Global Politics Mock Review PDF

Here's an expanded study sheet that incorporates theories and analytical frameworks to deepen the understanding of **Human Rights**, **Power and Sovereignty**, and **Peace and Conflict** in political conflicts. **1. Human Rights** **Key Theories and Frameworks:** - **Natural Law Theory:** Human...

Here's an expanded study sheet that incorporates theories and analytical frameworks to deepen the understanding of **Human Rights**, **Power and Sovereignty**, and **Peace and Conflict** in political conflicts. **1. Human Rights** **Key Theories and Frameworks:** - **Natural Law Theory:** Human rights derive from inherent human dignity and natural order. - **Cultural Relativism vs. Universalism Debate:** - **Universalism:** Human rights are inherent and should apply universally (e.g., UDHR). - **Cultural Relativism:** Argues human rights should be interpreted based on cultural, social, and historical contexts. - **Realism:** States prioritize national interest over adherence to international human rights norms. - **Liberalism:** Advocates for international cooperation to promote and enforce human rights. **Ways to Analyze Political Conflicts:** 1. **Normative Power:** How international norms (e.g., UDHR) shape state behavior. 2. **Agency vs. Structure:** Examining the role of individuals (e.g., activists) versus systemic factors (e.g., institutional frameworks). 3. **Human Security Perspective:** Broader focus on protecting individuals rather than states (freedom from want and fear). **Case Studies for Analysis:** - **Syrian Refugee Crisis:** Analyze using liberalism (UN efforts) vs. realism (states prioritizing borders over refugees). - **Rohingya Crisis:** Examine cultural relativism in Myanmar\'s justification of human rights violations. - **Apartheid South Africa:** Use a justice framework to assess transitional justice and reconciliation. **2. Power and Sovereignty** **Key Theories and Frameworks:** - **Realism:** - **Offensive Realism:** States seek to maximize power (e.g., Russia's annexation of Crimea). - **Defensive Realism:** States prioritize self-preservation (e.g., NATO\'s defensive posture). - **Liberalism:** Focuses on cooperation through international organizations like the EU and UN. - **Constructivism:** Power and sovereignty are socially constructed; norms and ideas shape state behavior. - **Post-Colonialism:** Critiques the Western-centric notion of sovereignty and power, emphasizing historical inequalities. **Ways to Analyze Political Conflicts:** 1. **Soft vs. Hard Power:** Assess the use of military (hard) vs. cultural/diplomatic (soft) influence. 2. **Globalization:** Analyze how globalization challenges sovereignty (e.g., multinational corporations, environmental treaties). 3. **Sovereignty vs. Humanitarian Intervention:** Examine the tension between state sovereignty and international interventions (e.g., Responsibility to Protect Doctrine). **Case Studies for Analysis:** - **Russia-Ukraine Conflict:** Realism (power politics) vs. liberalism (role of the UN/EU sanctions). - **European Union:** Sovereignty pooled for economic and political integration; challenges to national sovereignty (e.g., Brexit). - **China-Taiwan Relations:** Constructivist view on how identity and norms influence sovereignty disputes. **3. Peace and Conflict** **Key Theories and Frameworks:** - **Galtung's Conflict Triangle:** - **Direct Violence:** Physical harm (e.g., war, genocide). - **Structural Violence:** Systemic inequality (e.g., apartheid). - **Cultural Violence:** Justifications for violence embedded in culture. - **Realism:** Focus on balance of power and deterrence to maintain peace. - **Liberalism:** Emphasis on peace through international cooperation and institutions. - **Critical Theories (e.g., Feminism):** Examines how gender impacts conflict and peacebuilding. **Types of Peace:** - **Negative Peace:** Absence of direct violence (e.g., ceasefires). - **Positive Peace:** Structural and cultural changes to address root causes of conflict. **Ways to Analyze Political Conflicts:** 1. **Conflict Cycle:** Identify stages (latent conflict → escalation → crisis → resolution). 2. **Third-Party Intervention:** Mediation, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding roles (e.g., UN missions). 3. **Asymmetric Conflicts:** Analyze power imbalances (e.g., state vs. non-state actors). **Case Studies for Analysis:** - **Rwandan Genocide:** Use Galtung's triangle to examine direct, structural, and cultural violence. - **Israel-Palestine Conflict:** Realism (security concerns) vs. liberalism (two-state solution). - **UN Peacekeeping in Bosnia:** Analyze effectiveness of international intervention using liberalism and constructivism. **Frameworks for Analysis Across Topics** 1. **Realism vs. Liberalism Debate:** - Realism emphasizes state-centric power dynamics (e.g., military interventions). - Liberalism focuses on cooperation and institutions (e.g., treaties, UN interventions). 