Key Concepts Flashcards
International Relations
Relationships between actors in the international
system.
International Politics
Study of how global actors control outcomes to their advantage
and shape the way power, wealth, & prestige are divided.
Foreign Policy
The decisions governing bodies make to achieve international goals.
Signals sent by one actor to influence the behaviour of another actor.
Typically a single country.
State
A legal entity with a permanent population, territorial boundaries, and a
ruling government.
State sovereignty
No actor is above the state.
Nation
A collection of people with a shared ethnicity that believe they are part of the
same group based on their shared identity.
Some states include many nations.
Not all nations are states (Basques, Kurds)
Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs)
An organization consisting of multiple states designed to meet somechallenge in the international arena.
Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)
Groups of private citizens who participate in international affairs.
Levels of analysis
Aspects of international politics that are stressed in interpreting global
phenomena
Three levels:
- Individuals
- The state
- The international system
Individuals
The personal characteristics of humans responsible for making decisions on behalf of the state.
The State
The internal attributes of states that shape and constrain leaders’
choices.
The System
Interactions of states and non-state actors on the global stage.
