Basic Terms and Concepts for International Relations
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1. balance of a term used in various ways, but the
power traditional concept involves
creating/maintaining an equilibrium in the
international order so that one
nation/alliance does not become
preponderant over others
2. balance of trade a value of a state's exports relative to its
imports
3. bipolar a world political system in which power is
concentrated in two power centers
4. cartel an association of producers or consumers
(or both) of a certain product, formed for
the purpose of manipulating the price on
the world market
5. clash of thesis put forward by Samuel Huntington
civilizations that argues that past and future global
conflicts can be traced along the the fault
lines between the nine major world
civilizations
6. containment a guiding principle of U.S. foreign policy
in the post-World War II period based on
preventing the spread of Soviet
communism; more broadly used to
describe a strategy aimed at preventing a
state from using force to increase its
territory or sphere of influence
7. coup d'etat French for "blow against the state"; refers
to the seizure of political power-- usually
by domestic military forces-- changing
leadership and operating outsides the
nation's constitutional order
8. détente French term indicating lessening or
relaxation of tensions between nations
9. deterrence strategy of having a credible counter-
threat so as to pose unacceptable risks to
an opponent considering an attack
10. diplomacy the range of actions taken by a nation to
represent and pursue its interests
11. engagement premise that working with or "engaging"
another country through interdependency
or dialogue is the best approach for
encouraging or improving relations-- as
opposed to isolationism
12. extraterritoriality exemption from the jurisdiction of local
laws
13. failed state a state in which domestic institutions have
collapsed or are non-functional
14. fascism an authoritarian and/or totalitarian political
system, often based on a corporate state and
centering around a powerful supreme leader;
usually emphasizing militarism and
nationalism and characterized by
regimentation, propaganda, and prejudice;
normally associated with the extreme right;
exemplified by the regimes in Germany and
Italy before and during WWII
15. free trade the flow of goods and services across
national boundaries unimpeded by tariffs or
other restrictions
16. free trade a zone in which there are no tariffs or other
area restrictions on the movement of goods and
services across borders
17. genocide systematic persecution/extermination of a
group of people on the basis of their national,
ethnic, racial or religious identity
18. geopolitics the use of geography as an element of power;
theories and concepts emphasizing location,
size, and geographic factors as primary
influences in IR
19. globalization the integration of people and countries,
through increased contact, communication
and commerce into a larger, informal
international system
20. global south a term now often used for the "third world",
referring to less-developed countries located
primarily in the Southern Hemisphere
21. hegemony preponderant influence or dominance of one
nation (or group) over other
22. human rights rights of all persons, regardless of what state
they might inhabit, to be free from abuses
such as torture or imprisonment for their
political beliefs (political and civil rights), and
to enjoy certain minimum economic and
social protections (economic and social
rights). Specific principles of human rights are
set forth in the United Nations' 1948 Universal
Declaration of HUman Rights
23. idealism an approach to IR based on the belief that
moral principles and international
cooperation should be guiding factors rather
than considerations based purely on power
and national interest (assumes that law,
institutions, and morality can contribute to the
development of peaceful, just IR-- an
optimistic perspective)
24. imperialism a policy or course of action that through 36. nationalism identification with a group based in a sense
which a state imposes control over of a common heritage including some or all
others; identified with the acquisition of of these factors: language, ethnic or racial
colonies or colonial authority origins, religion,geographic location, or
political base; also, the belief that the nation
25. intellectual rights of creators of books, films,
or nation-state merits political loyalty; often
property rights computer software, and similar product
associated with the goals of self-
to receive royalties when their products
determination and independence
are sold
37. nation-state the primary or fundamental unit in IR; a
26. interdependence the increasing interrelationship and
political entity within a defined territorial
mutual dependence among nations,
area possessing legal and political authority
especially in an economic sense
over that area
27. international study of the politics/policies of trade,
38. non- international/transnational organizations with
political monetary and other economic relations
governmental private membership that interact with states
economy among nations and their connection to
organizations (IGOs), multinational corporations (MNCs),
transnational forces
(NGO) other NGOs, and intergovernmental
28. international a subfield of IR that focuses on questions organizations
security of war and peace
39. non-tariff measures other than tariffs that discriminate
29. jihad to strive or struggle to follow the barriers against imports without direct tax levies and
precepts of the Islamic religion, are beyond the scope of international
sometimes as interpreted as including a regulation
holy war in defense of Islam
40. North-South the disparity in resources (income, wealth
30. just war doctrine a moral criteria identifying when a 'just gap and power) between the industrialized
war' may be undertaken and how it relatively rich countries of the North and the
should be fought relatively poor countries of the South
31. mercantilism the economic theory and political 41. official grants or loans to countries from other
ideology opposed to free trade; it shares development countries, often channeled through
with the realism belief that each state assistance multilateral aid organizations, for the
must protect its own interests without (ODA) primary purpose of promoting economic
seeking mutual gains through development and warfare
international organizations and
42. power the ability or potential to influence behavior
agreement
of others as measured by the possession of
32. multilateral relationships among more than two certain tangible and intangible
states of other international actors for characteristics
the purpose of collective action
43. preemption taking action against an opponent before the
33. multipolar a global distribution of power in which opponent can act; acting against a potential
three or more of great powers or poles threat
have significant power
44. proliferation the spread of weapons capabilities from a
34. nan-state actors transnationally active groups other than few to many states
states, such as international organizations
45. protectionism protection of domestic industries against
whose members are states and non-
international competition by trade, tariffs and
governmental organizations whose
other means
members are individuals and private
groups from more than one state 46. public the process of creating an overall
diplomacy international image that enhances a country's
35. national interest those elements constituting a nation's
ability to achieve diplomatic success;
most vital needs and objectives,
promoting national interests by
including such factors of self-
understanding, informing, and influencing
preservation, independence, sovereignty,
foreign audiences
territorial integrity, military security, and
economic well-being 47. realism a pragmatic approach to foreign policy,
emphasizing national self-interest and based
on the premise that power is the central
factor in IR
48. realpolitik emphasizes the conflictual nature of global politics, the priority of national security, a pessimistic assessment of
human nature
49. rogue states states that operate outside the international frameworks or agreements; particularly states that seek to acquire
weapons of mass destruction with the kissable intent of passing then on to non-state terrorists
50. sanctions the use of economic capability by an actor or a group of actors to pursue certain policy goals
(economic)
51. soft power power based on intangible or indirect influences such as culture, values, and ideology; the ability to advance
interests through attraction rather than through coercion. Involves economic assistance, public diplomacy,
educational and cultural exchange
52. sovereignty considered to be the enabling concept of world politics, whereby nation-states possess authority not only within their
own territorial entities but possess membership in the international community
53. supranational institutions above the level of the state which are established for the common, rather than state-specific goals, such
institutions as the European Commission in the EU
54. sustainable economic development approaches based in long-term considerations; meeting current needs without destroying
development resources that will be needed in the future
55. unilateral a national acting on its own, independently, in the pursuit of its foreign policy objectives, as opposed to a bilateral or
multilateral approach
56. weapons of generally deemed to be nuclear weapons with massive destructive capabilities, but may also include exceptionally
mass devastating conventional arms as week as certain biological and chemical weapons
destruction
57. xenophobia fear, dislike, distrust or intolerance of foreigners