International Relations and State Actors

A key element of the international system, characterized by a defined territory, a permanent population, a government, and recognition from other states.

Actors in international relations are individuals or entities that have the ability to influence events and dynamics within the international system.

Non-state actors are individuals or entities that operate across national borders and are not bound by the authority of any single state.

Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) are organizations formed by states to collaborate and achieve common goals.

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are non-state actors formed by individuals, businesses, or other societal forces to address specific issues or promote specific values.

The international system is transitioning from a focus solely on states to include the growing influence of non-state actors. This means that other entities, like NGOs and IGOs, are increasingly playing a significant role in global affairs.

The idea that non-state actors are increasingly influencing global politics, challenging the traditional view of state dominance. This could mean a change in the way we understand power and decision-making in the international system.

A group of states voluntarily working together through formal structures to achieve common goals.

IGOs serve several key functions, including setting international rules and agenda, gathering information, and reducing uncertainty among states.

NGOs play a crucial role in addressing social issues like poverty, providing social services, advocating for community development, and protecting the environment.

MNCs are primarily driven by profit maximization and can exert significant influence on state policies due to their vast financial and economic resources.

The level of analysis approach in international relations involves examining the system, state, and individual as distinct levels of influence on global events.

Realism in international relations emphasizes the state as the primary actor, operating within an anarchic system, where survival and power are paramount.

Anarchy in the international system means there is no overarching authority to enforce laws or resolve disputes between states.

Realists argue that states prioritize their power to ensure survival and security. This can lead to a security dilemma, where efforts to increase security by one state cause insecurity in others.

Neo-realism, or structural realism, focuses on how the structure of the international system, especially the distribution of power, shapes state behavior.

Kenneth Waltz identified three types of system structures: unipolarity (one dominant power), bipolarity (two dominant powers), and multipolarity (multiple powers competing).

Robert Gilpin introduced the idea of dynamic power cycles, where hegemonic powers rise and decline over time due to economic and technological factors.

Balancing is a strategy used by states to counteract the power of more dominant states. It can involve internal measures (building military) or external measures (forming alliances).

Bandwagoning is when weaker states ally with a more powerful state instead of opposing it, often due to perceived threats.

The ability to get others to do what you want through attraction and persuasion.

The ability to get others to do what you want through coercion and payment.

A theory that emphasizes building institutions to facilitate cooperation and resolve global issues.

A theory that argues states and domestic actors (like voters or lobby groups) shape international relations.

The idea that states agree to follow norms and rules for stability and band together to stop aggression.

The act of exploiting workers through cheap labor, often in poor conditions.

The practice of employing children in jobs that are often dangerous and exploit them.

A theory that emphasizes class conflict as the driving force of history and the international system.

The theory that capitalism will spread globally and destroy national boundaries.

The idea that colonialism helps capitalism establish itself in non-capitalist societies.

A theory that critiques capitalism and its exploitative nature.

The idea that the state uses social programs to maintain the status quo and keep people content.

Marxist view that religion serves to make people docile and submissive.

The argument that peace can only be achieved through international organizations regulating global anarchy.

Marx's belief that the economic conditions create a workforce with shared interests.

A theoretical perspective in International Relations that emphasizes the role of systemic structures, such as anarchy, in shaping state behavior.

An international system lacking a central authority, leaving states to navigate their own security concerns.

The inherent danger that arises in an anarchic system, where states' efforts to enhance their security can trigger insecurity in others.

The primary goal of states is to ensure their survival, often at the expense of others.

States are rational actors striving to maximize their power within the international system.

A strategic approach where states create alliances to counter a rising power, preventing it from becoming dominant.

A strategic approach where states join forces with a rising power, hoping to gain benefits or avoid the consequences of opposing them.

The idea that states, like individuals, are capable of understanding moral principles and acting rationally to promote their own and collective interests.

The belief that democracies are more peaceful and less likely to engage in conflict due to their internal systems and values.

The interconnectedness among states, encompassing social and economic relationships beyond traditional military power.

The ability to influence others to achieve desired outcomes, often through a combination of military strength and diplomacy.

