IR 3 Flashcards
Conflict
Conflict: A difference in preferred outcomes in a bargaining situation that can arise over ideas
(ethnic, religious, ideological) or interests (territorial, government, economics)
Leverage
Leverage: Using power capabilities to influence an actor to reach a more favorable agreement,
types of which include nonmilitary means (e.g., trade, economic sanctions, foreign aid,
diplomats) and military means (e.g., conventional forces, irregular forces, weapons of mass
destruction)
Secessionism
Secessionism: A form of territorial conflict where a group wants to withdraw from an existing
state and form its own state
Societal Cleavages
Societal Cleavages: Divisions within a society, which can be based on socio-economic status,
ethnicity, religion, national identity, and ideology etc.
Cross-Cutting Cleavages
Cross-Cutting Cleavages: Social divisions where the salient cleavage lines cut across society,
meaning individuals fall into multiple categories. Nationalism is harder to foster in this
environment.
Parallel Cleavages
Parallel Cleavages: Societal divisions where the salient cleavage lines run parallel to each other.
In these cases, it is easier to foster nationalism but also easier to cause civil war by mobilizing
along relevant cleavages
Kimberley Process
Kimberley Process: UN-sponsored process since 2000 to monitor trade in rough diamonds. It
attempts to regulate cross-state trade in rough diamonds
Attrition
Attrition: A strategy whereby a party in a conflict or terrorist group inflicts pain to
undermine opponent’s willingness to fight
Compellence
Compellence: Attempting to change opponent’s behavior; e.g. ceasing a military
action, withdrawing from territory, or changing a policy
Deterrence
Deterrence: Attempting to prevent aggressive actions (e.g. invasion, military
attack) by threatening a strong response.
Brinkmanship
Brinkmanship: Use of a threat that leaves something to chance.
Cyberwarfare
Cyberwarfare: state actions taken to penetrate another state’s computer or
networks for the purpose of causing damage or disruption. Nonstate actors can
engage in such attacks either on their own or in conjunction with state
governments.
Cyberspace
Cyberspace: Cyberspace: more than just the Internet; “the entire spectrum of
networked information and communication systems and devices”
Decapitation
Decapitation: cyber attacks that target command/control centers, leadership, or
key weapons systems
NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty)
NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty): A multilateral treaty signed in 1968.
According to the NPT, only the P-5 (i.e., the US, the Soviet Union –now Russia-,
Britain, France, China) can have nuclear weapons. However, these countries have
also agreed to draw down their existing nuclear stockpiles and assist non-nuclear
countries in developing peaceful nuclear energy
Persuasion
Persuasion: A counter-proliferation strategy used to persuade another party to not
acquire or give up WMDs usually by offering material incentives.
Pre-emption
Pre-emption: A counter-proliferation strategy used to repel another party from
acquiring/using WMDs when their acquisition/use by that party is (perceived to be)
imminent.
Prevention
Prevention: A counter-proliferation strategy used to prevent another party from
acquiring/using WMDs when their acquisition/use by that party is not imminent or
known to be planned.
Chapter 7 of the UN Charter
Chapter 7 of the UN Charter: It sets out the UN Security Council’s powers to maintain peace. It allows the Council to “determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression” and to take military and nonmilitary action to “restore international peace and security”. Although Chapter 7 does not formally set out the provision of peacekeeping forces, the practice of providing peacekeeping forces evolved from this chapter.
International Court of Justice (World Court)
International Court of Justice (World Court): A UN body of 15 judges elected to
9-year terms by a majority of both the Security Council and the General Assembly.
Its main use is to arbitrate issues between countries with friendly relations overall.
Only states can sue/be sued.
International institutions
International institutions: International structures that guide relations between
states
international regimes
International regimes: Principles, rules, norms, and decision-making procedures
around which international actors’ expectations converge in a given issue area.
UN (United Nations)
UN (United Nations): An umbrella IO with 193 member states, founded as in 1945
to maintain international peace and security.
IOs/IGOs
IOs/IGOs: Formal international institutions that have (a) state members and (b) a
secretariat (a physical location with staff).
UN General Assembly
UN General Assembly: The UN parliament, symbolically important but weak
because their resolutions are non-binding
UN Peacekeeping
UN Peacekeeping: Armed UN forces forming a barrier to keep warring sides apart;
customarily, they do not fight unless fired upon.
UN Secretariat
UN Secretariat:
One of the five principal organs of the UN.
It is led by the UN Secretary General.
It implements resolutions and tasks directed by the UNSC and UN General Assembly.
One of its main duties includes helping resolve international disputes and administering peacekeeping operations
UN Security Council
UN Security Council: The enforcement arm of the UN, whose members include 5
permanent countries with veto power (US, UK, France, Russia, China), commonly
called the P-5, and 10 rotating, non- permanent members without vetoes.
