Final Exam Flashcards
Which 9 states have nuclear capabilities?
US, Russia, China, UK, France, Israel, India, Pakistan, NK
What % of the world’s nuclear weapons do Russia and the US share?
90%
What % of a country’s national GDP do they spend on military?
1-3.5%
What are some of the benefits of maintaining a military?
Security (immediate defense), creation of jobs, resource of professionally trained individuals.
What is the US military budget?
739.3 billion
What is the biggest issue with maintaining a military?
Civil-military relations, the distribution of authority between civilian and military leadership. Security dilemma
What country has been hailed as a success in terms of civil-military relations?
Tanzania
What are the three elements of power?
Economic Capabilities, Military Power and Political Will.
What was the motivating factor behind the 9/11 attacks?
Osama bin Laden’s belief that the US had no stomach for casualties and this would cause them to withdraw from the Middle East. (Ex: Beirut withdrawal of troups, Black Hawk Down incident in Somalia.)
What is the greatest test of a state’s security?
War.
Why are International Wars typically fought?
Either to gain or protect territory or resources against existing or nascent threats or to spread or reject ideology or religion.
Why are wars less prevalent?
Wars do not pay. They are no longer about conquest.
What are the implications of interstate wars?
- The conquest only affects one nation. 2. The means by which the war will be fought is very different. More complex and messier, low-tech affairs.
What four conditions over-ride the principle of sovereignty?
- The government requests assistance. 2. If the conflict has concluded and both parties request assistance in maintaining the peace. 3. If the state has failed and the conflict must be contained in the interests of the affected population and neighbouring states. 4. If the government’s mistreatment of its population is so egregious that it cannot be considered a legitimate government and morality dictates that external powers intervene on behalf of the victimized citizenry.
What are the four US security strategies embarked upon by Barack Obama?
- Offshore balancing and a reliance on standoff technologies. 2. Focusing on either balance and containment or actively engaging. 3. Smart Power. 4. Nuclear disarmament by negotiating a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) and working towards nuclear zero.
What are the two main criticisms of offshore balancing?
- It keeps competition local rather than global, not reducing competition overall. 2. Americans use their great wealth and military advantage to buy international influence without having to risk American troops’ lives.
Which two statesmen explained, “regardless of one’s vision of the ultimate future of nuclear weapons, the overarching goal of contemporary U.S. nuclear policy must be to ensure that nuclear weapons are never used.”?
Henry Kissinger and Brent Scowcroft.
What are China’s three transcendences?
Sustainable industrialization, more democratic society, and eschewing global domination (hegemony).
Who has the largest military in the world?
China.
Who’s instability has been one of the most persistent problems on the continent?
Somalia
What was one of Al Qaeda’s successes?
Branding Terrorism
Which two organizations reflect the new transnational strategy?
AQIM and AQAP
Which countries do the terrorists despise the most?
US, Israel and Western Europe
What are the perfect asymmetric technology?
IEDs
Which three countries have yet to use armed UAVs?
US, GB and Israel.
Who observed that technology is just an instrument of and a reflection of power and one amoung many factors that will determine a conflict’s outcome?
Martin Van Creveld.
Who said, “If you want peace, understand war.”?
Hart
Who said, “The strong do what they want, the weak do what they must.”?
Thucydides
Who wrote “The End of History” and believes that every state wants to become like the US and believes that every state wants Democracy?
Francis Fukuyama
Who said, “War is the continuation of politics by other means.” and “An act of force intended to compel our opponents to fulfill our will.” about war?
Clausewitz
What is Power-transition Theory?
As a gap of power narrows between rival states, war is likely to break out because both believe they are likely to win.
Who said, “War made the state so the state could make war.”?
Charles Tilly
Who said, “War is organized violence carried on by political units against each other.”?
Hedley Bull
What three points did the Treaty of Westphalia 1648 outline?
Territorialty
Autonomy
Sovereignty
What two points did Mikael Gorbachev enforce?
Perestroika - open economy
Glasnost - open press and communication
What is Democratic Peace Theory?
It is the theory that Democracies don’t go to war with each other. It was introduced by Michael Doyle.
What are the main points of Jus ad Bellum - The right to go to war?
Just cause Comparative justice Legitimate Authority Right intention Probability of success Last resort
What are the main points of Jus in Bello - The right conduct in war?
Distinction
Proportionality
Military necessity
Who said, “Anarchy is what the state makes of it.”?
Alexander Wendt
Who defined the state as a, “Monopoly of force within a given territory.”?
Max Weber
Who said, “Farther, faster, deeper, cheaper.” In reference to Globalization?
Thomas Friedman
What are the Grounds for Overriding Sovereignty?
Self-defense
Humanitarian Intervention
Civil War
Which 5 states have permanent seats on the UN security council?
US, Russia, China, Britain, France
What are the primary sea routes for trade, travel, and navy?
Sea Lines of Communication (SLOC)
Who promoted the idea of power projection, deterrence, forward presence, maritime security and sea control?
Geoffrey Till in his book “Seapower: A Guide for the 21st Century”.
Who wrote “The Influence of Sea Power on History” and promotes absolute good on the seas?
Alfred Thayer Mahan
Who wrote “Some Principles of Maritime Security” and supported the relative good on the command of the seas?
Sir Julien Corbett
What are the three important historical periods of IGOs?
The Concert of Europe in 1814, WWI, and WWII
What was the period of creation and uncertainty for IGOs?
End of WWII, beginning of Cold War period.
What was the period of transformation for IGOs?
End of the Cold War.
How many judges work in the International Court of Justice and for how long?
15 judges for 9 year terms.
What specialized UN agency attempts to improve literacy rates in the developing world?
UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
What was the original purpose of the Bretton Woods System?
To reconstruct Europe
What did GATT turn into after the Uruguay Round in 1994?
The World Trade Organization (WTO)
What has given IGOs new life?
Globalization