POLI/INTL 105 Spring 2024

Review Sheet: EXAM 1:

            The following list of terms is an outline of the lectures I've given. It will also include some terms selected from the readings; these are terms that I think are particularly important aspects of the reading (Which is a polite way of saying, if you are not doing the reading, you better start doing the reading). The readings support things we've talked about in class, explain them, and flesh out some concepts. Terms that are dealt with primarily in the readings will be designated with an (*).

            This looks big, BUT remember most of these are things that can be defined in one sentence; they are bits and pieces of larger ideas and concepts. And if you've been in class and have done the readings there should be nothing new here.

The test consists of 65 multiple-choice questions; the number will depend on how far we get with the material. It is designed to take you about 60-70 minutes, though usually when I give tests of similar length and content most people don't need all the time I allow. You will have the entire class period for the exam.

List of terms:

The nature of the International System:

Civilization Timeline

Know the categories from the first PPT slide, but you don’t need to know the details from slides 2-4

Computer revolution (you should know the details from this)

Early conclusions of the new era

            Who is empowered?

            Impact on nation-states (countries)

A definition of the international system

the world as anarchy

the world as institutionalizing (hierarchy?)

Domestic Politics (DP) vs. International Politics (IP):

DP as hierarchy

For IP, two views

1. anarchy: might makes right

2. institutionalization: world is evolving toward nation-state cooperation through institutions

DP compared with IP: 

1. Central Authority:

DP: Centralization of power

Clear authority and responsibility and hierarchy

IP: no central authority:

every nation for itself: anarchy

sovereignty

self-reliance or self-help

relying on your capability

might makes right

SECURITY DILEMMA

On the other hand: institutionalization

laws, treaties, institutions (UN, WTO)

Do powerful states create an informal central authority?

2. Conflict Resolution and Force:

DP:      regulated conflict, political and legal processes

Force is illegitimate except by authorized officials

IP:       

Anarchy:

SECURITY DILEMMA

conflict unregulated

resort to self-reliance

the use of force: If you win the war your use of force was legitimate. 

Institutionalization:

few interstate wars

old enemies are now allies

nations do cooperate

join international institutions and sign treaties

powerful make rules for resolving conflict, rules to create justice, trend toward negotiation not violence

Basic Points:

            Anarchy vs. institutionalization

            The international system is evolving

Ideas:  

Realism

Propositions about realism

the state is the only actor that matters

1. the goal -- power 

2. morality, ideas, domestic politics?

3. cause of the quest for power?

human nature

anarchy

4. foreign policy?

5. and peace achieved through?

A. Balance of power

B. Polarity

C. alliances

6. Unipolarity will not last

Definition of power

Traditional views: hard Power 

Power as capabilities

Soft power 

Sharp power

Idealism or Liberalism 

1. more than competition exists in the international system

1. the system is not anarchic, but cooperative

2. common interests?

3. morality, ethics, values

1. Democracy

2. Human rights

4. commerce – free trade

5. global marketplace

6. interdependence

7. desire for predictability and stability

8. law

9. institutions

International Law

            Sovereignty

            Voluntary participation

            Choosing cooperation over rivalry

                        Because states feel it is in their interest to cooperate

            Treaties

The enforcement problem

The participation problem

Constructivism

1. nation-states are not all alike

2. political culture influences foreign policy

3. form of government influences foreign policy

4. history, political context matter

5. domestic politics matters

states have an identity that shapes the way they interact with other states

Examples: 

Russian foreign policy

Chinese foreign policy 

US foreign policy

Evolution of the International System:

1. Age of Empires

Local empires in every region of the world

Eventual European (western) domination of the world

*Colonialism

example of Africa during and after colonial era

importance of technological advantages for European dominance

Empires that isolated themselves grew weak; empires in Europe competed with each other

2. Creation of Nation-State system

Holy Roman Empire

Rise of nationalism and Protestantism Reformation in Europe

*Thirty Years War: politics and religion

*Treaty of Westphalia or Peace of Westphalia (1648)

