Key Words Test-Winter Term week 10 Flashcards
Anarchical Society
The term used by Hedley Bull in his 1977 book of the same name. It is the idea that global politics is in a state of disorder because there is no higher authority than nation-states with the power to control global politics.
Autocratic State
An autocratic state is a state in which power is either in the hands of an individual or a select few. They vary in the despotic tendencies of their governments, with totalitarian states the most ruthless in their crushing of internal dissent.
Defined Territory
The area of land under a state’s control (borders). The government has a right to govern it’s own territory.
Democracy
A system of government where citizens elect representatives who make decisions on their behalf. The people themselves make the political decisions.
The people are sovereign and only they can legitimise government.
Intergovernmental Organisations
An organisation composed of sovereign states where states work together (e.g. UN)
Liberalism
The belief that states’ interests in global politics are linked and interdependent, and best advanced through states working closely with each other and with non-state actors in order to achieve common political objectives.
Non-Democratic State
An autocratic or authoritarian state, in which power is either in the hands of an individual or a select few. They vary in the despotic tendencies of their governments, with totalitarian states the most ruthless in their crushing of internal dissent.
United Nations
The world’s principal intergovernmental organisation, founded in 1945 and comprised of 193 member states. It has a wide range of responsibilities and powers (e.g. international peace and security, economic development, human rights and social progress).
UN Security Council
The UN’s supreme decision-making body on matters of international peace and security, able to pass binding resolutions with the full force of international law.
UN General Assembly
The UN’s parliament. Every member state can be in debates and all states are represented equally with representatives from all member countries. The UNGA meets every September and discusses important matters.
Referendum
A national vote involving all voters on one fundamental issue.
Rule of Law
The principle that that the legal system should provide impartial justice for everyone within a nation-state.
Semi Democratic State
A state that superficially possesses the features of a democracy, but has underlying authoritarian features, ensuring that the government won’t willingly relinquish power. The rule of law is limited, since the government is not fully committed to democratic principles of justice.
State Actors/Nation States
Any country. State actors are
Zero-Sum Game
The idea that someone has to win and someone has to lose.
