Midterm 2 Flashcards
what is bounded rationality?
taking into consideration of decision making with limited knowledge
What is a zero-sum game?
“I win, you lose”
what is non-zero sum?
overlapping interests, absolute gains ‘win,win’ all parties come out ahead
what is the staghunt analogy?
conditions of anarchy make it hard to tell if you can trust the other party
what is the first image of power? Define it.
Individual level or human nature.
Centered on personality, perceptions, choices, or activities of individual leaders
what is the second image of power?
Domestic, National or state level.
centered on characteristics of the state, government, economic system, intrest group politics, national interests
What is the third image of power?
Systemic Level
Centered on the characteristics of international systems, interactions among states, role of international organizations, distributions of power and alliance politics
What are the components of a good theory?
Empirical and based in facts.
Normative and value based
What is the security dilemma?
once a state increases its security and power, another state will do the same out of fear. leading to infinite amounts of increasing.
Define Relative Gains
States will cooperate with each other as long as it benefits relative to other states
What is Realism based on?
Realism is based on the view that competitive self-intrest, given the preeminent goal of survival drives global politics.
- Power is coercive
- states compete for power and security
- humans are inherently divided
Explain Classical Realism. What is more important interests or values? What do they believe our behaviour is in uncertain times? What is the Level of Analysis? Who are the key philosophers?
- interests should be placed over values and ethics
- force should be used if needed to enforce the rules
- emphasizes violent behaviour in uncertain times
- pessimistic about human nature
- Hobbes and Machiavelli
- Individual, First level of analysis
Explain Neo-Realism. What is the level of analysis?
Neo-Realism argues conflict is NOT because of human nature but due to chaotic / anarchic nature of international systems
- no central authority to guide states action
- states are rational actors who seek security first
- Systemic, third level of analysis
What is Defensive (Neo) Realism?
states do not want to promote violences and only act to protect themselves (enough defensive power, deterrence or some level of absolute power is sufficient)
What is Offensive Realism?
states may be more aggressive and violent to gain relative power advantages / resources (focus on relative power: can never be secure without maintaining relative power advantages)
What is the liberal theory?
- states are central but not the only actors
- anarchy is mitigated by international institutions and interdependence
- states interests can change these conditions, less emphasis on politics
- belief in human progress
What are the main elements liberalism focuses on?
morality, Emotion, cooperation
Define Cosmopolitanism
An understanding and appreciation of the shared human experience and the ties that bind people together across nations, borders, and cultures.
What is the classical liberalist view? define the democratic peace theory
- optimistic about human interaction due to cooperation
- DEMOCRATIC PEACE THEORY: democratic countries don’t go to war against each other
What is Neo-Liberal Institutionalism
- focuses more on the ability of international global institutions to facilitate cooperation between organizations at all levels
What is structural marxism? or world systems theory?
- divides the world into the “haves and have nots”
- world system theory argues that the traditional nation-state is replaced by a world system of grouping countries
- global north: developed, richer nations
- global south: underdeveloped, poorer nations
in this situation the state is secondary to the underlying class conflict which focuses on who control the means of production
Define the Peripheral, Core and Semi-Peripheral
- peripheral: Peripheral countries are dependent on core countries for capital and have underdeveloped industry.
- core: Describes dominant capitalist countries which exploit the peripheral countries for labor and raw materials.
- semi-peripheral: Countries that share characteristics of both core and periphery countries.
What is Constructivism?
- World politics is a social system
- The nature of world politics is socially constructed
- Social structures shape state interests, ideas and behaviours
- importance of knowledge and legitimacy of the social system
- Importance of state and non-state actors
Unlike earlier theories, constructivism centers on values, ideas, and norms as a way to think about global politics.
What is Feminist Theory?
Feminism considers gender and gender roles as key concepts in understanding power in global politics.
What is a War of Aggression
an unprovoked military attack by one state on another
what is a war of preemption?
use of force against a threat that has not completely formed