PS 140 Midterm 1

All individual actors have incentives to assume that other states will pitch in which results in “free riding” when dealing with non-rival, non-excludable goods

A state’s right of non-interference in internal affairs- most important international norm

a territorial entity which is controlled by a government and inhabited by a population. it has sovereignty and is recognized by other states internationally (UN)

Individual, State, Global

have influence on IR but are not states, e.g. IGOs, NGOs, MNCs, and individuals

States can have power only relative to other states’ power— ratio of power

Third parties in a conflict side with the weaker state because they don’t want to see the emergence of a single strong state which can destroy anyone (hegemon)

Third parties in a conflict side with the stronger state because it has a higher chance of winning (domino effect)

Pooling capabilities and enhancing their members’ power, or even just acting out the interests of the Great Powers within them

the worst wars result from challenges to the top position in a status hierarchy, when a rising power is surpassing/will surpass the most powerful state

A variation of realist theory with the same pessimistic assumptions about anarchy and rationality, but says the only thing that matters in IR is distribution: how many great powers there are in the world

to foster cooperation in the international system; they institutionalize rules and hold their members accountable, making it rational to cooperate

care about international institutions (IGOs)

care about domestic political institutions

State behaves a certain way because they calculate the possible consequences of their actions

state behaves in a certain way because they believe they should behave a certain way

democracies tend not to go to war with each other, possibly due to similar pol. institutions which hold leaders accountable OR mutual understanding on ideological grounds

anarchy, material power, states/domestic actors are driven by preferences

social power

Social interactions b/t states or other actors

how to tell if an identity is adopted for strategic purposes or genuine; are norms just states’ interests in disguise?

unequal relationships between economic classes shapes international and domestic politics

there should be more women in IR because women are fundamentally more nurturing & cooperative, so more women in IR = different outcomes, such as more cooperation

there should be more women in IR, but it wouldn’t change anything bc women would behave similarly to men in positions of power

since there is no world government to be an arbiter of disputes, the only state you can rely on is yourself

Actors in IR can be viewed as rational individuals or units who make informed, calculated decisions that maximize value and perceived benefits. These actors are acting in their best interest

Realists believe states are a single entity that tries to maximize national interest (do not care ab dom. politics)

rational actors pursuing their own individual interests all achieve worse outcomes than they could have by working together

implying there is no objective reality/truth and challenge the unitary actor assumption

relationships among the world’s governments & their connections with other actors, social relationships, and geographical/historical influences

a solution to the collective goods problem— responding in kind to another’s actions

a solution to the collective goods problem— imposes hierarchical solutions, where those at the tops control those below

a principle for solving collective goods problems by changing participants’ preferences based on their sense of belonging to a community

distinct spheres of international activity within which policy makers sometimes face conflicts or achieve cooperation

the types of actions states take toward each other over time

a subfield of IR that focuses on war and peace

the study of the politics of trade, monetary, and other economic relations among nations and their connection to other transnational forces

set of relationships among the world’s states, structured by certain rules/patterns of comparison

states whose populations share a sense of national identity, usually including a language and culture

gross domestic product, the size of a state’s total annual economic activity, usually the typical indicator of power

actors other than state actors that operate either below the level of the state or across state borders (IGOs, NGOs, MNCs, individuals)

increasing integration of the world in terms of communication, culture, and economics

gap in wealth and resources between the industrialized global north (north america/western europe) and the poorer countries of africa, the middle east, and most of asia and south america

the country that wins the first battle of the war will be joined by everyone else

offense needs to be stronger because defense is superior

symbol of appeasement, allowed Germany to occupy the Sudetenland

germany/russia nonaggression pact

meeting aggression with aggression sets you on a course for conflict which you were trying to avoid

meeting aggression with cooperation sets you on a course for conflict which you were trying to avoid

US attempt to halt Soviet expansion on ideological, political, military, and economic levels

a rift between China and the USSR in the 60s when the Chinese opposed Soviet moves toward peaceful coexistence with the US

a meeting between heads of state (usually great powers)

when the US and USSR came closest to nuclear war

wars in the third world in which the US/Soviets jockeyed for position by backing opposing factions

a broad intellectual tradition that mainly explains IR in terms of power

an approach that emphasizes international law, morality, and international organizations rather than power alone as key influences on international events

the ability to get another actor to do something they would not otherwise have done

the use of geography as an element of power

a situation in which states’ actions taken to ensure their own security threaten the security of other states

changes of relative power lead to changes in behavior among states

one state holds a majority of power in the international system & can single-handedly dominate rules and arrangements by which international political and economic relations are conducted

regimes are most effective when power in the international system is most concentrated

the ease with which members hold together an alliance— tends to be high when national interests converge and cooperation among allies becomes institutionalized

distribution of the costs of an alliance among members

the threat of force to make another actor take some action

P(WIN) X Benefit > Cost

one actor’s gain is by definition tied to the other’s loss

political/economic situation where two states are simultaneously dependent on each other for their well-being

set of rules, norms, and procedures around which the expectations of actors converge in a certain issue area

formation of a broad alliance by most major powers for the purpose of jointly opposing aggression by another actor

examines how norms and identities help shape state interests

women poll lower than men on average in their support for military actions

architecture of postwar economy, established the IBRD, IMF, fixed exchange rates, and the GATT (later ITO)

a league of nations with “teeth”; contains general assembly & security council

attempt to spur european economic growth/development as a reaction to soviet/communist electoral strategies