Final Terms Flashcards
Anarchy
the absence of a higher authority with the ability to reliably/effectively regulate state behavior
Relative vs. absolute gains
Liberalists believe in absolute gains (doing better than you were regardless of others) while realists believe in relative gains (it’s only better if you’re also doing better than others)
Hard vs. soft power
Hard power: military might
Soft power: diplomatic influence
Levels of analysis: individual
looks at the influence of leaders and influential people
Levels of analysis: Dyadic
looks at pairs of states and their common or different attributes
Levels of analysis: State
looks at the domestic characteristics of a state
Levels of analysis: Global/systemic
looks at how the resources are distributed throughout the entire system
Realism
An approach to international affairs that emphasizes the importance of power as a means of state survival
Liberalism
An approach to international affairs that emphasizes international cooperation and how institutions can help mitigate anarchy
Constructivism
An approach to IR that emphasizes how social interactions shape state identities and interests, and social history between states matters
Rationality
State leaders are able to logically think about how to survive in the system and further their own interests
Sovereignty
A state’s right to do whatever it wants within it’s borders
Attrition
A terrorist strategy deployed when uncertain about the target state’s power and resolve. Terrorist group seeks to inflict as much damage as possible on the enemy, effective against democracies (Kydd and Walter)
Child soldiering
A child soldiers is defined as anyone under the age of 18 who is part of any type of regular or irregular armed force; the majority of child soldiers either volunteer or are given up by parents to make money or be fed; they serve as mine sweepers, messengers, combatants, etc; and are attractive to warlords because they work for cheap (Achvarina and Reich)
Intimidation
A terrorist strategy used to win the population of one’s own state through the use of violence to show the power of the terrorists and the inability of the government to protect it’s own citizens (Kydd and Walter)
Internally-displaced persons
People displaced from their homes but remaining inside the borders of the state
Refugee
A person who has been forced to cross national borders and cannot return home; it can be hard to find places for them to go when they come in large numbers
Outbidding
A terrorist strategy used when there are multiple terrorist groups and you want to win your own population, so use violence to convince them of your seriousness and resolve toward the issue (Kydd and Walter)
Asylum seeker
A person who flees their home country and applies for the right to international protection; they are called this until refugee status has been officially granted to them
Provocation
A terrorist strategy used when it is necessary to persuade you own population that the government should be overthrown, and this si done by goading the government into indiscriminate attacks that harm citizens and make the government look too powerful and untrustworthy (Kydd and Walter)
International Atomic Energy Agency
A UN agency that is charged with monitoring and enforcing NPT
Nuclear weapons states (under NPT)
USA, France, China, USSR (Russia), and UK
Non-nuclear weapons states (under NPT)
Everyone else, but Israel, North Korea, India and Pakistan did it anyway
Security model (Sagan)
Model says that states develop nuclear weapons when faced with a significant external security threat; conversely, they disarm when that threat goes away
Spoiling
A terrorist strategy used when some moderates may be negotiating with the target government yet will not get the type of deal that your faction desires, so you attack to spoil the negotiations (Kydd and Walter)
Domestic politics model (Sagan)
Model says that states develop nuclear weapons programs because of pressure form internal coalitions such as military, scientists, or even just to please a constituency group
Ambiguous warfare
Russia’s weaponization of non-military measures such as information, economy, politics and the internet to sow discord, expand their sphere of influence, cause chaos in the west, and establish pro-Russian governments when possible
Norms model (Sagan)
This model says that nuclear weapons have a symbolic status and can be seen as essential to a states identity
Cybersecurity
The ability to protect against cyberattacks, whether that be ransomware, unauthorized access of data, or confidential information getting out
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
A 2016 agreement between Iran and West to limit Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons in return for lifting the sanctions on the Iranian economy; US backed out of deal in 2018
Ayatolla Ruholla Khomeini
The religious leader who took power during the Iranian Revolution, reverting the country back to traditional muslim government, very different from the modernization under the Pahlavi’s
Reza Shah Pahlavi
Member of the Pahlavi line who was established by the occupying British during WWII (so seen as a western puppet), then overthrown by prime minister Mossadeq, and quickly reinstated by CIA (again seen as a puppet and part of the reason for the Iranian Revolution)
No-first-use doctrine
