International Politics Flashcards
What are the 2 viewpoints on what makes politics in the international arena?
State centric (realist)
Non-state centric (liberal)
What is the dominant unit in international relations from the realist view?
The nation-state
How does the realist approach see the world and why?
Anarchic as there is no global sovereign
How does the realist approach view states?
As self-contained and self-interested
What is the ideal of international order in the realist approach?
Achieved through common rules which benefit states
How does the liberal approach view states?
As less than unitary actors, states do not speak with one voice or have one goal
How does the liberal approach view NGOs
Relatively autonomous actors in the international arena
What is the ideal in the liberal approach?
Co-operation among states and sub-state governments/NGOs are ideal
What goals does the liberal approach believe are important?
Humanitarian goals
What different systems describe how states interact in the world?
Multi-polar world system
Bi-polar world system
Uni-polar world system
How does the multi-polar world system view the way states interact?
There are several strong states that dominate the international arena
This existed in 1914
Supporters argue that this is the way the world has been since 1990s
How does the bi-polar world system view the way states interact?
There are 2 strong states that dominate the international arena and are rivals
Existed during the cold war
Can be stable but conflict escalates
Supporters argue that now this is the case between the U.S and China
How does the uni-polar world system view the way states interact?
One dominant state in the international arena
The U.S is the sole superpower in the world
What differences do states have that can lead to conflicts?
- Ideology
- Cultural values
- Economic resources
- Territorial borders
What is the United Nations?
Founded in 1945 for reasons of international security
Exists to protect state sovereignty
What are the main parts of the UN?
- General assembly (UN Members)
- Security Council: 5 Permanent member with veto power (U.S, U.K, France, Russia, China), 10 rotating members
- Secretariat (not really a world leader)
- International court of justice
- World Bank/IMF (gives aid in emergencies)
How did the EU begin and what is it now?
Began as a free trade zone and is now the largest single market. It is less restricted than even NAFTA
What makes the EU considerably different than NAFTA?
The EU has supranational institutions
What are the EU’s supranational institutions?
A real executive government with some independent powers (the commission)
How is the EU legislature divided?
Council of Ministers
Elected European Parliament
What does the EU have that makes it unique?
A European court
A common currency
Most Europeans are EU citizens
What are some major international concerns?
War and Terrorism
Disease
Globalization
Human Rights
Environment
Why are war and terrorism an international concern?
U.S and Russia have 6000 nuclear weapons
Terrorists can operate without the support of states and are growing more powerful as they access weapons of mass destruction
Why is disease an international concern?
Nation-states and people are vulnerable to fast-spreading diseases such as covid
