Introduction to Politics

• Politics involves how people decide, create, maintain, and change the rules they live by
• It is connected to conflict and cooperation
• Conflict arises from differing opinions, needs, and interests
• Cooperation arises when people realize they need to work together to establish or enforce rules
• Politics can be viewed as the art of government, public affairs, peaceful dispute resolution, and power/resource distribution
• Politics affects everyone, leading to debates about its meaning, therefore, becomes a contested concept
• Globalization is a complex web of interconnectedness
• Globalization shapes lives through events and decisions made at a distance
• The state is a political association establishing sovereign jurisdiction within defined territorial borders
• Politics is no longer limited to individual countries
• Issues such as climate change, trade, and international security affect the entire world
• Global politics focuses on political activities that extend beyond national borders
• Global connections involve international organizations, multinational corporations, and worldwide economic trends

International vs Global Politics

• International politics focuses on relationships between countries
• International politics involves diplomacy, war, and trade agreements
• International politics examines how states interact
• Global politics is broader than international politics
• Global politics includes governments and non-state actors
• Non-state actors include corporations, NGOs, and activist movements
• Global politics involves issues affecting the entire planet, such as climate change and globalization

Two Meanings of "Global" in Politics

• "Global as Worldwide" refers to issues impacting the entire world, like climate change, global trade, and pandemics
• "Global as Comprehensive" involves examining politics across local, national, regional, and global levels and their interconnections

Sovereignty and Its Types

• National governments still play a major role, despite the growth of global politics
• The idea of a "borderless world" is unrealistic because countries retain their own laws, policies, and political power
• Global politics complements international politics by examining all levels of political interaction
• Sovereignty is absolute authority, to make, and enforce laws without question within a country's borders
• Sovereignty is what makes a country independent and in control of its own affairs
• External Sovereignty is the ability of a country to act independently on the world stage without interference
• Internal Sovereignty determines who holds ultimate power within a country
• Internal Sovereignty in a democracy belongs to the people and their elected government
• Internal Sovereignty in a monarchy may belong to a king or queen

Changing Sovereignty and Great Powers

• Sovereignty evolves over time, with new ideas emerging
• Economic sovereignty is a country's control over its economy
• Food sovereignty is the right of people to control their food systems
• Pooled sovereignty involves countries sharing decision-making power, like in the European Union
• Globalization interconnects countries
• Interconnection leads to new ways of thinking about power and independence, despite the importance of sovereignty
• A great power is a country that is one of the most powerful in the world
• Debate exists about determining what makes a country a great power
• Strong military is a common criteria for a great power, to defend itself and influence other countries
• Economic strength is a common criteria, but wealth alone is insufficient
• Global influence is a common criteria with involvement in world affairs, beyond its own region
• Active foreign policy is a common criteria taking action in global politics, instead of isolation
• A country must actively shape international affairs to be a great power, beyond potential influence

Diplomacy, Transnationalism, and Interdependence

• Diplomacy is the process of negotiation and communication between states to resolve conflict without war
• Transnational entities take little to no consideration of national government or state borders
• Interdependence means mutual reliance, where the actions of one party affect the other
• Cooperation is encouraged by Interdependence, since harming one party can also hurt the other

Complex Interdependence

• Challenges the idea that global politics is only about power and military force
• States are interconnected and cannot act alone
• Economic and social issues matter just as much as security
• Military force is less effective than diplomacy and trade

Examples of Interdependence

• Trade: relies on each other for goods and resources
• Climate Change: relies on global cooperation to reduce pollution
• Health: relies on global cooperation for worldwide responses
• Collaboration is essential in solving global challenges
• Anarchy is in International Relations, the lack of a central global authority and world government
• Anarchy can lead to instability, but also encourages states to act independently
• Self-help occurs since there is no global ruler, states rely on their own resources for survival and security
• Balance of Power is s system to ensure stability with no single state dominating others
• Concepts like Diplomacy, alliances, and conflicts shape how states interact

Globalization and Key Terms

• Globalization refers to the increasing interconnectedness of the world
• Events and decisions in one place affect people far away through globalization
• Declining Importance of Distance is the concept that borders between countries matter less
• Stronger Global Influence is the concept that national and local affairs are influenced by global trends
• Interaction at All Levels is the concept that local, national, and global overlap
• Globalization does not replace national identity
• Globalization expands and deepens political, economic, and cultural interactions worldwide
• Collective Dilemma is a problem affecting multiple states that necessitates cooperation rather than individual action
• Globality is a fully interconnected world, like the global economy
• Globalism is an ideological push for globalization often linked to free-market capitalism
• Globalism includes economic integration

International Society: Definition and Features

• Countries interact based on shared rules, norms, and institutions
• Interaction occurs rather than only from power struggles
• International relations are organized and governed by rules, helping to maintain global order
• Rule-Governed Interactions in countries follow norms to ensure stability
• Modification of Realism differs from realism, emphasizes cooperation and shared rules
• Modification of Realism focuses rather than power and conflict

Maintaining Order

• Rules help prevent chaos and promote peaceful relations in the international society

Main Institutions of International Society

• International Law provides legal guidelines for how countries interact
• Diplomacy is the practice of negotiation and communication between countries
• International Organizations such as the UN help enforce rules

