Power, Sovereignty and International Relations

Question 1

What is offensive realism?

Answer 1

✅ An aspect of realism where interaction between states is dominated by:

• rational desire to achieve hegemony
• uncertainty over other states’ intentions.

Question 2

Why is sociocultural power so important?
some examples
Limitations of sociocultural power?

Answer 2

✅ Globalisation made it possible for countries to export their cultural resources across the world
✅ e.g. The Simpsons, BBC, Facebook
✅ Doesn’t always benefits the country from which the brand originates
✅ Therefore, connects populations on a more human, rather than state strategic level.

Question 3

What is Hobbes’ and Locke’s ‘State of Nature’?

Answer 3

✅ A state where everyone is equal and has freedom of action.
✅ Everyone has the natural rights of life, liberty + property.
✅ No formal rules, so no guarantee that your own natural rights are safe from other people taking them away
✅ There is no social contract

Question 4

What is Democratic Peace Theory?

Answer 4

✅ Wilson said the reason countries went to war with each other was because they were dictatorships and didn’t listen to the will of the people.
✅If every state in the world was a democracy then there wouldn’t be any wars. This is because people don’t vote for war.
✅Democracies only go to war in self-defense or to protect another democracy.
e.g. U.S. invade S. Vietnam, argued they were protecting a democracy (N. Vietnam).
✅Wilson’s view was discredited after about 20 years because of World War Two. However, even Hitler might’ve been elected in 1933, by 1939 when they went to war it was a dictatorship.
✅Technically, there still has not been a war been two democracies.

Question 5

What is the Kantian Triangle?

Answer 5

✅ Kant said that states could achieve peace after they have shared 3 features:

• Democracy
• International trade
• Are involved in International organisations together

Question 6

What does realism assume about the international political system?

Answer 6

✅ International political system is anarchic - no supranational authority to enforce rules

Question 7

How is structural power gained?

Answer 7

✅ Usually by promoting preferred pol/econ model, e.g. dem / capitalism

Question 8

What are the 5 key assumptions of Realism?

Answer 8

1) States operate in anarchic global system
2) All states have some offensive military capability
3) States can never know the intentions of other states.
4) Primary goal of states: survival
5) States are rational actors. Can think of strategies that maximise survival chances. But may miscalculate in reality, bc imperfect info.

Question 9

What does liberalism implement to shape national interests and policies?

Answer 9

✅ implements IGOs+NGOs

Question 10

What are the two aspects of the changing nature of power?

Give four reasons why there is a wider decline of hard power.

Answer 10

✅ Military => Economic power: ⬆️ complex interdependence => war ⬆️ $ and so ⬇️ likely. Now, states compete through trade rather than through the use of force.
✅ A wider decline of hard power :
- ⬆️ interdependence,
- ⬆️ literacy levels
- ⬆️ democracy
- Hard power strategies ⬇️ popularity, e.g. War on terror => ⬆️ anti-Americanism

Question 11

What is the Neoliberal View?

Answer 11

✅ The view that supports the pol/econ polices associated with free market, global capit. e.g.:

• free trade
• privatisation
• price deregulation

Question 12

What is soft power?

Answer 12

✅ The capacity to persuade others to do what one wants

Question 13

How do parties influence international politics?

• Parties are key in the process of __ __ __, who then represent their states in the international arena.
• Parties are the key vehicle in politics for ___ ___ to be ____ and ___
• Parties are able to mobilise ___ and ___.

Answer 13

✅Parties are key in the process of selecting national leaders, who then represent their states in the international arena.
✅ Parties are the key vehicle in politics for political ideas to be articulated and structured.
✅ Parties are able to mobilise citizens and resources.

Question 14

What is liberalism in politics (Nye) and what does it emphasise?

Answer 14

✅Theory that emphasises democracy, mutual benefit + cooperation
✅ rejects power politics as the only possible outcome of IR

Question 15

Give an example of ideological power.

Answer 15

✅ gov propaganda

Question 16

What kind of actors do realists believe are states in global politics?

Answer 16

✅ States are the principal actors in global politics

Question 17

What is Hobbes’ view of Human Nature?

Answer 17

✅ People are inherently selfish and bad.
✅ They come together based on the desire to survive, out of fear of each other.
✅ Society can be led by one dictator, as long as the regime can keep order.

Question 18

What are the 2 stages of Locke’s 2-stage social contract?

