerilla war?
guerrilla war involves violence by non-state actors targeting the state.
What is state-sponsored terrrorism?
State-sponsored terrorism is violence (genocide, war crimes, torture) perpetrated by a state as an instrument of foreign
policy
How are goals defined within emergent conflict?
Opportunity for pursuing and resolving conflict constructively or destructively
What helps prevent of interstate conflict?
UN Peacekeeping
What are the 2 tasks involved in the early warning system?
- Identification of the type of conflict and location of conflict that
may become violent - Monitoring and assessing progress
What is systemic/structural conflict prevention?
Comprises long term interventions that aim to transform key socioeconomic, political and
institutional factors that if are not dealt with, could lead to violent conflict
What is peace enforcement vs. peacekeeping?
Peace enforcement is intended to impose peace upon warring parties by
intervening in ongoing conflict; peacekeeping is the conclusion of war
What are 3 reasons as to why peacekeeping fails?
- greater incentive for extremism
- Enhances ability to suppress democratic
alternatives - Peacekeepers provide training for armies only interested in protecting regime’s power
What is comparative advantage?
The concept that countries should do what they do best
What is the Hecksher-Ohlin trade theory?
Countries differ greatly in how they are
endowed with factors of production, the factors being land, labor, and capital
What are tariffs?
tax levied on imports at the border
What is a nickname for the Ricardo-Viners theory?
Specific Factors Model
What is the potential 3rd theory of trade policy interests?
the firm-based trade theory that states most productive firms in an exporting industry will benefit and want trade liberalization
What is GATT?
The general agreement on tariffs and trades that oversaw dramatic liberalization of trade relations, particularly among developing countries
What are RTAS?
Regional trade agreements that function in institutions on the regional level
What are criticisms of the WTO and RTAs?
WTO too pro-business; WTO is biased
What are disadvantages of economic globalization?
wider wealth disparity; exploitation of workers
What is economic nationalism?
resurgence of mercantilism; business on wider scale should be seen as competition for power
What is economic radicalism?
Critique of capitalist system under liberalism for problems
What is the common factor for states that are lagging behind economically?
colonialism
What is the formula for GDP?
Consumption + investment + government
spending + (exports-imports)
What is imperialism and the difference between imperialism and colonialism?
Imperialism is the system whereby a state extends its power to directly control territory, resources, and people beyond its borders; colonialism includes greater physical occupation by territory by settlers or military
What are 2 primary mechanisms of international law?
- custom or accepted practice
- international treaties
What is key to the enforcement of international law?
nations treating it as superior to domestic law
What is the ICC?
international crime court, usually deal with war crimes
What are 3 categories of international norms?
- Constitutive norms
- Procedural norms
- Regulative norms
What are constitutive norms?
Define who is or is not a legitimate/appropriate
actor under what circumstances
What are procedural norms?
Define how decisions involving multiple
actors should be made
What are regulative norms?
Governs the behavior of actors in their
interactions with other actors
What are TANS?
Transnational Advocacy Networks that are central to spreading norms throughout
the international system
What are the 3 stages of the NORM life cycle?
- Norm entrepreneurs work to convince a
critical mass of individuals to embrace
their beliefs - Norms cascade occurs as the number of
adherents passes a tipping point - Norms are internalized
In what 2 ways do norms constrain states?
Redefining Interests and Change interactions of states and their outcomes
What is the Boomerang model?
When NGOs in one state are able to activate transnational linkages to bring
pressure from other states to bear on own government
How do TANS monitor cooperation with international norms?
- monitor behavior directly
- monitor behavior indirectly
- rely on self-reports
What is the UDHR?
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights created by the UN, that is the foundation of modern human rights law
What are 2nd gen rights?
Rights to adequate standard of living, to forming trade
unions, to employment, to education which emerged from the industrial rev.
What is the ICCPR?
The international covenant on civil and political rights; Affirms rights to life, liberty, and the freedom of movement, the presumption of innocence, equal standing before the law, recourse for rights violations, and privacy. More Precise than UDHR
What is the ICESCR?
Parallel covenant to ICCPR which focuses more on labor
What is the international bill of rights?
UDHR and twin covenants, ICCPR and
ICESCR referred to as International Bill of
Rights
Why do newly democratizing countries sign human rights agreements?
want to possibly shed abusive historical past, improve practices, and lock in new institutions
What are 3 primary conditions that states take actions with respect to human rights violations?
- Domestic pressure to stop human rights
abuses - Serves their larger geopolitical interests
- Bridge gap between principle of
sovereignty and international human rig
What is transitional justice?
Consists of judicial and non-judicial measures
implemented to redress legacies of human rights
abuses
– Includes criminal prosecutions, truth commissions,
reparation programs, and various institutional
reforms
What is the link between RTAS and human rights?
more RTAS with human rights provisions, as time has progressed
What is the tragedy of the commons?
When short term self-interest leads to tragedy for all
What are the 4 types of goods?
Private good: rival and excludable
– Example: car
* Public good: nonrival and nonexcludable
– Example: public park, air
* Club good: nonrival but excludable
– Example: Satellite tv
* Common-pool resources: rival and
nonexcludable
– Example: Fish stocks, coal
What 5 factors affect international environmental cooperation?
- Group size
- Complexity and magnitude of problem
- Repeated interactions
- Bundled with private goods
- Emergence of privileged group
What does the term “race to the bottom” mean?
Countries seek to undercut one another in offering business-
friendly policies
What is a step to prevent further environmental degradation?
more regulations in developing world
What is an MEA?
Binding international agreement between two
States (bilateral) or between three or more
states (multilateral) committing to achieve
specific environmental goals
What are key components in each stage of the process of MEA development?
- Pre-negotiation (identification of a global enviromental problem and informal consultations at international/regional lvl.)
- Negotiation (Negotiations may result in resolutions,
recommendations, and formal decisions) - Adoption & signature (Upon agreement, the final text is signed and adopted)
- Ratification and accession
- Entry into force
- Withdrawal from MEA
What is the discount rate?
how much actors value the future
compared to the present
What are the unique problems developing states face with respect to climate change mitigation?
Primary concern meeting basic needs of population
– Less of an immediate concern is long run health of
ecosystems
– May be unable/unwilling to bear short term cost for long
term gain
