International Relations Terms and Definitions

Part 1: Terms and Definitions

• Hegemony: Domination of one state or group over the international system.
• Multipolar System: International system with 5-6 centers of power, not grouped in alliances.
• Bipolar System: International system with two roughly equal superpowers.
• Kenneth Waltz: Distinguished the international system from the domestic system.
• Prisoner's Dilemma: Game theory model where rational actors pursuing self-interest achieve worse outcomes than by cooperating.
• Individual Level of Analysis: Focuses on individual perceptions, choices, and actions.
• Domestic Level of Analysis: Examines domestic aggregations influencing state actions.
• Systemic Level of Analysis: Focuses on the interaction of states in the international system as causal factors.
• Nonstate Actors: Entities operating across borders, including bureaucracies, interest groups, and military-industrial complexes.
• Bureaucracies (non-state actors): Diplomatic services, national security councils, defense departments.
• Interest Groups (non-state actors): Coalitions advocating for specific political outcomes.
• Military-Industrial Complex (non-state actor): Interlocking network of government, industry, and research for military supply.
• Intergovernmental Organizations (non-state actors): UN, NATO.
• Nongovernmental Organizations (non-state actors): Red Cross, Amnesty International.
• International Regime: Set of rules, norms, and procedures guiding expectations on a specific international issue.
• Democratic Peace: Democracies rarely fight each other but may fight together against authoritarian states.
• Constructivism: Focuses on how ideas shape state interests and identities.
• Neoliberal Approach: Emphasizes the role of international institutions in reducing conflict in the international system.
• Affective Bias: Emotions influencing decision-makers' assessments of consequences.
• Cognitive Bias: Systematic errors in thinking due to limitations in decision-making ability.
• Bounded Rationality: Seeking satisfactory solutions that meet minimal criteria rather than optimizing.
• Prospect Theory: Decision-making involving two phases: editing and evaluation, often comparative to a reference point. Fears of loss outweigh gains.
• MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction): Mutual second-strike nuclear capabilities deterring large-scale war.
• Logic of Deterrence: Capacity for retaliation preventing one side from initiating war.
• Anarchy: Absence of a central government enforcing laws in the international system.
• Irredentism: Nationalist goal of regaining lost territory.
• Secession: Effort of a region to break away from a state.
• Tragedy of the Commons: Overuse of shared resources due to individual self-interest.
• Collective Action Problem: Difficulty in organizing large groups due to free-riding.
• Global Warming and Triple Problem: Paying short-term costs for uncertain long-term benefits related to climate change.
• North-South Divide: Global South countries disproportionately affected by emissions from larger states.
• Kyoto Protocol: International treaty aiming to reduce CO2 emissions by developed countries.
• Paris Agreement: UN climate agreement addressing emissions mitigation, adaptation, and finance.
• Demographic Transition: Change from high birth/death rates to low birth/death rates in a population.
• Falklands War: Conflict between Britain and Argentina over the Falkland Islands.
• UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea): Maritime law convention defining territorial waters and exclusive economic zones.
• BRICS: Group of emerging economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa).
• Export-Led Growth: Economic strategy focusing on industries competing in the global economy.
• Import Substitution Industrialization (ISI): Industrialization strategy relying on domestic production of imported goods.
• Tokyo Subway Attack: Aum Shinrikyo sarin attack in 1995, killing 13.
• Senkaku Islands: Islands disputed between Japan and China.
• South China Sea Disputes: Maritime disputes among several countries (e.g., Brunei, China, Philippines).
• Good Governance Model (Counterterrorism): Higher economic development reduces grievances and fundamentalist ideals.
• Legibility (Counterterrorism): Mapping social/economic/political territory to identify threats.
• Speed (Counterterrorism): Pace of counterterrorism in gaining information or targeting threats.
• Security Dilemma: Improving one state's security can threaten others' security.

Part 2: Terms and Short Answers

• Power: Two components: influence and capability. Measured often by material capabilities like GDP.
• Liberal Theories of International Relations (Kant): Peace is possible through institutions, state character, and international trade.
• Constructivism Example (Nationalism): Identity and interests are shaped by social norms and interactions (e.g., nationalism).
• Territorial Disputes: Can be land or maritime, often driven by material resources (e.g., oil) and less commonly by economic value.
• Causes of Territorial Disputes: Material (resources, strategic value) and non-material (nationalism, ethnicity) causes.
• Geriatric Peace Theory (Haas): Aging population associated with less resources for defense spending and economic decline, lowering chance for warfare.
• Coercive Engineered Migration: Weaker states using refugees as leverage against stronger states.
• Terrorism Types: State-sponsored and non-state actor terrorism. Non-state terrorism often uses civilians as leverage against a state.
• Religious Terrorism: Motivated by deep religious beliefs, willing to sacrifice for religious goals.
• Counterterrorism Measures: Good governance (economic development), and military effectiveness are needed. Challenges include asymmetrical warfare, non-state actor nature of terrorists, and urban settings.
• Collective Action Problem: Difficulty in organizing large groups due to free-riding.
• Global Warming and Triple Problem: The dilemma of short-term costs versus uncertain long-term benefits (e.g., cost of emissions reductions vs global climate benefits).

Test your understanding of key concepts in international relations with this quiz. Covering terms such as hegemony, bipolar systems, and levels of analysis, this quiz will help reinforce your knowledge of the theories that shape global interactions. Perfect for students of political science and international studies.