powers and borders Flashcards
what is a state
area of land, of an independent country, with well-defined boundaries, within which there is a politically organised body of people under a single government
what is a nation
large group of people with strong bonds of identity, united by shared descent, history, traditions, culture and language
what is sovereignty
the absolute authority that independent states exercise in the government of the land and peoples in their territory
what is territorial integrity
principle that the defined territory of a state, over which it has exclusive and legitimate control, is inviolable
this is enshrined in the Charter of the UN + an important part of international law
what is independence
a situation in which the people of a country exercise self-government and sovereignty over their state territory, having gained political freedom from outside control
what is secession
transfer of part of a state’s area and population to another state
what is self-determination
right of a group with a distinctive territorial identity to freely determine its political status and freely pursue its economic, social and cultural development
what is resilience
the degree to which an area can recover from the impacts of a hazard
the level of vulnerability affects a communities resilience
what countries have been added to maps since 1990
South Sudan (seceded from Sudan in 2011)
Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993
The Czech Republic and Slovakia became independent states after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993
what are the characteristics of states
defined territory which is internationally recognised
sovereignty
government recognised by other states
capacity to engage in formal relations with other states
independence
permanent population which has the right to self determination
what is state apparatus
refers to the set of institutions and organisations through which state power is achieved. these include:
- internal political and administrative organisations
- the strength of legal mechanisms
- the organisation of police and armed forces
- the ability to provide effective health, education and welfare systems
- the ability to regulate fiscal and monetary policies
what does state power depend on
the interrelation of economic, social, political and physical factors, including:
- the ability to exploit natural resources and geographical location
- human resources such as the levels of education, and demographic structure.
- industrial development, wealth, and the ability to regulate the economy
- the strength of international trade and the ability to gain access to global supply chains
what is the kurdish nation
Kurds are a non-Arab, Middle Eastern population inhabiting the region known as Kurdistan, which is an extensive plateau and mountain area including parts of eastern Turkey, northern Iraq, northwest Iran, and small areas of Armenia and northeast Syria
The Kurds are a nation united by culture but without a state or sovereign power
what is nation building?
processes by which a state government promotes nationality, for example through its education system or the media
what two political processes is sovereignty sustained by
internal sovereignty, where an independent sovereign state has exclusive authority within its bounded territory and no other state can intervene in its domestic politics
external sovereignty, where the sovereignty is recognised by other sovereign states
what are norms
are derived from moral principles, customs and ways of living that have developed over time throughout the world
they are universally accepted standards of behaviour
the principles set out in the Charter of the UN are based on these long-established and universal norms
what does Article 2.1 refer to
refers to the importance of sovereignty
‘the Organisation (the UN) is based on the principle of sovereign equality of all its Members’.
all member states have equal right to determine their own form of government, which they can choose without influence. governments are able to make their own decisions but have the responsibility to respect the sovereignty of other states
what does Article 2.4 refer to
refers to the importance of preserving territorial integrity and the political independence of states
what are examples of norms relating to sovereignty and territorial integrity
the obligations of states to:
- promote and develop friendly international relations
- protect their citizens
- respect, promote and fulfil human rights
- allow citizens to be involved in government
- allow citizens the freedom and opportunity to contribute
what are governments expected to do to conform to norms?
to put into place domestic measures and laws compatible with the UN Charter and any other treaties they have ratified
what is intervention
is the action of a state, group of states, or international organisations in a foreign territory to end gross violations of human rights
the intervention may be an attempt to resolve conflict and humanitarian crises that arise from challenges to sovereignty and territorial integrity
what are examples of different types of intervention
economic sanctions, such as trade embargoes or aid reduction against states that violate international norms of behaviour
military intervention, authorised by the UN, to protect the territory, population and resources of a country in conflict or experiencing human rights violations
peacekeeping missions of the UN, and other regional organisations such as NATO, that contribute to building peace and security in conflict zones
humanitarian assistance by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) including NGOs and international aid agencies
what are some examples of situations that might lead to intervention by international organisations
a state government fails to protect its citizens from the violation of human rights
conflict between ethnic groups
direct act of aggression by another state, perhaps over territorial claims
civil war as a result of poor or corrupt government
why is intervention controversial
it is argued that the principle of sovereignty, promoted by the UN, is undermined by the very act of intervention even though sanctioned by the UN Security Council
Nevertheless, intervention may be deemed necessary in certain circumstances
what is geopolitics
involves the global balance of political power and international relations
geopolitical power is very uneven across the world
what are the geopolitical considerations for interventions
appropriate type of intervention?
which countries and organisations should be involved?
number and type of personnel deployed and their safety?
estimates/sources of financial costs?
