International Relations Flashcards

What is 'deterrence' as a strategy in international security?

Answer: Preventing war by making the costs of aggression outweigh any potential gains

Deterrence aims to prevent adversaries from taking hostile action by convincing them that the costs (e.g., nuclear retaliation) would far exceed any benefits they might gain.

Which of the following best describes a 'non-governmental organization' (NGO) in international politics?

Answer: A private, nonprofit organization that operates internationally outside of government control

NGOs are private, nonprofit organizations that operate across national borders on issues like human rights, environment, or humanitarian aid, independent of state control.

The concept of 'humanitarian intervention' in international relations refers to:

Answer: Military intervention in a state to stop severe human rights abuses, even without that state's consent

Humanitarian intervention involves the use of military force by outside actors to halt gross human rights violations (such as genocide), raising tensions between sovereignty and human rights norms.

What is 'economic globalization' in the context of international relations?

Answer: The increasing integration and interdependence of national economies through trade, investment, and finance

Economic globalization refers to the deepening integration of national economies through expanding flows of trade, capital, technology, and labor across national borders.

In the context of international relations, what is a 'hegemon'?

Answer: A state so dominant in military and economic power that it shapes the rules of the international system

A hegemon is a state with such overwhelming preponderance of power that it can set the rules and norms of the international order, as the United States did following World War II.

The 'democratic peace theory' in international relations argues that:

Answer: Established democracies rarely go to war with each other

Democratic peace theory holds that liberal democracies almost never wage war against each other, even if they fight non-democratic states, due to shared norms and institutional constraints.