power and boarders Flashcards
state
An area of land of an independent country with well defined boundaries
Within which there is a body of people under a single government
Key features of a state
-defined territory
-sovereignty
-government recognised by other states
-independence: self governing
-capacity to engage in formal relations with other states
State power definition
It is the government’s ability to control and manage its country, including making and enforcing laws, collecting taxes, and defending its territory. It depends on many different factors including social, political and physical factors. Fragile state index is a measure of state power.
The fragile state index includes refugees per capita and political prisoners.
Nation definition
A large group of people with strong bonds of identity
does not have to be confined to one country; it can be across borders.
Nations do not have any sovereignty.
Sates can have many nation groups
Sovereignty definition
The absolute authority which independent states exercise in the of governing the land, people and the territory
Can be internal which is states exclusive authority
Can be external need for mutual recognition
Nations state definition
A nation that has an independent state of its own, currently nearly all states refer to themselves as nation states
Territorial integrity
States exercise sovereignty within specific territory established by international law
Norms Definition
Norms have been derived from moral principles and behaviours which have developed over time throughout the world
Part of international law
Based on UN charter
Intervention
This when one a state or group gets involved to resolve conflicts or humanitarian crisis such as a serious violation of human rights
Examples: economic sanctions, military action and humanitarian assistance
Intervention can be controversial as in some ways it undermines sovereignty
Geopolitics
Relates to the global balance of political power
Power is uneven between countries, TNCs are becoming increasingly influential
Multinational organisations also have a lot of power
Global governance
Global governance is the way global affairs are managed, it is the application of collaborative efforts among international actors. They work to manage global issues such as peace, security, human rights and the environment through collective decision making and application of laws, regulations and ethical standards.
What is the UN charter?
Simply its a set of rules, goals and outline the structure of the United Nations outlines responsibilities of the UN.
What is the Westphalian model?
A model that emphasises sovereignty and control over a state’s own borders and equality
Current political boundaries
The current political boundaries are based on the westphalian model and reinforced by the UN charter however control of borders can be contested.
Examples include:
russia invasion of Ukraine
Contested islands in the south and east china seas
Transnational corporations
impact on territorial integrity
-TNCs operate in more than one country
As they are growing in number they have increasing influence in global economy and globalisation
However they present challenge to states sovereignty many in LIDCs because they can violate human human rights but because the government relies on them for income and jobs so much the have more control
Supranational Institutions such as large regional trading blocs
Examples of EU and UN
-have a level governance over many states
Eu in more detail on a regional level
Political union with a parliament and a monetary called eurozone
27 sovereign member states
Countries have to implement laws even if they don’t agree with them
Additional financial restriction for those in euro zone
Other limitations like fishing quotas and the common fishing policy and common agricultural policy
Contentious migration laws like the schengen agreement abolished many internal borders
Founded in 1957 but has kept on growing
The EU aims
Increase economic cooperation so trade enhances economic interdependence
Have a role as security- they provide forces for member states when they need rapid response they do this through the OSCE
Regulate conflict through policies- for example the Foreign affairs and security policy and the common security and defence policy
The UN in more detail working on an international scale
-193 sovereign states
Sovereignty and integrity are upheld in the UN charter
States have direct responsibility for its boundaries however the UN with the backing of the security council can intervene.
-Founded in 1945
-The UN Aims :
Achieve world peace and security
Develop good relations between nations
Foster cooperation among nations
The un charter gives the security council the responsibility to maintain international peace and security
Preventive diplomacy (preventing conflicts), mediation and monitoring is why the UN works
-Ways the security council does this
Treaty making
Peacekeeping
Delivering humanitarian aid
upholding international law
how do Political dominance of ethnic groups challenge sovereignty
Ethnic groups challenge sovereignty when they have strong identities and demand interdependence and when they have conflicts inside a state
Global peace index
Is a complex index including safety and degree of militarisation
It represents conflict situations
A high score means less peaceful and a low score means more peaceful
Amnesty International- an example of an NGO
Founded in 1961
Examples of campaigns include: safety of migrant and asylum seekers and working to get rid of the death penalty
Amnesty International aim to
Research and work on ending abuses of human rights
Encourage governments to accept and enforce human rights and international standards
Encourage all organisations to respect human rights
What is a treaty?
It is a written international agreement between two or more states or organisations by signing a treaty that becomes international law for the state to follow it.
What are global commons?
The earth’s shared natural resources eg. ocean atmosphere, international law describes states responsibilities over global commons
role UN flows resources and people
The role of the UN requires the flow of lots of resources, people, ideas and money
Effective intervention also relies on the constructive sharing of ideas for strategic planning so global meetings are required
Technology is very important as it is used for surveillance and planning eg. drones, international databases
challenges to a sovereign state that leads to loss of territorial integrity
-disputed boundaries (including maritime boundaries) where rights over natural resources and exploration are contested, such as India / Pakistan disputes over water supply in Kashmir
-contested territory ; where sovereignty of land and people in a particular state is challenged by another state such as Russian annexation of Crimea, Ukraine
-separatism ; where there are claims for secession by national groups such as Basque or Catalan claims for self- determination
challenges to a sovereign state that leads to loss of sovereignty
-TNCS
-intervention by supranational institution
-ethnic group political dominance