2. **Power Dynamics:** - **Military Power:** Effectiveness in achieving objectives (e.g., NATO intervention in Libya). - **Economic Power:** Sanctions and aid (e.g., US sanctions on Iran). - **Soft Power:** Cultural influence (e.g., China\'s Belt and Road Initiative). 3. **Structural and Systemic Factors:** - **Global Inequality:** Root causes of human rights violations and conflicts. - **Institutional Role:** How institutions (e.g., ICC, UN) enforce norms and mediate disputes. 4. **Identity and Perception:** - Analyze how cultural and national identity shape political conflicts (e.g., nationalism in sovereignty disputes). Most Important Case studies: Here is a list of the most important and universal case studies for the **IB Global Politics** units of **Power, Sovereignty and International Relations** and **Peace and Conflict**. These examples are chosen to highlight key themes, actors, and concepts that are integral to understanding each unit. **Power, Sovereignty, and International Relations** This unit focuses on the nature of power, sovereignty, and the dynamics of international relations among states and non-state actors. **Case Studies:** 1. **Russian Invasion of Ukraine (2014 - Present)**: - **Themes**: Hard power, sovereignty violations, territorial integrity. - **Key Concepts**: Power (military and economic), sovereignty, and legitimacy. - **Importance**: Illustrates how states use hard power to challenge sovereignty, the role of IGOs (e.g., UN, NATO), and responses through sanctions or diplomatic isolation. 2. **South China Sea Dispute**: - **Themes**: Sovereignty claims, regional hegemony, resource competition. - **Key Concepts**: Power (economic and military), sovereignty, interdependence. - **Importance**: Highlights the role of rising powers like China in asserting territorial claims and the influence of IGOs like ASEAN in conflict mediation. 3. **AUKUS Alliance (2021)**: - **Themes**: Alliances and shifting power dynamics. - **Key Concepts**: Hard power, balance of power, and regional security. - **Importance**: Demonstrates how alliances influence global politics and regional security in response to perceived threats from rising powers like China. 4. **Brexit (2016)**: - **Themes**: Sovereignty and globalization. - **Key Concepts**: Sovereignty, legitimacy, and interdependence. - **Importance**: Highlights tensions between national sovereignty and regional integration, as well as economic and political consequences. 5. **United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Veto Use**: - **Themes**: State power in IGOs. - **Key Concepts**: Legitimacy, sovereignty, and multilateralism. - **Examples**: Russia vetoing actions on Syria; the U.S. vetoing resolutions on Israel-Palestine. - **Importance**: Illustrates how powerful states use IGOs to advance or protect their national interests. 6. **Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)**: - **Themes**: Economic power and global influence. - **Key Concepts**: Soft power, interdependence, and globalization. - **Importance**: Examines how China uses infrastructure investments to extend influence and reshape global power dynamics. **Peace and Conflict** This unit explores the causes of conflict, its dynamics, and pathways to peace, including the roles of different actors in conflict resolution. **Case Studies:** 1. **Good Friday Agreement (1998) - Northern Ireland**: - **Themes**: Conflict resolution, reconciliation, and positive peace. - **Key Concepts**: Peacebuilding, identity conflict, and non-violence. - **Importance**: Highlights successful third-party mediation and post-conflict reconciliation efforts. 2. **Rwandan Genocide (1994)**: - **Themes**: Ethnic conflict, failure of international response. - **Key Concepts**: Structural violence, sovereignty, and international justice. - **Importance**: Highlights the catastrophic consequences of inaction and the role of post-conflict institutions like the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). 3. **Syrian Civil War (2011 - Present)**: - **Themes**: Civil war, proxy conflict, and humanitarian crisis. - **Key Concepts**: Sovereignty, human rights, and international intervention. - **Importance**: Examines the complexity of intra-state conflicts and the impact of foreign interventions by states (Russia, U.S.) and IGOs (UN). 