Answer 18

✅ 1) Unanimous decision by all individuals to institute a political society. In making that commitment, those individuals volunteer to surrender some of their own liberty in order to secure order and stability.
✅ 2) Agreement of trust, civil society <=> gov. ,
individuals transfer power to gov to make, interpret + enforce the law of nature.

Question 19

What would be an example of soft power?

Answer 19

✅ e.g. the global popularity of Hollywood has helped to Americanise other cultures, creating an appeal for nations to align with the US.

Question 20

What does the theory of Classical Realism suggest about power and how states are led as a result?

Answer 20

✅ It is human nature to want power

✅ States are led by individuals with an innate need to dominate their rivals

Question 21

What is Locke’s view of Human Nature?

Why does the gov. exist?

Answer 21

✅ Humans are naturally good-natured and tolerant

✅ Gov. exists because we were intelligent + reasonable enough to create it.

Question 22

Why does realism believe world politics will remain a field of conflict?

Answer 22

✅ States will always act in their own interest, and that involves greater relative power.
✅ There can only be a few relatively powerful states, so less powerful states will always be at conflict with one another and with more powerful states to get more power, and more powerful states will want to protect their hegemony by suppressing the less powerful states.

Question 23

What produces and reproduces cultural hegemony and how does it do this?

Answer 23

✅ Produced and reproduced by the dominant class

✅ through reforming the state’s pol. instit.

Question 24

Define power in the political sense.

Explain it more clearly.

Answer 24

✅ The capacity of a political actor to influence the actions, beliefs, or the behaviour of others.
✅ Power is exercised when A gets B to do something B would otherwise not have done

Question 25

What are the usual targets of terrorism?

Answer 25

✅ Usually civilians

Question 26

What does complete interdependence mean about states ability to use military power?

Answer 26

✅ States are constrained in the use of military power because it harms the multiple interests shared between them, other states and other actors

Question 27

theory of Structural Realism

Answer 27

✅ States pursue power because of the nature of the int. system. they are
✅ trapped in that makes them compete for power to survive

Question 28

What does the financial power structure influence?

Answer 28

✅ Controls access to credit or investment

Question 29

What are the 4 types of NSAs

Answer 29

✅ TNCs, e.g. Apple 
✅ NGOs, e.g. Red Cross 
✅ IGOs, e.g. United Nations 
✅ Violent NSAs, e.g. ISIS
- All important international connections across state boundaries

Question 30

How is military power measured?

Answer 30

✅ size of armies,
✅ how advanced weapons are
✅willingness to use military power against other states.

Question 31

What are the usual perpetrators of terrorism?

Answer 31

✅ Usually armed opposition groups

✅ Sometimes a state, e.g WWII bombings of Pearl Harbour

Question 32

What is Gramsci’s theory of cultural hegemony about?

Answer 32

✅ state + ruling capitalist class (bourgeoisie) use cultural institutions rather than violence / economic force to maintain power in capitalist societies.

Question 33

What are the 3 components of Complex Interdependence?

Answer 33

✅ Multiple channels
✅ Multiples issues of interest
✅ Decline in use and effectiveness of military force

Question 34

What is the definition of a political party?

Answer 34

✅ A group of people who share a similar political views and seek to gain political power, usually through elections, to implement their beliefs.
✅ Tend to operate on a local and national level, but still has an impact on international politics.

Question 35

Where do structural realists believe a state’s power comes from?

Answer 35

✅ The material capabilities a state controls, e.g. military resources
✅ Latent power: size of state’s wealth + population

Question 36

Why is economic power important?

What is an example of an exertion of economic power? Give an example of that.

Answer 36

✅ Important bc can be used as hard power strategy
✅ eg. States regularly impose sanctions on other states to force them to change their behaviour. eg. US + EU sanction Iran to negotiate to ⬇️ nuclear weapons. 2012, economy collapsed.

Question 37

What are the 3 Faces of Power (Lukes)?

Answer 37

✅ Decision making power
✅ Non-decision-making power
✅ Ideological power

Question 38

What is Russeau’s and Locke’s ‘social contract’?
What did Paine say about the social contract?
What does the contract give the state the right to do, and what must it in return do for the people?
What did Locke argue about where authority should come from?

Answer 38

✅ Invisible contract, people <=> state.

✅ Paine: only mode in which governments have a right to arise, and the only principle on which they have a right to exist.”

✅ State has right to punish lawbreakers. Equally, state must limit itself so that it protects our liberties. If the state were to exceed its limits, it would violate the social contract. Individuals could then withdraw their consent to be governed. This right is enshrined in the American Declaration of Independence.

