Lecture 3

Question 1

What was the Thirty Year War?

Answer 1

• The 30 yr war was a conflict found largely within the holy roman empire from 1618 to 1648.
• Considered one of the most destructive wars in European history.

Question 2

What was the peace of Westphalia?

Answer 2

It Reduce the power of the overarching church and Ended the war

Question 3

What was the Treaty of Westphalia?

Answer 3

• The Peace of Westphalia recognized the full territorial sovereignty of the member states of the empire
• regarded as a key step in the development of tolerance and secularization across the world.
• Overturned the medieval system of centralised religious authority and replaced it with a decentralised system of sovereign, territorial states.

Question 4

What were the key points of the Treaty of Westphalia?

Answer 4

• National self-determination;
• Precedent for ending wars through diplomatic congresses;
• Peaceful coexistence among sovereign states as the norm;
• Maintained by a balance of power among sovereign states and acceptance of the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other sovereign states.

Question 5

Key Actors: International

Answer 5

• States
• Nations
• International organizations
• NGO
• Multinational corporations
• Private volunteer organization
• Non state actors/armed resistance groups
• Terrorist organizations
• Regional actors
• Public opinion/media

Question 6

Power: What is it?

Answer 6

Power = Force x Will
“The ability to influence the behavior of other actors in accordance with one’s objectives

Question 7

3 Types of Power

Answer 7

• Hard → Forceful, military, economic sanctions, coercive manner
• Soft → Laws, international agreements, public opinion
• Smart→ Shared values

Question 8

Characteristics of Power

Answer 8

• Contextual
• Multidimensional
• Interrelated
• Relative- not absolute
• Situational

Question 9

Determinants of National Power

Answer 9

Natural vs Social vs Instruments of National powers

Question 10

Determinants of National Power, Natural

Answer 10

• Geography
• Population
• Natural resources

Question 11

Determinants of National Power, Social

Answer 11

• Economic
• Military
• Political
• Psychological
• Information

Question 12

Instruments of National powers

Answer 12

Tools of national security policy /strategy → These are the tools, or means, we have for accomplishing strategy

• Diplomatic
• Information
• Military
• Economic
• Finance
• Intelligence
• Law enforcement

Question 13

Balance of Power

Answer 13

in international relations, the posture and policy of a nation or group of nations protecting itself against another nation or group of nations by matching its power against the power of the other side.
States can pursue a policy of balance of power in two ways.

Question 14

States can pursue a policy of balance of power in two ways:

Answer 14

• by increasing their own power, as when engaging in an armaments race or in the competitive acquisition of territory
• by adding to their own power that of other states, as when embarking upon a policy of alliances.

Question 15

When confronted with a substantial threat states can either:

Answer 15

Balancing vs Bandwagoning

Question 16

Balancing

Answer 16

allying with others against the prevailing threat
—The belief that states form alliances in order to prevent stronger powers from dominating them lies at the heart of traditional balance-of-power theory

Question 17

Bandwagoning

Answer 17

alignment with the source of danger

Question 18

Security Dilemma

Answer 18

The principle involved in preserving the balance of power as a conscious goal of both domestic and foreign policy, as David Hume pointed out in his Essay on the Balance of Power, is as old as history, and was used by Greeks such as Thucydides both as political theories and practical statesmanship.

Question 19

Levels of Analysis

Answer 19

• Foreign policy influences
• Systematic influence
• State or internal influences
• Individual influences
• Policy making process
• Foreign policy decisions

Question 20

Systematic influence

Answer 20

The systemic level of analysis refers to the interactions of states and nonstate actors on the global stage whose behaviors ultimately shape the international political system and the levels of conflict and cooperation that characterize world politics. The capacity of rich states to dictate the choices of poor states falls properly within the systemic level of analysis. So does the capacity (or incapacity) of the UN to maintain peace.

Question 21

State or internal influences

Answer 21

The state level of analysis consists of the authoritative decision-making units that govern states’ foreign policy processes and the internal attributes of those states (e.g., type of government, level of economic development, public opinion of its citizens, and strength of military power), which both shape and constrain leaders’ foreign policy choices. The processes by which states make decisions regarding war and peace and their capabilities for carrying out those decisions, for instance, fall within the state level of analysis.

Question 22

Individual influences

Answer 22

The individual level of analysis refers to the personal characteristics of human beings, including those responsible for making important decisions on behalf of state and nonstate actors, as well as ordinary citizens whose behavior has important political consequences. At this level, for example, we may properly locate the impact of individuals’ perceptions on their political attitudes, beliefs, and behavior. We may also explore the questions of why each person is a crucial part of the global drama and why the study of world politics is relevant to our lives and future.

Question 23

Key Conceptsand terms for understanding World Politics

Answer 23

Macro-political vs micro-political

Question 24

Macro political lens

Answer 24

look at internal affairs from a bird eye view and explain the behavior of world actors based on their relative position within the global system.
—Major macro trends in world politics set boundaries for action

Question 25

Micro political lens:

Answer 25

look at world politics from the “ground up,” meaning the individual is the unit of analysis from which aggregate behavior is extrapolated.
—Values, interests, capabilities of individual actors affected by global trends