052 - Chapter 52 - International Relations

feminism

masculine ideas of aggression and war color how the nation-state and international system are characterized.

Social and cultural globalism

movement of ideas, images, and people across the globe.

Military globalism

networks of security interdependence, where states in the network provide for each other's security through use of force or threats of force.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

passed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948 and is considered a fundamental document on human rights; declaration contains 30 articles outlining specific rights. Some of these rights include life, liberty, security of person, equality before the law, nationality, property ownership, association, assembly, freedom of thought, opinion, expression, religion, and conscience;

globalization

process of the integration of communication, culture, and economics across the world into an overall global system.

Liberalism

school of thought and argues that states exist in an environment of anarchy, and primarily act in their own self-interest. Liberalism argues that states act in their own self-interest by cooperating, which increases predictability and transparency in the anarchical world stage. For example, institutions, such as the United Nations, help states come together in a deliberative fashion to try to solve important issues affecting global stability and the interests of the international community.

Critical theory

set of theories that challenges assumptions made in traditional approaches to international relations; quest for power is the motivating factor in state actions.

Sovereignty

status enjoyed by states and means that the state's government has the right to act independently and without outside interference within its territorial boundaries

Civil society

studies the role of nongovernmental entities in the international system, such as the UN, the World Bank, the IMF, and nonprofit organizations like Amnesty International.

Human rights

the basic rights that are universally agreed to belong to all people regardless of their citizenship, economic, or social status.

Economic globalism

the flow of goods, services, and capital around the globe and the perception about these global economic exchanges.

North-South gap

{Explanation - Ironically, globalization may be a double-edged sword as it can both foster the gap and also help reduce it depending upon how it is used. For example, infusion of Northern capital investment into the South may help bridge the gap, but it's also the case that businesses have taken advantage of cheap labor markets and lax regulations.}

International Bill of Human Rights

"International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights" and "International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights" taken together along with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

How might outsiders attempt to interfere with the sovereignty of a sovereign State?

- Invasion - United Nations sanctions - Trade sanctions - Political pressure {Explanation - While sovereigns have the right to manage their internal affairs without interference, in reality our interdependent world makes it practically impossible not to be pressured by outside forces.}

Which of the following is correct about humanitarian intervention?

- It is the process of intervening into the affairs of a sovereign State based upon the violation of human rights - It doesn't always involve the use of force - It has been used as a pretext for military action - It has not been applied consistently {Explanation - All of the statements are correct concepts related to humanitarian intervention.}

Which of the following contains LDCs?

- North America - Asia - Africa - Latin America {Explanation - Since Mexico is part of North America, it also contains an LDC.}

Which factors can affect a State's power?

- Population - Economy - Geography - Technology {Explanation - All of these are factors that affect a State's power.}

Which continent has less-developed countries?

- South America - Asia - Africa - North America {Explanation - All of these continents have LDCs. Don't forget that Mexico is a part of North America.}

The Cold War period illustrates which of the following?

A bipolar world {Explanation - The Cold War illustrates a bipolar world where there are two centers of power - one centered around the United States and the other centered around the Soviet Union.}

Which of the following is a characteristic of a failed state?

A country that cannot project its authority over its population {Explanation - The key characteristics of a failed state is its inability to maintain and project authority over its population and protect its boundaries. Just because someone attempts to invade, or even invades, doesn't mean a State has failed. The State may fail if it cannot repel the invasion.}

Which of the following is the best explanation of sovereignty in international relations?

A status of a State that means it has the right to act independently and without outside interference {Explanation - Sovereignly is basically the recognized right to act independently.}

What is one legal way that State sovereignty can be overcome?

Addressing a treaty violation {Explanation - If a State has ratified a treaty on human rights and then violates the treaty, there is a legal basis for the international community to act.}

The settlement of a foreign territory is often referred to as which of the following?

Colonialism {Explanation - Remember that colonialism is an approach to imperialism, but imperialism is much broader than colonialism. Also remember that neocolonialism is about control without occupation.}

Which development theory believes that development is a zero-sum game where LDCs need to lose in order for developed countries to win?

Dependency theory {Explanation - Dependency theory, drawing from Marxism, believes that global capitalism requires the continued oppression of LDCs in order for developed countries to maintain their wealth and prosperity.}

Maria was trained as a nurse. Upon marriage, her culture requires that she give up her career and manage the household and take care of her children. This is an example of which hurdle to development?

Gender inequality {Explanation - Many LDCs still adhere to cultural traditions that result in gender inequality resulting in LDCs not utilizing the full potential of their human resources.}

How may we distinguish between colonialism and neocolonialism?

Neocolonialism involves dominance without occupation {Explanation - Neocolonialism does not utilize physical occupation and governance of a territory to exert dominance over it.}

What school of thought in international relations argues that States act in their own self-interest in an anarchical environment by pursuing power?

Realism

The presence of Hollywood movies in theaters throughout the world is best described as which of the following?

Social and cultural globalism {Explanation - The spread of ideas, concepts and art, such as film, music, and literature, from one society to the rest of the world can best be explained as an aspect of social and cultural globalism.}

Influencing others through the use of economics or culture is best described as what?

