Global Politics: Midterm Review

Globalization Historical process involving the shift or transformation of human social organization that links
distant communities and expands the reach of power relations across regions and continents.
Also a catch-all phrase to describe a single world economy or an international capitalist system.
Time-space compression Globalization erodes the relative isolation of the past in terms of the political, economic, social,
cultural, etc.
Weber’s definition of the state That which has a monopoly over the legitimate use of organized violence.
Rise of the modern nation-state  Hanseatic League - Trade union of N. Europe commercial cities (13th-17th cent).
 Peace of Westphalia (1648) - "birth of the (sovereign) nation-state"
 Right of monarchs to sovereignty, armies, state religions, etc.
 Mass army, public education, nationalism
 Average size of states expanded during the 19th cent and contracted in the 20th.
Sovereignty C-Weberian notion: "a political entity's externally recognized right to exercise final authority over
its affairs."
Nation-states (or city-states) as the "units" of global political system.
Fukuyama’s “end of history”  A base "ideal" drives the "actual" superstructure, grounded in people’s ideology.
 “The end point of mankind's ideological evolution and the universalization of Western
liberal democracy as the final form of human government.”
Huntington’s “clash of The inevitability of conflict as a historically proven fact.
civilizations” Argues that the next key conflicts in the world will not be economic or ideological but cultural.

Statism, survival, self-help Statism: Sovereign states are preeminent global actors. Sovereignty and authority over territory.
Survival: The primary objective of all states.
Self-help: Act in the interest of your own state (since no other institution can be a reliable
guarantor of survival).
Balance of power A balanced distribution of global power among states so as to deter conflict. As contrasted with
“collective security” like in League of Nations.
Anarchy Lack of a prevailing world-governing order. Can lead to distrust, anxiety, conflict, war, etc.
Ill effects potentially minimized through internatnl cooperation (common interest / institutions?).

Core assumptions of Modification of Realism. Economic and military capabilities as the basis for exercising influence.
neorealism Concern for issues of security, power, and survival.

Distinguish classical vs. neo- Classical: Struggle for power from human nature, power over principle, limited justice & law
(structural) realism under authoritarian governments.
Structural: Anarchy, struggle for relative power gains, all states are functionally equivalent.
Carr on internationalism and Argues a “harmony of interests” under anarchy is naïve. Calls for institutional internationalism?
the harmony of interests
Collective security ‘Each state in the system accepts that the security of one is the concern of all, and agrees to join
in a collective response to aggression.’ (Principle behind League of Nations, who failed to act.)
Democratic peace (Kant, Doyle) Idea that the spread of democratic among states unlikely to war (w/ each other). Central plank of
liberal institutionalist thought.

Strands of liberalism Commercial liberalism advocates free trade and a market as a way towards peace and prosperity;
Commercial Republican liberalism holds that democratic states are more inclined to respect the rights of their
Republican citizens and are less likely to go to war
Sociological Sociological liberalism emphasizes global civil society and the process of interdependence.

(Neoliberal) Institutionalism Institutions as the mediator to achieve cooperation help govern a competitive and anarchic
& Functions of institutions international system and encourage multilateralism & co operation as a means of securing
national interests.
Relative vs. absolute gains 'Relative gains': states compare their gains with those of other states when making their decisions
about security. (Neo-realist)
‘Absolute gains’: states cooperate and the greatest obstacle to cooperation is 'cheating' or non
compliance by other states. Cooperation may be harder to achieve in areas where leaders
perceive they have no mutual interests. (Neo-liberal)
Distinguish and compare liberal Liberal institutionalists focus on cooperation, political economy, environmental issues, and lately,
institutionalism and neorealism human rights issues. Less concerned about relative gains and consider that all will benefit from
absolute gains.
Neo-realists focus on security and military issues (high politics), concerned with the absolute and
relative gains.
Base and Superstructure in Base: global economic arrangement, means of production, relations
Marxist intl relations theory Superstructure: socio-political systems that arise according to Base realities. Econ -> Politc power.
Core, semi-, and periphery in Core: industrialized production of sold manufactured goods, importing resources from Periphery.
world system theory. Periphery: unindustrialized, exporting natural resources, but dependent on Core manufactureds.
A global division of labor leads to permanent relative underdevelopment in dependent Periphery.
Contradictions in capitalism, Ex: Capitalists’ desire to profit off lower wages vs. needing a moneyed consuming population
and underconsumption
Lenin’s theory of war War is a continuation of politics.
Aim of war is to achieve military victory for the political victory of socialism.
Logic of consequences vs. logic Logic of consequences: action attributed to anticipated costs & benefits (utilitarian).
of appropriateness Logic of appropriateness: actors are rule-following, concerned with legitimacy (deontological).
(constructivism)
Material vs. normative Base/economic/material vs. Superstructure/socio-political/ideal
structures
Levels and actors of focus Neo-realist: primarily nation-states.
under different theories Neo-liberal: nation-states, international institutions, NGOs, transnational corporations.
Marxism: classes, means of production.
Constructivism: human consciousness, knowledge constructed orders
Social facts “Facts” in a system of political thought are determined socially through intersubjective consensus.
Social construction of reality The ideas and norms people hold are the constructors of environments, including political order.
Power, knowledge, identities, Power comes from constructed orders. Knowledge influences beliefs. Identities and interest play
and interests (constructivism) a role in constructions.
Core assumptions of Political and economic realities constructed by normative social ideals of human consciousnesses.
constructivism Ideas as structural factors. Material forces consequent of actor interpretation of material reality.
Agents produce structures, but structures can also produce agents.
Norm emergence, norm International norms emerge from norm entrepreneurs (leaders or influential figures).
cascade, and norm Norm cascade: dynamic of imitation as norm leaders socialize other states into norm followers,
internalization (Finnermore and powered by a pressure for conformity, and the benefits of an enhanced international legitimacy.
Sikkink) Norm internalization occurs when cascading norms become so commonplace that they become
taken-for-granted and are almost automatically honored.
Wendt’s Three Cultures of Hobbesian – enemy states: power maximizers
Anarchy (constructivism) Lockean – rivaling states: security maximizers (rational egoists)
Kantian – friends: common self-interest, mutual gain
Asymmetric Warfare War between two parties, one with much greater relative military capability. Weaker party often
resorts to guerilla tactics such as terrorism, attack on civilians, hostage-taking, etc.

“New wars” Occur in failed states where governments are not able to maintain law & order over population.
Characterized by vicious conflict among groups and warlords (even child soldiers), often funded
by black market economics including arms smuggling, drug and resource trade, etc.
Private military firms & Hired guns as an alternative to state armies. Sometimes w/ revolutionary intentions (Eq. Guinea)
mercenaries Sometimes employed by states to act outside the law in wartime (Blackwater USA) or avoid draft.
Revolution in military affairs Technology leads to new strategies and lower causalities in war. (WMDs, “virtual” war, etc.)
(RMA)