Int’l Relations Flashcards
Security Dilemma
States try to increase their own power to protect themselves
-> Their increased power is seen as a threat to
-> Other States feel insecure
-> They increase their power too
-> Make others more insecure
Collective Good
a public good that is available to all regardless of individual contribution—e.g., the air, the
oceans, or Antarctica—that no one owns or is individually responsible for
Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs)
international agencies or bodies established by states and controlled by member states that deal
with areas of common interest
General Assembly (UN)
one of the major organs of the United Nations; generally addresses issues other than those of peace and security; each member state has one vote; operates with six functional committees composed of all member states
Security Council
one of the major organs of the United Nations charged with the responsibility for peace and security issues; includes five permanent members with veto power and ten nonpermanent members chosen from the General Assembly
Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)
Private associations of individuals or groups that engage in political, economic, or social activities, usually across national borders.
Anarchy
The fact that there exists no hierarchically superior, coercive authority that can create laws, resolve disputes, or enforce law and order in the system
balance of power
any system in which actors (e.g., states) enjoy relatively equal power, such that no single state or coalition of states is able to dominate other actors in the system
BRICS
an informal group of emerging economic powers, including Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa
capitalism
capitalism the economic system in which the ownership of the means of production is in private hands; the system operates according to market forces whereby capital and labor move freely
compellence
the use of threats to coerce another into taking an action it otherwise would not take
constructivism
an international relations theory that hypothesizes how ideas, norms, and institutions shape state identity and interests
demographic transition
The situation in which increasing levels of economic development lead to falling death rates, followed by falling birth rates
deterrence
the policy of maintaining a large military force and arsenal to discourage any potential aggressor from taking action
Jus ad bellum
Laws that deal with when it I just/legal to go to war
Jus in bello
Laws that define what acts are considered legal and illegal when fighting a war
economic liberalism
ideas based on Adam Smith that when individuals pursue their own self-interest, efficiency for
everyone is achieved; markets function best when governments interfere the least
mercantilism
the economic theory that trade generates wealth and is stimulated by the accumulation of profitable balances, which a government should encourage by means of protectionism
economic nationalism
modern version of core mercantilist ideas that economic policies should be subservient to the
national interest
economic radicalism
beliefs drawn from Marxist and neo-Marxist writing that poor labor conditions, colonial
expansion, and divisions between the rich and poor are blamed on international capitalism
macroeconomic policies
government policies designed to address macroeconomic conditions, including fiscal and
monetary policies
fiscal policies
policies affecting a government’s budget, namely level of government spending and tax rates
monetary policy
policies affecting national interest rates or exchange rates designed to affect employment and
inflation rates
World Bank
a global lending agency focused on financing projects in developing countries; formally known as the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, established as one of the key Bretton Woods institutions to deal with reconstruction and development after World War II
