INR 3502 Exam 1
Security Dilemma
- A social structure composed of intersubjective understandings in which states are so distrustful that they make worst-case assumptions about each other's intentions, and as a result, define their interests in self-help terms -The main impediment to cooperation is the fear of exploitation
Theory
-A set of ideas that simplifies the complexity of the world and gives suggestions how to identify the key forces and actors within it -Explains why a particular hypothesis should be true, by identifying the causal mechanism that produce the expected outcome(s)
International Organizations
-A stable set of norms and rules meant to govern the behavior of states and other actors in the international system
Compliance
-Almost always looked at as a choice of states, but this book looks at how IOs might shape world politics in ways that are not understood by the imagery of "choice"
Executive Agreements
-An international agreement that is binding, but which the president enters without receiving the advice and consent of the senate -Congress not involved -Easy for the president to make, very quick -Can easily be undone by the next administration
Secretariat
-An international staff working in duty stations around the world -Carries out diverse day-to-day work of the Organization -Services the other principal organs of the UN and administers the programs and policies laid down by them -Duties include administering peacekeeping operations to mediating international disputes, from surveying economic and social trends and problems to preparing studies on human rights and sustainable development -Current, the post is occupies by Antionio Guterres from Portugal, who took office on January 1, 2017 (5 years renewable term of office)
Treaties
-Any legally binding agreement between nations -Where states acknowledge their promises as binding commitments with full international legal status
Coordination Problem
-Arise from uncertainty and insufficient information about others' preferences -Require an agreement to be reached about what to do and how to do it -Increase with the size of the group -Larger groups often need more formal institutions to solve these
Marxism
-Begins from the premise that international politics and international economics are one singular system and that this system in inherently unequal -Argues that there is no analytic separation between politics and economics
Realism
-Begins to form a premise that states are motivated by a sense of their own insecurity to continually look for ways to increase their power -Power is understood in terms of material, military resources such as tanks and bombs, and the contribution of these to the power of security of a country
Liberalism
-Begins with an emphasis on the choices that actors make in the pursuit of their interests, in relation to the choices and interests of other actors -Focuses only on political economy issues, not security issues -Focuses on the less ambitious goal of explaining cooperation in cases where state interests are not fundamentally opposed
UN Peace-Enforcement
-Coercive invasions of countries by a UN-authorized force -Intent on eliminating or mitigating a threat to international peace and security -The UN's military force is neither neutral nor consensual -It is authorized to wage war to accomplish the political goals set out by the SC
UN Charter
-Constituting instrument of the organization -Rights and obligations of member states -"maintain international peace and security" is their main purpose -Nothing in this is to authorize the UN to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state
Collective Security
-Created by President Wilson -In such a system, leaders would defend each other in the event of outside aggression
Cuban Missile Crisis
-Direct and dangerous confrontation between the US and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. -UN played a significant role in de-escalating and then resolving the nuclear standoff between the superpowers
Anarchy
-Does not mean chaos, nor does it imply competition -Filled with rules and ideas that emerge from the actions and interactions of the states in the international system -An ordering principle, which says that the system comprises independent political units that have no central authority over them
Critical Theory
-Emphasizes that it is impossible to know the future -Concerned with affecting fundamental change in state behavior, but it says little about how it comes about
P5
-Established in 1945 by the UN charter to provide international supervision for 11 Trust Territories placed under the administration of 7 member states -Made up of China, France, Russia, UK, and the US -The only members of the UN who hold veto power
Rwanda Genocide
-For nearly 100 days in 1994, the Hutu majority in this small central African Nation launched a purge against the Tutsi Minority -By the end of the 100-day killing spree, around 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus had been killed -UNSC decided that this was a domestic problem -Decided that the killings did not constitute a threat to international peace and security
Informal Agreements
-Generally come into effect without ratification and do not require international publication or registration
Collective Action Problem
-Individuals and groups can usually benefit from collective undertakings, but successfully achieving them can be difficult -Two barriers: Coordination problems, Prisoner's dilemma
United Nations
-Maintains international peace and security -Combats pandemics -Supplies vaccines -Assists and protects people fleeing war -Works to lower the global temp -Tackles the water crisis -Protects and promotes human rights -Uses diplomacy to prevent conflict
Security Council
-Maintains world peace (most powerful branch) -The only body in the UN with the authority to take action in defense of the collective security needs of the international community -Can take any action it deems necessary, including the use of force, to respond to threats to international peace and security
UN Peacekeeping Missions
-Negotiated between the UN and state or other parties and have the consent of the government in the state where they are operating -Characterized by three components. It is a multinational force authorized by the UN that is: 1. Impartial between the sides in the conflict 2. Authorized to use force only to defend their own lives 3. Consented to by the relevant governments
UNSC Veto
-Only the P5 holds this power -Gives the right to turn down resolutions proposed by the UN
League of Nations