impacts on the country/neighbouring areas concerned?
is the intervention essential/sanctioned by the UN?
what does the effectiveness of global governance depend on?
the interaction, co-operation and co-ordination of all organisations involved, at every scale, including the state government
what is global governance
the term encompasses all types of intervention: economic, military, the humanitarian work of CSOs including NGOs, and reinforcement of a growing number of positive societal and political norms, laws and treaties
what is the Westphalian model
the current system of nation-states with clearly defined political boundaries is based on this model
this system was established in the seventeenth century on the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the sovereign equality of all states
a state cannot violate the sovereignty or territory of another state because, in this respect, all are equal
what are examples of how sovereignty and territorial integrity are being challenged
contested territory
separatism
factional or sectarian tensions
transnational movements of terrorist and extremist activity
legacy of colonialism
contested maritime boundaries
example of contested territory
russia’s annexation of Crimea and support for separatists in Ukraine
example of factional or sectarian tensions
where political and ethnic conflict challenge sovereignty and territorial integrity, for example, in the Middle East and North Africa
example of transnational movements of terrorist and extremist activity
where movements of foreign fighters, oil, weapons and military supplies across international borders have threatened territorial integrity and sovereign control of countries, eg Turkey and Syria
what benefits have TNCs brought to LIDCs
many countries, especially LIDCs, have become reliant on TNCs to integrate their economy into the global economy, and to encourage development. In doing so, TNCs have brought many benefits to poorer countries
how have TNCs challenged government control and state sovereignty
in the last two decades, many TNCs have expanded their operations regardless of state boundaries
such is their economic power that some nation-states have in part lost control territory, work force, environment, and in some instances, their own political decision-making
why have many TNCs been criticized?
for pursuing their own profit-making interests at a cost to the countries in which they have invested, for example abusing human rights, which challenges sovereignty
what is an example of a TNC that has been criticised for its negative impacts
Nike
Its stated aims are now to shed this reputation and conform to guidelines published in its policies on human rights, labour conditions, equality, and environmental sustainability
what is corporate social responsibility
commitment and initiative of a corporation to assess and take responsibility for its social and environmental impact.
this includes its ethical behaviour towards the quality of life of its work force, their families and local communities, and its contribution to economic development and the natural environment
large TNCs like Nike attempt to achieve their corporate social responsibility and apply the ten principles of the UN Global Compact
By incorporating these principles into their strategies, TNCs uphold their responsibilities and reduce any challenge they might pose to sovereign state authority
what is the UN Global Compact
initiative that invites companies to align their strategies and operations according to universal principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, and to take actions that advance societal goals
how do supranational institutions affect member states’ sovereignty?
within supranational institutions, member states retain their sovereignty: they are independent countries, have equal rights, and exercise exclusive control over, and responsibility for, their citizens
but, having achieved membership, they are bound to the requirements of the supranational body, including any treaties they sign
in this respect, member states are said to ‘surrender’ some aspects of their sovereignty since they must comply with the international or regional laws of these institutions
what are the benefits for the 27 sovereign member states with integration in the EU?
the ability to address transnational issues such as air and water pollution and international crime
economic and trade advantages such as protection of industry by common tariff and access to a large European market
how does integration in the EU bring challenges to member states’ individual power and autonomy?
states are required to implement EU laws and decisions even if they did not vote for them
they cannot pass laws in the interests of their own state if they conflict with those of the EU
the 19 members of the Eurozone have additional financial restrictions as being unable to set their own interest rates, and being forced to accept harsh austerity measures and contribute to large bail-out funds, as for Greece’s debt crisis in 2015
examples of how the geographical distribution of ethnic groups do not always coincide with current political borders?
a sovereign state may include more than one ethnic group within its territory: South Sudan is estimated to include 60 different ethnic groups or indigenous tribes, of which the Dinka and Nuer peoples are the largest
a single ethnic group may be partitioned by modern state borders: eg Kurdistan extends across five states in Southwest Asia, and the Tuareg homeland stretches across five states in North and West Africa. In each instance, national borders bear little resemblance to these areas of common culture and ethnicity
how do ethnic groups challenge territorial integrity
challenges to the territorial integrity of a state come from ethnic groups that have strong identity, culture and political organisation, and demand full independence to create a new state. Eg the Tuareg in Mali claim independence and the right to self-determination in Azawad
how can ethnic groups challenge the sovereignty of a state?
challenges to the sovereignty of a state occur where internal conflict between ethnic groups results in a government being unable to protect all its citizens
conflict between the Dinka and Nuer has been fuelled by political differences between leaders and politicians that originate from these different ethnic groups in South Sudan