Challenges to International Society

• The effectiveness of international society depends on cultural and ideological similarities between countries
• Not all states follow the same rules, leading to conflicts and disagreements
• Understanding how and why countries cooperate despite differences is a challenge
• Providing a framework for understanding global order and stability is important

Perspectives on Globalization

• Hyperglobalism is the belief that globalization is inevitable due to technological advancements
• Globalization is driven by technological advancements like the Internet, digital finance, and mobile phones

Realist View on Globalization

• Globalization is not new, economic interdependence not global trade and economy
• The state remains dominant and is not weakened by globalization
• Powerful states benefit the most from globalization
• Economic ties can lead to conflict, not just cooperation

Liberal View on Globalization

• Globalization promotes free markets, growth, and democracy
• Global trade = more cooperation = peace
• Economic freedom leads to political freedom
• Global organizations and civil society help shape world order

Critical Views on Globalization

• Marxists: Globalization favors the rich, exploiting the poor
• Feminists: Globalization worsens gender inequality, forcing women into low-wage jobs
• Postcolonialists: Globalization is Western imperialism, erasing local cultures

Perspectives in Global Politics

• Realists: Globalization benefits powerful states
• LIberals: Globalization boosts trade, democracy, and peace
• Critical Theorists: Globalization increases inequality and weakens democracy

Common Ground on Globalization

• Believe in positivism (objective knowledge)
• Problem-solving theories, guiding policymakers
• Recognize conflict & cooperation, but from different angles

Realist View

• Pessimistic: Power struggles define the world Key Beliefs:
• Humans are selfish and driven by power
• States are the main actors—not international organizations
• The world is anarchic, so states must help for survival
• Balance of power prevents war
• Ethics don’t matter in foreign policy

Liberal View

• Optimistic: Rationality and cooperation shape politics Key Beliefs:
• Humans are rational & moral
• History moves toward peace & cooperation
• Trade reduces war, and democracies are more peaceful
• International law promotes order

Global Politics: Continuity and Change

Marxism

• Highlights economic power and exploitation

Social Constructivism

• Argues that global politics is shaped by shared beliefs

Poststructuralism

• Examines how language and ideas influence power

Feminism

• Criticizes gender bias in political theories

Postcolonialism

• Studies the lasting effects of Western dominance

Green Politics

• Prioritizes environmental concerns in politics

Power Shift Aspects

• Power has shifted from a Cold War rivalry (USA vs. USSR) to a multipolar world
• Multipower aspects include China, India, Brazil rising Non-state actors (corporations, NGOs, activists) influence global decisions
• Technology (social media, cyber warfare) has changed how power works
• Soft power (diplomacy, culture) complements hard power (military)

Security Aspects

• Security is traditionally about military defense, but now includes terrorism, cyber threats, climate change, and pandemics
• The security dilemma happens when military buildup by one country leads others to arm themselves
• Liberalism supports collective security (UN, NATO)
• Human security focuses on protecting people
• Human safety measures include protecting people from economic, social, and environmental threats

September 11 Attacks & Their Impact

• On September 11, 2001, al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four planes
• The 9/11 attacks included attacking the World Trade Center (NYC) and Pentagon (Virginia)
• A fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania
• Nearly 3,000 people died
• Led to the War on Terror, including wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
• Increased national security and global counterterrorism efforts
• Sparked debates about civil liberties vs. security measures

Key Distinctions in global views

• Realism prioritizes national interest over justice in global politics
• Liberalism supports morality in international relations
• Global Justice advocates for fair wealth distribution and environ. responsibiity
• Cosmopolitanism believes in global moral responsibility and universal human rights

History & Politics

• The connection of the two can help to understand the present
• Past events can offer lessons for today’s politics
• History is open to interpretation
• History depends on how people view it through modern perspectives

Eras

• Politics and Society in The Making of the Modern World, civilizations began replacing hunter-gatherer societies
• Ancient civilizations include Mesopotamia, alongside Egypt, China, and India
• These civilizations thrived due to agriculture and writing, laying the foundation for urban life and governance
• Rise of the West involved power dominating the world by exploration, trade, and colonization
• Imperialistic economy lead to transatlantic trading and economic stability

Political shifts during Imperialism

• The Westphalian system (1648) established sovereign states and political stability that fueled economic growth
• Feudalism declined making way for capitalism and industrialization
• Renaissance revived classical learning while the Enlightenment promoted reason and scientific progress
• Empires like Rome and China rose and fell leading to migrations reshaping civilizations

Political and Socio-economic issues

• Global trade increased while the enlightenment period decreased
• World War 1 lead to a period of peace and prosperity before
• Belle Epoque ended due to economic nationalism and reduced immigration

World War 1 Overview

• Short period between 1914-1990 the world was dominanted by capitalism but soon fell due to communism
• Alliance power was divided to the triple alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary vs. Allied Powers such as Britain, France, Russia, later USA
• The treaty of versailies blamed Germany while establishing territorial loses.

Global Issues leading to WWII

• WWII was due to previous war/treaties issues such as the treat of versailles leaving Germany exploited with the desire for revenge
• Global crisis creating political instability leading to rising autoritarian regimes

WWII expansion

• Hitler's power increased by the invasion of Poland
• Japan's invasion of China lead to global conflict

End of Empires

• Powers such as UK, France, and Belgium struggled to maintain control
• US influence impacted the colonial territory
• New nations in Africa, India gained independece
• US and Soviet emerged as super powers after WWII