-President Wilson's concept of collective security -Leaders would defend each other in the event of outside aggression -Ceased its activities after failing to prevent the Second World War
Transaction Costs
-Rules can reduct this of individual agreements -IOs lowers this of diplomacy
International Court of Justice
-Settles legal disputes between states and gives advisory opinions to the UN and its specialized agencies -The principle judicial organ of the UN -Its statute is an integral part of the UN charter
Norms
-Standard of behavior (not required by law, codification optional) -EX: nuclear taboo, state flags
Sovereignty
-States have the ultimate authority over people and territory of the state -Both empowers international law and undermines it -States can consent to be bound by the rules of an IO -States can withdraw or withhold that consent so that the rules no longer apply to them
Obligations
-States make commitments when they join international organizations -Such comes from the legal treaties and charter that establish the international organization -Can be specific or ambiguous/have room for interpretations -Can be self-enforced/monitored or be delegated to a third party
Relative Gains
-The comparitive effect of a decision or situation on an actor relative to those of another actor -Each side not only considers its individual gain but also how well it does compared to the other side
Constructivism
-The identities and interests of political actors emerge largely as a result of interactions -International political actors are therefore not necessarily or exclusively individualist and self-interests -The distribution of ideas, norms, and values within the global system is as important as the distribution of capabilities -Really care about ideas, norms, and valies
General Assembly
-The main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN -193 Members -A unique forum for multilateral discussion of international issues covered by the charter -Each member has one vote, decisions by 2/3rds majority -May discuss matters and make recommendations, but decisions not binding on members
Iteration
-Withhold cooperation in the future -States may feat that states will not be willing to make future agreements with them if they are known to renege on agreements
Issue Linkage
-Withhold cooperation on other issues -States may fear that other states will withhold cooperation or refuse to make deals with them on other issues if they are known to renege on agreements -Rules can tie tighter interactions between state in different issue areas
Security Community
A different social structure, one composed of shared knowledge in which states trust one another to resolve disputes without war
Tragedy of the Commons
A metaphorical label for a concept that is widely discussed in economics, ecology and other sciences.
Joint Decision Making Problem
A process of agreement formation in which one or more subordinates participate and some determination of the majority position is made
Externality
A side effect or consequence of an industrial or commercial activity that affects other parties without this being reflected in the cost of the goods or services involved, such as the pollination of surrounding crops by bees kept for honey.
Prisoner's Dilemma
A situation in which two (or more) actors cannot agree to cooperate for fear that the other will find its interest best served by reneging on an agreement.
Institutions
A stable set of norma and rules meant to govern the behavior of states and other actors in the international sysytem
Montreal Protocol
An international treaty designed to protect the ozone later by phasing out the production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion.
Mali Conflict
An ongoing armed conflict that started in January 2012 between northern and southern parts of Mali in Africa
Intergovernmental Organizations
An organization composed primarily of sovereign states or of other organizations through formal treaties for handling/serving common interests and governed by international law
Credible Commitment Problem
Arise whenever decisions made according to short-term incentives undermine long-term policy goals
Secretary General
Common responsibilities include making appointments to UN posts, overseeing peacekeeping missions, and mediating conflict
Chapter IV of the UN Charter
Contains the Charter's provisions dealing with the UN General Assembly, specifically its composition, functions, powers, voting, and procedures
Dependence Theory
Explains how advanced nations continue to flourish at the expense of underdeveloped nations
Chapter VII of the UN charter
Here, the council is given the power to identify threats to international peace and security and decide what measures are necessary to respond to those threats -These may includes economic sanctions, blockades, and other nonmilitary means as well as collective military force -This power is in principle unbounded, making the council on paper the most powerful international organization in the history.
Interactions
How states interact with each other
NGO's
International organizations which are independent of government involvement
Mutual Gain
Lays out the steps for negotiating better outcomes while protecting relations and reputation
Chapter V of the UN Charter
The SC shall consist of 15 members of the UN. The republic of China, France, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (Russia), UK, and US shall be permanent members of the security council
Power
The ability to make other actors do something
Delegation
The act of empowering to act for another
Brinkmanship Problem
The art or practice of pursuing a dangerous policy to the limits of safety before stopping, especially in politics
Conformity Costs
The difference between what any one party prefers and what the collective body requires
Interests
The goal that the state is trying to achieve
Information Problem
Rules can increase the amount of information available to participants in cooperation so that close monitoring is possible
Balance of Power
States are concerned about this so they must be motivated primarily by relative gains concerns when considering cooperation
Information
States know they will be caught and called out by IOs that are monitoring their actions if they do not comply
Absolute Gains
The total effect of a decision or situation on an actor
Enforcement
Without this threat, why would stated ever concede to IOs when their interest point is in the direction of violation? -Typically, members of IOs at most will face a very indirect threat of punishment for their violations
Economic and Social Council
Works with the UN's economic, cultural, health, and educational activities
