politics key terms

Question 1

nation

Answer 1

groups that are culturally homogenous but without their own sovereignty or state e.g the Uyghurs, the Kurds

Question 2

state

Answer 2

central and most powerful actors who must possess a permanent population, defined territory, recognised sovereignty and functioning government and economy

Question 3

power

Answer 3

the ability to influence the actions of others

Question 4

global governance

Answer 4

institutions, rules, norms and legal arrangements that seek to facilitate cooperation and manage relations between states

Question 5

multilateralism

Answer 5

a system of coordinating relations between three or more global actors, usually in pursuit of specific objectives

Question 6

sovereignty

Answer 6

recognises that states have complete and exclusive control over all the people, property and decision making within their borders

Question 7

national interests

Answer 7

the interests of a state

Question 8

security

Answer 8

the protection of a state’s borders from intruders and the maintenance of sovereignty most commonly achieved through military power, as well as access to resources and protection of environment

Question 9

idealism

Answer 9

foreign policy is influenced by a states uncompromising approach to follow internal political philosophies

Question 10

pragmatism

Answer 10

foreign policy is influenced by practical outcomes and subject to change

Question 11

realism

Answer 11

a state prioritising their own specific needs and interests over the global community’s

Question 12

cosmopolitanism

Answer 12

the desire among global actors to cooperate to reach common goals and outcomes to meet challenges that are presented to the global community

Question 13

justice

Answer 13

the concept of moral rightness based on ethics that seeks punishment and compensation when ethics are breached, through international systems of justice e.g the ICC

Question 14

ethics

Answer 14

states are guided by different moral frameworks of what is ‘right and ‘wrong’ and this may influence the actions of intergovernmental agencies and the creation of international laws

Question 15

international law

Answer 15

body of rules established by custom or written legal agreements that are accepted as binding upon the international community

Question 16

crisis diplomacy

Answer 16

negotiations between actors in the global political arenas response to an immediate crisis (short term)
terrorism: 2014 UN declared BH a terrorsit organisation and support was akin to al-qaedea and subject to same penalties
syria: 2015 UNSC unanimous call for Resolution 2254, calling for SCC (hampered by divergent national interests)

Question 17

globalisation

Answer 17

acceleration and intensification of exchanges of exchanges of services, labour, etc which promotes global interdependence, facilitated by rapid changes in communication and technology
terrorism: ISIS 45,000 foreign fighters, 100 different types of weapons from 25 different states
syria: spread of Arab Spring in North Africa and Middle East, 2010-2011

Question 18

unilateralism

Answer 18

the policy a state acting alone with little regard to views and interests of others in pursuit of foreign policy objectives
terrorism: nigeria’s continued human rights abuses in fight against BH
syria: April 2017, emergency meeting of UNSC to discuss resolution to investigate the use of chemical weapons in syria, Russia said they would not allow resolution to pass

Question 19

international cooperation

Answer 19

occasion when global actors work together to achieve common ideals and goals (long term)
terrorism: MNJTF, 5 neighbouring states pooling resources to respond to BH
syria: July 2021, UNSC passed resolution to extend UN cross border and operation into northwest syria for another year, providing lifeline for more 3.4 million people (syria largely did not act in int coorp)