international security Flashcards
why do states need tools of statecraft?
- 99% of ir is about peace
- states rely on credibility to exert influence over other actors
credibility- ability and incentive to act
what are the two levels of bargaining?
- international bargaining between states
- domestic bargaining between branches of gov, bureaucracies
good bargaining is CULTURALLY DEPENDENT
how does diplomacy function under realism?
diplomacy has LIMITED VALUE
because states goals are inherently conflictual
how does diplomacy relate to liberal theory & liberal institutionalism?
talking is good!
because clarifies issues, narrows diff, encourages bargaining
how does diplomacy relate to constructivism?
diplomacy can change identities and preferences
because identities and norms are socially-constructed
how does diplomacy relate to feminist theory?
diplomatic negotiations will reflect gender norms and culture
notions of competence are culturally and gender dependent
what are sanctions?
commercial or financial penalties applied by a country against another state or sub-state actor
CAN BE COUNTERACTED
what are smart sanctions?
focus on specific parts of gov (commodities, gov officials, rebel groups), rather than society as a whole
include asset freezes, travel bans, arms embargos, export limits
what is compellence?
threatening force to persuade an opponent to GIVE UP something that is desired
require state to be credible
what is deterrence?
threatening force to DISCOURAGE an opponent from an action
require state to be credible
when is it ok to use force under international law?
- in cases of self-defense (imminent attack)
- when the unsc has authorized force against a threat to international peace
what is globalization?
increased integration of the world in terms of politics, economics, and culture
upside: individuals can connect across borders
downside: individuals feel disoriented, more drawn to nationalist fundamentalist movements
what are ethnonational movements?
drive by ethnic groups to form their own nation states
often labeled as terrorists
threaten territorial integrity of state and gov control
what are fragile states?
states unable to maintain a monopoly on use of force with erosion of legitimate authority
what are the 3 core features of war?
- organized, deliberate violence by ESTABLISHED POLITICAL AUTHORITY
- 1000+ deaths in 12-month period
- both sides have capacity to harm each other
what is the main takeaway of the geneva conventions?
legality of an action is determined depending on the balance between objective, means and methods, and consequences of the action
what is the proportionality principle?
propotional: civilian loss of life < expected military advantage
not proportional: civilian loss of life > expected military advantage
what are the typical characteristics of intrastate war?
- long-lasting, maybe even decades
- periods of fighting and calm
- stakes very high
- high human costs
what are characteristics of conventional war?
- military tacticics/weapon focused on battlefield
- much more common
- power=victory
what are the characterisitcs of unconventional war?
- targeting non-comabatants, keep fighting no matter what
- increasingly important over last century
- asymetric conflict
what are characteristics of guerilla warfare?
- surpirise attacks
- small, mobile forces, civilians risk lives to protect guerillas
- opposing side cannot distinguish between civilians and combatants
- characterisitc of asymmetric conflicts
what is the fundamental cause of war?
anarchy
what are the two patterns of war?
- rising power launches war to solidify postion
- powerful country launches a preventive war to keep challenger down
what is power balancing?
idea that war occurs when power is unbalanced so efforts to balance power reduce war
REALIST POLICY PRESCRIPTION #1
primary way to power balance: alliances
what is deterrence?
threatening use of force to prevent adversary from taking an action
REALIST POLICY PRESCRIPTION #2
assumes rational decision-makers, nuclear weapons = mad, alternatives to war are availabele
what is cyberwarfare?
state actions taken to penetrate another state’s computers or networks for the purpose of causing damage or destruction
generally targets infrastructure
what was stuxnet?
a computer virus that silently sabotaged centrifuges at the natanz plant through infected USBs
set back iranian nuclear probgram ~2 years
