Pessimistic Takes on IR Flashcards
Which international institutions failed to prevent WWII?
- Wilson’s 14 Points (1918)
- League of Nations (1920)
- Kellogg - Briand Pact (1928)
Why did the 3 international institutions fail to prevent WWII?
Lack of support from greater powers and lack of centralized enforcement power
What is Realism?
Created by Waltz, it is a view of IR that stresses its competitive and conflictive side. Anarchy > State > Self-Help > Power > Balancing > Security Dilemma
What is Anarchy?
The absence of a central monopoly of legitimate force
What is the role of a State according to Realism?
The state is a unitary actor and it speaks and behaves as 1 voice to pursue survival with all state behaving the same
What is the Self-Help Principle?
When states’ provide for their own security due to uncertainties about others’ intentions and no world government to protect them
Why do States’ accumulate power?
They accumulate power (esp. military power) to achieve survival and gain more power than others
How do States’ accumulate power?
Through internal balancing (increasing their own power) and external balancing (borrowing others’ power through alliances)
What is Social-Identity Theory?
States that social identity is a person’s sense of who they are based on their group membership. In-groups vs. Out-groups
What are the international applications for Social-Identity Theory?
Nationalism, Ethnic and Religious Conflicts, Genocide, Diversionary War
What is Mercantilism?
A belief in the benefits of profitable trading. Concept of “free trade” with a persistence of trade protection (decreases imports and increase exports)