A promise that some states have made to never be the first to use a nuclear weapon: states that have not adopted this policy are the US and Russia
Iranian Revolution
This 1979 revolution overthrew the western backed shah (Reza Shah Pahlavi) and a religious government led by Ayatollah Khomeini was implemented
Non-proliferation Treaty
A 1968 treaty that created a framework for controlling the spread of nuclear technology; pillars are non-proliferation by non-nuclear states, gradual disarmament by nuclear states (5), and rewards of aid with civilian nuclear energy use
Achvarina and Reich
Claim that refugee camps are the perfect recruitment spot for child soldiers because there are lots of vulnerable people
Nuclear technology programs
8 states definitively have nuclear weapons programs, with Israel as a probable 9th, but other states have nuclear technology programs designed for peaceful purposes, which they are allowed under NPT
Birthright citizenship
The policy that all those born in a certain country are citizens of that country; many countries have this policy, though not all (US 14th)
Piazza
Terrorists are more likely to be breed in economically disadvantaged areas or social groups rather than disadvantaged states as a whole
Domiz camp, Iraqi Kurdistan
A camp built in 2012 for Syrian Kurds fleeing the Syrian civil war; appears like a small city with schools, electricity and people starting small businesses; has a thriving community
Russia Today (RT)
A state-sponsored Russian news program that aids in Russia’s ambiguous warfare tactic by running fake and conflicting stories
Moria camp, Lesvos, Greece
A camp on the Greek island of Lesvos where refugees from Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Pakistan who cross the Aegean from Turkey end up; the camp is violent and has a lot of internal tension: far-right nationalism; people used to just pass through but now EU has hardened its stance and they are stuck
Vladimir Putin
Russian President who seems to be believe that realism characterizes the international sphere as his goals seem to be to destabilize the west (his enemy) and broaden his own territory through influencing other governments
Bidi Bidi camp, northwest Uganda
A refugee camp in Uganda for South Sudanese refugees beginning 5 years ago when the civil war started; some violence and some brotherhood
Kyriakos Papadopolous (4.1 Miles)
A coast guard in the documentary 4.1 miles who rescues Syrian refugees who are made to cross the Aegean sea in bad weather and in overloaded boats
Labor migration/migrant
Movement of a person for economic reasons
Adamson
Security concerns over migration are more serious for weak or failing states and harnessing the power of migration can greatly increase a state’s power
Abu Huzeifa
a Pakistani-Canadian man who is suspected of having been an ISIS member in Syria in 2014; he was radicalized through chat rooms and videos of speeches and was interviewed on the Caliphate podcast
Tawhid (in the context of ISIS’ use)
In general this is the muslim principle of monotheism and that God is the divine legislator over men; ISIS takes this to mean that any man or women who creates laws is a false idol and is going against this principle; which is one of the main reasons they hate the west and our ideals of democracy (where man makes their own laws)
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
The leader of ISIS, who declared himself caliph of the global caliphate; caliph means leader or successor of Muhammad and in the middle ages the caliphs were essentially kings of great empire; so, he is declaring himself the spiritual leader of all of Islam
Islamic State (ISIL/ISIS)
This terrorist group evolved from Al Qaeda in Iraq during the Syria civil war; it pushes for the establishment of a global Islamic caliphate united under 8th century Sharia law and highly motivated to destroy the west because of its seeming reliance on false idols and their hatred of anything that is not their version of Islam
Dissident terrorism
Rebel organizations subverting state authority; they are often highly visible and use covert operations to bring attention to themselves, like Al Qaeda
State terrorism
A government using terror tactics against its own citizens, perhaps like the Nazi’s in Germany; this is significant because it brings into question how far state sovereignty should go—technically states have the right to do what they want within their own borders
State-sponsored terrorism
A government providing arms, support, or training to a non-state terrorist group, like the Houthi rebels in Yemen are sponsored by Iran
Global War on Terror
A US term that categorizes enemies as all terrorists networks and governments who support them, so objective took the form of pushing democracy (because believed democracies don’t breed terrorism) and convincing governments to end sponsorship of terrorists
Latent Nuclear States
States with the capabilities of producing nuclear weapons who have not done so, but could very easily
Al Qaeda tactics
Attrition against the US: in order to make the costs of supporting Israel and Saudi Arabia high; and provocation against US: goad them into militarizing against the middle east to mobilize muslims around the world against them; and some outbidding in order to show their own commitment to Muslims and the US alike