✅ Locke: authority shd arise from below rather than above + can only be based upon ‘consent of the governed’.

Question 39

What are the key assumptions of liberalism?

• Individuals are ___
• ___ the idea that states are ___ actors and instead will claim that state’s interests reflect the ___ of interests in a state
• the international system is characterised by ___
• States have a ___ to engage in ___ thus meaning they don’t believe that war is ___ as people don’t ___ for war
• ___ is the best foundation for a ___ and thus think states are ___
• Complex interdependence: Where ___ and ___ ___ are ___ ___ ___, ___, ___ + ___

Answer 39

✅ Individuals are altruistic
✅ Reject the idea that states are unitary actors and instead will claim that state’s interests reflect the plurality of interests in a state
✅ The international system is characterised by cooperation
✅ States have a choice to engage in war thus meaning they don’t believe that war is inevitable as people don’t vote for war
✅ Cooperation is the best foundation for a functioning world and thus think states are altruistic
✅ Complex interdependence: Where states and their fortunes are tied together economically, politically, militarily + culturally

Question 40

What is ideological power?

Answer 40

✅ A dimension of power that involves manipulating the psychology of everyone affected
✅ Similar to Marxist view of power, where the ability to control what people think of as being ‘right’ can lead to acceptance of biased decisions without question.

Question 41

What is an NGO?

a ___ ___, ___ ___ group that exists ___ of the gov.

specific ___ that they can provide to gov.
___ on behalf of ___ ___
provides ___ ___
___ issues, e.g. ___ ___ ___ / ___ ___

Answer 41

✅ A non-profit, citizen-based group that exists independently of the gov.

✅ Specific expertise that they can provide to gov
✅ Advocates on behalf of specific groups
✅ Provides humanitarian aid
✅ Monitors issues, e.g. human rights abuses/ climate change.

✅ e.g Red Cross

Question 42

How does cultural hegemony work?

Answer 42

✅ By propagating (spreading) set of norms until become “common sense” values, ∴ maintain status quo

Question 43

What is realism (Mearsheimer) and what does it emphasise?

Answer 43

✅ Theory that believes world politics will remain a field of conflict among actors pursuing power
✅ emphasises competition + conflict

Question 44

Where do Hobbes and Locke agree on Human Nature?

Answer 44

✅ That humans require gov. to function peacefully.

Question 45

How does complex interdependence affect multiple issues of interest, even issues that realists would see as purely domestic?

e.g. ___ ___ may be ___ by a ___ to ___ its own ___, but may affect ___ ___ if ___ must meet ___ ___

So ___ ___ can become ___ ___ as a result of the ___ between ___ ___ ___ of ___ and ___ between ___

Answer 45

✅ Even issues that realists would see as purely domestic can have an effect on the global system
✅ e.g. environmental regulations may be adopted by a state to protect its own citizens, but may affect trading partners if imports must meet new regulations
✅ So domestic policy can become foreign policy as a result of the connections between many issues of interest and interdependence between actors

Question 46

What does neoliberalism advocate?

Answer 46

✅ Int Instit.
✅ Int. trade
✅ spread of dem.

Question 47

What is the justification of the liberalist perspective?

___ of ___ ___ have created ___ ___, therefore states must ___ ___ + ___ with others

Answer 47

✅ Expansion of lib. markets have created complex interdep., ∴ states must rely on + cooperate with others

Question 48

What is the primary goal of states in the realist perspective?

Answer 48

✅ Primary goal of states is to pursue +protect their self-interests

Question 49

Fukuyama’s ‘End of History’, 1989

Thesis that mankind’s ___ ___ had come to an end

___ ___ had become the ___ ___ ___ of gov., even if it had ___ ___

___ models of ___ ___ + ___ were becoming an irreversible ___ ___

Answer 49

✅ Thesis that mankind’s ideological evolution had come to an end
✅ Lib. Dem. had become the unchallenged universal model of gov., even if it had temporary setbacks.
✅ Lib. models of free trade and capitalism were becoming an irreversible global norm

Question 50

What is a negative trait associated with realism?

Answer 50

✅ skepticism of the relevance of ethical norms in IR.

Question 51

Which substate actors make up the multiple channels of complex interdependence and how do they do it?

Answer 51

✅ Non-multinational businesses that buy imported goods from abroad
✅Provincial government trade missions
✅Individuals who travel abroad or may have friendships with individuals in other countries, as they ensure nations maintain good relations with each other.