Soft power {Explanation - Soft power is the ability to influence others by means other than force and includes use of economic activity, such as trade, and culture.}

Which of the following is a major obstacle to enforcement of human rights?

State sovereignty {Explanation - The concept of State sovereignty is a big hurdle as it is a right all States have to management their own internal affairs without outside interference.}

Which country is considered by many to be an expert in pursuit of neoimperialism?

The United States {Explanation - It has been argued that the United States has exerted its dominance and influence over the world through the use of its economic, political and cultural power, which are the tools of neoimperialism.}

Which of the following is the best explanation of globalization?

The process that involves the integration of culture, communication, ideas and economics across the world {Explanation - Globalization can be thought of as the creation of social, cultural and economic linkages between parts of the world that creates an integrated and interdependent global system.}

What do you call a country that contains a nation within its boundaries?

This is called a nation-state.

What type of system involves a hegemony that pretty much has influence over all others?

Unipolar {Explanation - A unipolar system exist when there is just one center of power held by a single State, often referred to as a hegemon.}

Constructivism

a sociological approach to international relations. Constructivists focus on how national identity is formed in order to understand national interests. For example, states that share common characteristics or traits, such as democracy and capitalism, tend to view each other in positive terms, while viewing states without these shared characteristics often identify in negative terms. Thus, states with similar identities may tend to socialize positively with each other, while being hostile to states that have radically different identities. Constructivism has provided some important insights into understanding conflicts based upon ethnicity, religion, and terrorism.

failed state

a state that is unable to maintain and project its authority over its population and its territory and cannot protect its international boundaries.

International relations

academic discipline that focuses on the study of the interaction of the actors in international politics, including states and non-state actors, such as the United Nations (UN), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and Amnesty International.

International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights

codifies social and economic rights found in the declaration; effective 1976

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

codifies the civil and political rights of the declaration; effective 1976

world-systems theory

concedes that LDCs can achieve upward mobility in the world, but also holds that in order to understand what's going on internally in a country, you also have to understand the external factors that affect it. The theory also acknowledges that capitalism can take different forms. world-systems theory posits a tripartite division of the world: core, periphery, and semiperiphery countries.

globalism

defined by Robert O. Keohane and Joseph S. Nye, Jr., professors of international relations, as the state of the world consisting of networks of interdependence resulting from the flow of goods, services, people, culture, and ideas across the world.

Dependency theory

developed as an alternative to modernization theory in the 1960s. Dependency theory utilizes Marxism and focuses on external factors affecting development. It argues that the successful development of the developed countries was dependent upon the underdevelopment of the LDCs.

International political economy

examines the relationships between states, nongovernmental organizations, and multinational corporations in the international economy.

International ethics

explores concepts such as human rights, genocide, ethnic conflict, and just war theory.

North-South gap.

extreme difference between the development, wealth, and prosperity in the North and the poverty and lack of comparative economic development in the South

neo-Marxism

focuses less on the role of states and more on the role of economic factors in the international system.

The English School

focuses on the concept of international society. These theorists view the world stage as occupied by a society of states that are bound by a set of rules, norms, and institutions that are mutually agreed upon by their members. In their views, while states cannot completely escape an anarchical environment, certain rules apply to members of the international community.

Security studies

focuses on threats to states, such as environmental threats, health threats, nuclear proliferation, terrorism, and plain old-fashioned war.

Modernization theory

generalizes a development model that is based on the development of the West -- Europe and North America. Modernization theory advocates for social, political and economic changes to make LDCs more 'Western.' Free markets, acceptance of foreign investment in the country and democratic political institutions are encouraged. Under this theory, a country should follow the pattern of development that was taken by the Western industrialized countries, including adoption of their economic and political systems.

environmental globalism

involves 'the long-distance transport of materials in the atmosphere or oceans, or of biological substances, such as pathogens or genetic materials, that affect human health and well-being.'

Realism

like liberalism, holds that states live in an anarchical world and act in their own self-interest; realists don't buy into cooperation. Realists contend that all states are focused on survival through the acquisition of power and preventing other states from obtaining more power than they have. For example, some states have invaded their neighbors or established colonies in the past to acquire resources to increase their power.

Which subfield of international relations studies the international customs and rules that States recognize?

International law

Why is a rapidly growing population a hurdle to development?

It's a drain on limited resources {Explanation - The more people in a developing country, the more resources are needed just for survival rather than for economic development.}

What's the best explanation of a nation?

It's a group of people, often within a confined territory, that usually share a common languages, culture and history {Explanation - Keep in mind that not all nations have States and not all people within a territory may have formed into a nation.}

Which school of thought in international relations argues that States operate for their own self-interest in an anarchical environment by cooperating with others?

Liberalism

NATO (The North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is an example of which of the following?

Military globalism {Explanation - Military globalism consists the development of a network of security interdependence where alliances are formed to provide for mutual security.}

Which of the following is NOT a criticism of dependency theory?

NOT: It tends to ignore external dynamics affecting development {Explanation - Dependency theory tends to ignore internal dynamics affecting development.}