4. **Israel-Palestine Conflict**: - **Themes**: Territorial conflict, identity politics, and mediation efforts. - **Key Concepts**: Sovereignty, peacebuilding, and legitimacy. - **Importance**: A longstanding conflict that encapsulates the challenges of achieving lasting peace and the role of IGOs and NGOs. 5. **South Africa - Truth and Reconciliation Commission (1995)**: - **Themes**: Post-apartheid reconciliation and justice. - **Key Concepts**: Positive peace, reconciliation, and justice. - **Importance**: Demonstrates the importance of addressing historical injustices in building sustainable peace. 6. **Bosnian War and Dayton Accords (1992-1995)**: - **Themes**: Ethnic conflict, international intervention, and post-conflict resolution. - **Key Concepts**: Peacebuilding, sovereignty, and multilateralism. - **Importance**: Illustrates the role of IGOs (UN, NATO) and external mediation in ending ethnic conflict. 7. **Liberia Civil Wars and Accra Peace Agreement (1989-2003)**: - **Themes**: Civil war, peace negotiations, and post-conflict recovery. - **Key Concepts**: Peacebuilding, non-state actors, and reconciliation. - **Importance**: Highlights successful third-party involvement (ECOWAS, UN) in ending a conflict and rebuilding governance. **Why These Case Studies Matter** These examples cover a range of conflicts and power struggles across different geographic regions and types of actors. They reflect the diversity and complexity of global politics, offering valuable insights into themes of sovereignty, power, conflict, and peacebuilding in contemporary contexts. **PRACTICE PAPER 2** To what extent do you agree with the claim that state power remains central to understanding global politics? Arguments For the Claim 1. Power Defines Politics: - Politics inherently revolves around the exercise and distribution of power. States, as primary actors, use hard power (military and economic), soft power (diplomacy and cultural influence), and smart power (a blend of the two) to achieve their interests. For instance, the U.S. uses military bases globally to project hard power, while China leverages soft power through initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative【21†source】【22†source】. 2. State Sovereignty and Alliances: - States consistently work to consolidate power, often by forming strategic alliances or participating in intergovernmental organizations (IGOs). Examples include NATO for collective security or AUKUS to counterbalance China\'s regional influence. These moves emphasize state power\'s role in shaping global dynamics【23†source】【24†source】. 3. Influence in International Organizations: - Powerful states dominate IGOs. Their use of veto power in the UN Security Council illustrates this. For instance, Russia and China have consistently used their vetoes to block actions contrary to their interests, such as resolutions on Syria and Myanmar. This demonstrates that state power still underpins key decisions in global politics【24†source】. Arguments Against the Claim 1. Rise of Non-State Actors: - Non-state actors, such as multinational corporations (e.g., Apple, Amazon) and NGOs (e.g., Amnesty International), increasingly influence global politics. These entities transcend state boundaries and often wield economic or social power that challenges state authority. For example, MNCs influence global markets, and environmental NGOs pressure states on climate change【23†source】【24†source】. 2. Globalization Reducing State Power: - Interdependence through globalization has reduced the unilateral power of states. States are increasingly reliant on international trade agreements, financial institutions (e.g., IMF, WTO), and multinational supply chains, which dilute their sovereignty. For instance, the European Union's governance system limits individual states\' policy autonomy【21†source】【23†source】. 3. Emerging Issues Beyond State Power: - Transnational challenges like climate change, pandemics, and cybersecurity require cooperative, multi-actor solutions that transcend state-centric frameworks. For example, the Paris Climate Agreement depends on both state and non-state collaboration, showing that addressing global issues often supersedes individual state power【22†source】【24†source】. Conclusion State power remains central to understanding global politics, particularly in areas like security, sovereignty, and national interests. However, its dominance is increasingly contested by globalization, non-state actors, and transnational challenges. While states will likely remain crucial players, understanding global politics today requires acknowledging the interconnectedness of power between state and non-state actors. Thus, state power is central but not singularly sufficient.