POLS 220 - Unit 1

Enumerate the four requisites of statehood. Can a state delegate an attribute of statehood (e.g., foreign policy)?

1, Permanent population 2, Effective government 3, Capacity to engage in relations with other states 4, Defined territory -effective control over territory Historically it couldn't but now entrusting defense or foreign policy like in the case of Monaco or Andorra. This is Jonah :)

Identify the various ways titles to territories can be acquired and disposed of.

1. Cession - formal transfer -outcome of a dispute-settlement process 2. Annexation resulting from military conquest 3. Change in legal circumstances 4. Discovery

Why is the statehood of Palestine under challenge?

-Hotly contested since the withdrawal of the UK from the League mandate it held over the territory -Israel is in belligerent occupation -It is not admitted to the UN since it lacks the recognition of the three permanent members of the Security Council (France, UK, US) since it has not got a stable and defined territory

How were the religious wars in Europe ended by the Treaty of Westphalia, creating what we now call states?

-It marked the transition from a system of overlapping feudal loyalties toward a system incorporating the principle of sovereignty. -The treaty brought to an end the intervention based on religious matters

What are nation-states? Give examples.

A state that encompasses a nation. Nation is a large identity group that commands the loyalty of its members. It shares core similarities and develops a feeling of community and have the desire to self-rule. From the Austo-Hungarian Empire become Hungary, for example, is a nation-state because a single independent government governs it and because the people who inhabit it by and large consider themselves to be legally and culturally Hungarian Ottoman Empire-->Turkey

Why were political communities not considered "sovereign" prior to 1648?

Dyarchy = divided power system Catholic Church's temporal prerogatives inside the empire E.g. Charles V: Princes and nobles retained prerogatives over which there was no control German princes to enforce their own religion within the territory

Identify two important developments that followed the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia.

Established sovereignty on the basis of the international system 1. States became the sole constitutional authority in Europe. 2. It brought an end to a long era of intervention in matters of religion The prerogatives were transferred from secular hands to temporal

Summarize the insights provided by the experiments of Milgram and Zimbardo on possible civilian participation in state violence.

Exceedingly strong social norm to obey authority, obey orders that come from a legitimate source. Under the appropriate conditions, some people will become brutal and others will find it impossible to stop them Normal people could be induced into brutality and evil deeds by orders coming from a legitimate source

For Brooks, what is the problem with intervention in humanitarian emergencies?

It may lie in the eye of the beholder. If the requirement that military force must be authorized by the Security Council was not applied, the norm could be easily abused. E.g. China sending troops int Taiwan for humanitarian considerations

What does the author mean when he states that Taiwan is not an issue of"contested statehood" but a dispute between competing governments? (p.116)

Neither of China or Taiwan contests the unity of China as such and with each putting forward a claim to represent the state on the international plane -Taiwan however claims to be the sole legal representative of all China-->perpetuating a situation of deliberate ambiguity

In your own words, why did the author state that "human rights advocates and counterterrorism hawks make strange bedfellows" (p. 130)?

Parallel theories about the limits of sovereignty but logical implications taken for granted by the other community makes it uncomfortable. How they are interpreted and implemented, they may either contradict or reinforce each other. Human rights advocates support intervention to prevent human rights violations abroad. Counter-terrorists support intervention abroad to kill terrorists who violate human rights abroad. Thus, both support intervention in state affairs

How is the "effective government" requirement fulfilled?

People must be sufficiently, socially and legally organized to be viewed as an entity -uphold its international legal duties and obligations -coherent political structure through which law and order can be guaranteed

Classical conception of politics (limited)

Politics are activities related to creating rules and selecting goals that will be collectively pursued by the community (at that time, polis, city-states) -Politics as activities related to government (rules and policies binding to all) -->limited -Politics was viewed as an ennobling activity: The end of politics is to make people good and disposed to perform noble actions (Aristotle)

Contemporary definition (expansive)

Politics are activities related to the binding authoritative allocation of values - decisions and organizations (David Easton) -Politics is concerned with issues of "who gets what, when, and how" in a manner that is binding

Identify the three elements of sovereignty. Explain briefly.

Supreme authority within a territory -The holder of sovereignty derives authority from some mutually acknowledged source of legitimacy -The holder of sovereignty is superior to all authorities under its purview -Territoriality is by which members of a community are to be defined. Sovereign authority is exercised within borders but also with respect to outsiders who may not interfere with the sovereign's government Non-intervention is the universal policy between states. Limitation of sovereignty is Human Rights law, if abused intervention can be allowed

Explain the two features of the state system that characterized it as "anarchy.

There is no global authority above states within its boundaries, and similarly, no other entity can legitimately dictate a state's activities a) lack of central authority In principle, there is no authority that exercises sovereignty over states, and hence there is nothing to compel them to abide by agreements and rules that they do not wish to abide by. All states are equal. (b) possible use of force by any member. Each one can resort to the use of force in pursuit of its goals.

How does Responsibility to Protect (R2P) (see p. 127) explain the right of the international community to prevent atrocities?

The most fundamental responsibility of a sovereign state is the protection of its own population. The right to be free of external intervention is contingent upon a state's ongoing ability to protect its own population. If unable, loses the privilege of nonintervention

How did 9/11 change the nature of war?

Use of force expanded Preemptive self defense Not just traditional military force by foreign states -drone strikes, -non-state entities -State harbors terrorists-->use of force entitled