*Sovereign states

*Definition of sovereignty

power in the hands of the state (individual monarchs), not religion or empire

self-determination

Napoleon's challenge to the system and defeat

*French revolution impact on the world: Nationalism

*European colonialism (also called imperialism)

3. *Concert of Europe

*Congress of Vienna

*Multipolar system

polarity

alliances

Great Powers (5): Be able to name them (see PPT slides)

*Balance of Power

*Rules of Balance of Power

*England's role/England’s superiority or “primacy”

*Prussian/German challenge to Balance of Power

*WWI

*Cause of WW I

*Rise of Germany and its challenge to England

England/Russia/France no longer strong enough to balance against Germany/Austria-Hungary

A short war becomes a long war due to technology and nationalism

4. Interwar period and WWII

*Changes in power balance/fate of the old great powers -- England, Germany, France, A-H, Russia 

*Treaty of Versailles

*League of Nations

            *Woodrow Wilson

            The failure of the League

            based on international law

            Goal: to keep the peace

1920s' economic boom and the Depression

*Japanese/Italian/German aggression

*Munich agreement of 1938 and appeasement

Axis vs. Allies: WWII

5. Cold War

Superpowers

1. *Bipolar Balance of Power

            US containment of the USSR

dividing the world/collecting allies

*North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

*Warsaw Pact

2. Regional Conflict 

*Decolonization

*Non-aligned movement (NAM)

*Spheres of influence

*Divided nations

*Wars within divided nations (proxy wars)

            *Korean War, Vietnam War

*In what parts of the world?

Rules (2)

nations asked to choose sides; competition for allies

3. *Nuclear Weapons

deterrence

mutual assured destruction

4. Ideology

A. Liberal-democracy vs. communism

Gorbachev and the end of the Cold War

perestroika and glasnost

The collapse of the USSR and its future

Collapse of Cold war international system

6. After the Cold War

1. US Unipolar power

US advantages

2. End of US Global Leadership?

Can unipolarity last?

*Shift of power away from US and Europe to Asia

*China’s wealth

But defense spending: China vs. US?

China sees US hegemony; containment of China

US sees Chinese expansion

China’s Belt and Road Initiative

China-Russia Joint Statement February 2022: declaration of independence from US-led international order; a new rules-based international order

*China as challenger

            *Colonization of China

*Mao Zedong and the hardline communist era (1949-1976)

*controlled economy

*poverty

*repression

*Communist Party dictatorship

*1978 economic reforms

*capitalism

            *Deng Xiaoping

            *Dictatorship still

            *Communist party: one party control of China

            *repression in China

            *State capitalism

*government deeply involved in the economy, but to make profit

            *Rapid transformation since 1978

*wealth!!!!

            *Foreign policy: regaining what it lost

            *Xi Jinping (who is he?)

            *China fears encirclement

*China and Taiwan

3. Multipolar System or another bipolar system?

*India as a US ally

*Independence from England 1947

*Gandhi (who was he?)

*1991 economic reforms

*capitalism

*Still heavy government regulation

*form of government today?

            *India’s partial transformation

*rapid economic growth

*still massive poverty

            *Indian foreign policy: non-alignment, equality

            *Narendra Modi (who is he?)

            *India sees China as its biggest threat

*Russia?

            *Global ambition

            *Regional power

            Resource dependent economy

*and seizure of Crimea from Ukraine

*Russian antagonism toward NATO

*Other regional issues (all from Haass)

*Marshall Plan after WW II in Europe

*European Union

*East Asian Growth and Four Tigers (“Asian Tigers” in book)

*Lack of democracy in Middle East

*Arab Uprising (“Arab Spring” in book)

*Population density in South Asia

*India and Pakistan and nuclear weapons

*Sykes-Picot Agreement and Middle East (European Colonialism)

*Apartheid in South Africa

*Venezuela oil power

*Violence in Western Hemisphere compared to other parts of the world

Questions about the future

Wild Cards

(For these two, the only thing I want you to know is that so far, we’ve only talked about nation-states, but there is a lot more we’ll talk about the rest of the semester; there may be issues/events/trends that don’t have to do with nation-states that will impact the future)