Question 52

What are the 3 key arguments of Classical Realism?

Answer 52

✅ Realism and Superiority
✅ Security Dilemma
- actions taken by a state to increase its own security cause reactions from other states, leading to a decrease rather than an increase in the state’s original security.
✅ Balance of Power

Question 53

What are the 4 criticisms of neoliberalism (yay free trade)?

___ ___ : ___ ___ in e.g. ___ / ___ are ___ bc by nature these are ___ ___, so not subject to same ___ ___. ___ ___ignores the ___ ___ of health / edu.

___ ___ ___ ___: ___ ___ hasn’t necessarily helped ___ ___., instead contrib. to ⬆️ ___ ___, which has caused wider ___ ___ e.g. post-2007 credit crunch

___ ___ ___ ___: Doesn’t necessarily work in ___ ___. E.g. Country with the ability to ⬇️ int/r can benefit from ___ size of gov. borrowing (___ ___). But if interest rates are 0 in an economy like UK, then austerity ___ > ___

___: Neolib. policies tend to ___ ___ because ___ + ___ ___ workers are in a position to ___ ___ ___, and ___ + ___ ___ workers in ___ ___ ___ are ⬆️ likely to see ___ ___. This inequality can harm ___ ___. ⬇️income have ___ ___ ___,
⬆️income have a ___ ___ ___ to ___, so ___ doesn’t ___ ___ as is hoped.

Answer 53

✅ M͟a͟r͟k͟e͟t͟ ͟f͟u͟n͟d͟a͟m͟e͟n͟t͟a͟l͟i͟s͟m͟: Free markets in e.g. health / education are misplaced, bc by nature these are public services, so not subject to same profit motivation. Free market ignores the +ve externalities of health / edu.
✅G͟r͟o͟w͟t͟h͟ ͟o͟f͟ ͟F͟i͟n͟a͟n͟c͟i͟a͟l͟ ͟F͟l͟o͟w͟s͟: Capital dereg. hasn’t necessarily helped econ dev., instead contrib. to ⬆️ financial instability, which has caused wider econ. shocks, e.g. post-2007 credit crunch
✅O͟n͟e͟ ͟S͟i͟z͟e͟ ͟F͟i͟t͟s͟ ͟A͟l͟l͟: Doesn’t necessarily work in all countries. E.g. Country with the ability to ⬇️ int/r can benefit from ⬇️ size of gov. borrowing (fiscal austerity). But if interest rates are 0 in an economy like UK, then the cost of austerity > benefits.
✅͟I͟n͟e͟q͟u͟a͟l͟i͟t͟y͟: Neolib. policies tend to ⬆️ inequality because richer and ⬆️ skilled workers are in a position to command ⬆️ wages, and poorer + ⬇️-skilled workers in flexible labour markets are ⬆️ likely to see stagnant wages. This inequality can harm growth prospects. ⬇️income have limited spending power, ⬆️income have a ⬆️ marginal propensity to save, so wealth doesn’t ‘trickle down’ as is hoped.

Question 54

What would be an example of smart power?

Answer 54

✅ japan- strong soft power because of Japanese cartoons and food but also hard power as it has one of the strongest militaries in the world

Question 55

What is smart power?

Answer 55

✅ The capacity to combine elements of both hard and soft power in ways that are mutually reinforcing

Question 56

What does realism assume about human nature and how does this affect what kind of states are formed?

Answer 56

✅ Selfish human nature => selfish states.

Question 57

What does realism assume about war?

Answer 57

✅ inevitable

Question 58

In Locke’s view, what happens when the gov. fails to fulfill its purpose of respecting and defending the natural rights of the individual? Or if it abuses those powers in an oppressive way? Or if it rules without obtaining the consent of the governed?

Answer 58

✅ The individuals who form civil society may exercise their right of rebellion, and remove their rulers without actually dissolving civil society itself.

Question 59

What was Woodrow Wilson’s 14 point plan and how does it connect to the liberal world view?

Answer 59

✅ Statement of principles for peace
✅ Vision for ending WW1 and ensuring it didn’t happen again.
✅ Connects to lib world view bc it encourages freedom, trade + sovereignty.

Question 60

What is the neoliberal view more recently associated with?

Answer 60

✅ Policies of austerity by cutting gov. spending on social prog.

Question 61

What does realism assume about states’ moralities?

Answer 61

✅ States are amoral

Question 62

What is the definition of terrorism?