A state characterized by a weak or ineffective government, often struggling with internal divisions, corruption, and instability. This can create opportunities for terrorist groups to operate and recruit.

The intentional use of violence against civilians to achieve political aims, often through acts like bombings, shootings, and kidnappings. Victims are often innocent bystanders.

The use of technology, particularly computers and the internet, to plan and execute attacks in the virtual world.

The intentional use of biological agents, such as bacteria or viruses, to cause harm and sickness to people, animals, or plants.

A comprehensive strategy designed to combat terrorism by tackling its roots, reducing vulnerabilities, and enhancing international cooperation.

A significant rise in Earth's average temperature and changes in weather patterns over a long period, caused by increased greenhouse gas emissions.

Observable changes in the Earth's climate system, such as rising temperatures, melting glaciers, sea level rise, and more frequent extreme weather events.

The direct and indirect health effects of climate change, including increased heat-related illness, spread of diseases, and food shortages.

Climate change can exacerbate existing environmental stresses, impact food security, create water scarcity, and contribute to economic instability.

A legally binding international agreement aimed at limiting global temperature rise to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, ideally to 1.5°C.

A theory that suggests democracies are less likely to go to war with each other due to shared values, economic interdependence, public restraint, and alliances.

Democracies share values like human rights and freedom, reducing conflict.

Economic ties between democracies create incentives for cooperation instead of conflict.

Democratic publics are less likely to support wars unless essential for self-defense.

Democracies form alliances to deter conflicts and maintain peace.

Democratic leaders are accountable to citizens, making them less likely to initiate war hastily.

Democracies develop norms of peaceful conflict resolution, reducing violence both domestically and internationally.

Liberal ideologies promote peaceful relations between states that share similar values.

A challenge to DPT that points out the difficulty of accurately defining democracy and war.

The lack of universally accepted definition of terrorism across jurisdictions.

Terrorism focuses on violence with political motives, aiming to instill fear and influence public opinion.

Terrorism is complex and difficult to define definitively, complicating international collaboration and legal responses.

Transnational terrorism poses a unique challenge due to the complexity of international cooperation and the potential for catastrophic consequences.

Understanding the root causes of extremism and developing policies to prevent radicalization is crucial to counterterrorism.

A theoretical perspective in international relations that emphasizes the role of shared ideas, social values, and norms in shaping international behavior.

A key assumption of constructivism, stating that reality is not fixed or objective, but rather is socially constructed through shared perceptions, beliefs, and ideas.

A constructivist concept that states the international system isn't simply defined by material forces, but by the relationships, ideas, and norms that states share.

A core concept in constructivism arguing that anarchy is not a natural state, but is socially constructed through states' shared understanding and perceptions of the world.

A key constructivist principle that emphasizes the interplay between agents (states, individuals) and structures (norms, international institutions) in shaping international relations.

The idea that the meaning attributed to material objects is shaped by social factors and interpretations, rather than solely by their physical characteristics.

A standard for appropriate behavior within a specific identity, often based on collective beliefs and shaped through social interaction.

A constructivist explanation for the emergence of violent non-state actors (VNSAs) that highlights the role of state vulnerability and the lack of state capacity in providing basic goods and services.

The idea that national identities are not inherent but are constructed through historical, cultural, and social factors.

The process by which states develop common identities and shared understandings, leading to potential cooperation and the formation of security communities.

A concept where states differ based on their unique political cultures, types of government, historical contexts, and normative frameworks, shaping their actions on the global stage.

A constructivist argument that suggests that states' understanding of anarchy shapes their behavior in the absence of a world government.

A process of continuous interactions where agents (states, individuals) shape and are shaped by structures (norms, institutions), leading to the evolution of identities and interests in international relations.

The study of how language is used to construct meanings and identities, with implications for understanding how states define their interests, actions, and relationships in international relations.

The idea that the international system is not inherently biased towards cooperation or conflict, but rather is shaped by the values and norms adopted by states, which can vary widely.

The role of individual actors and their beliefs in shaping the international system, acknowledging that individuals can have significant influence through their ideas, actions, and positions of power.