Answer 62

✅ use of intentional violence for political aim

✅ goals usually illegitimate

Question 63

What is hard power?

Answer 63

✅ The ability to coerce / force others to do what one wants

Question 64

What would be an example of hard power?

Answer 64

✅ e.g. Military action against ISIS in recent years

Question 65

What resources does hard power use?

Answer 65

✅ Tangible power resources, e.g. armed forces + economic sanctions.

Question 66

What is the key difference between classical and structural realists?

Answer 66

Classical: Power is an end in itself

Structural: Power is a means to an end, ‘end’ is survival of the state.

Question 67

3 reasons why military power ⬆️ importance

Answer 67

⬆️ importance:
- Still important to stop the advance of violent NSAs, eg. ISIS, which threatens state sovereignty.
- Intra-state war ⬆️ e.g. civil war + insurgencies, which pose global security threat. eg.
Arab Spring uprisings across Mid. E.
- Military force still used to protect civilians, under the doctrine of Responsibility to Protect

Question 68

What does liberalism assume about human nature?

Answer 68

✅ Humans inherently selfless

Question 69

3 reasons why military power ⬇️ importance

Answer 69

⬇️ importance:
- unsuccessful in many major conflicts since 2001, e.g.
Afghanistan / Iraq, because ❌ work against
current (violent) NSAs
- Inter-state war / military conflict ⬇️. Conventional armies
against states are outdated.
- ⬆️ public / political reluctance for Western troops to be
deployed. Hard to find support / legitimacy to take
military action.

Question 70

What resources does soft power use?

Answer 70

✅ Intangible power resources, e.g. culture, ideology, institutions

Question 71

What does realism assume about what states seek?

Answer 71

✅ States seek power

Question 72

What 4 other factors contribute to ⬆️ complex interdependence? How does this contrast with the realist perspective?

States have ___ goals.
Realism: ___ ___ is ___ goal.

___ ___ mainly affected by △ in distribution of ___ ___, ___ of ___ ___ + △ in the ___ of ___.
Realism: mainly affected by △ in ___ of ___ ___.

___ states find it harder to make ___ since force is ___ ___, and ___ states find it easier. ___ by weak states through ___ ___ ___ rather than ___ hier.
Realism: linkages ___ differences in ___ + ___ int. hier.

When ___ ___ can and do set ____ and act as ___ for ___ ___ for ___ states. Thus, in ___, ability of ___ ___ to choose a ___ for an ___ + ___ ___ are an important ___.
Realist: Roles of ___ ___ are ___, and are limited by ___ ___ + ___ ___.

Answer 72

✅ States have multiple goals.
Realism: military security is dominant goal.
✅ State’s agenda is affected by △ in the distribution of power resources, status of int. regimes + △ in importance of TNAs.
Realism: affected by △ in balance of security threats.
✅ Stronger states find it harder to make linkages since force will be ineffective, and weaker states find it easier. Linkages made by weak states through int. org. erode rather than reinforce hierarchy.
Realism: linkages ⬇️ differences in outcomes + reinforce int. hier.
✅When int. org. can and do set agendas and act as arenas for political action for weak states. In liberalism, ability of int. org. to choose a forum for an issue + mobilise votes are an important resource.
Realist: Roles of int. org. are minor, and are limited by state power + military force.

Question 73

What resources does smart power use?

Answer 73

✅ tangible + intangible

✅ Underscores necessity of strong military, but also invests heavily in alliances + instit.

Question 74

define sovereignty

Answer 74

The moral right of a state to rule itself: full control and authority over what happens inside their borders.

Question 75

factors that increase sovereignty

Answer 75

• permanent population
• defined territory and borders
• effective government
• capacity and legitimacy to enter into relations with other states

Question 76

realist view of sovereignty

Answer 76

• essential in IR. States are the only legitimate

actors. A priority.

Question 77

liberal view of sovereignty

Answer 77

• important, but not at the expense of other groups or priorities.
• not absolute and can be pooled (cooperating to resolve shared problems) and challenged (when other states fail to exercise their sovereignty responsibly).

Question 78

define legitimacy

Answer 78

• the acceptability of groups or actions, usually by conforming to agreed laws or democratic
  principles.

Question 79

sources of legitimacy

BIRD

Answer 79

B - balance of power (checks and balances, independent branches of government that each don’t have too much power)
I - international law
R - rule of law (eg. neither citizens nor government are above the law
D - democracy