INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS ITR 1541 DEFINITION OF

INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (ITR 1541) DEFINITION OF TERMS

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS IR as the study of world politics. The defn is informed by post WW 1 political developments. 2. IR as the study of relations among nation states- belief that if inter-state relations are checked, global stability is possible; International Relations (IR) and international relations: how do they differ? •

ACTORS IN INTERNATIONA RELATIONS Actors: are individuals, groups of people, states and other institutions involved in the set of interactions and the dimensions of governance on which the subject of International Relations focuses. There are two types of actors in international relations, namely: state and non-state actors

STATE ACTORS Comprises 195 sovereign states in the world and Intergovernmental organisations (such as European Union, United Nations, African Union) that they form The Realists view states as the major actors in international relations. However it is widely recognised that the states are not the only actors that have an impact in international politics. State as actors: they sign treaties, wage war, provide visa services

NON-STATE ACTORS Non-state actors: are those actors and agents which are not states but which nevertheless can have a considerable impact on global politics e. g. international churches such as the Catholic church, Anglican (influential in the moral conduct). And green peace, Red cross Society (influential in Human rights issues). Multinational corporations and multinational companies (influential in economic aspects) Terrorism groups (influential in Political areas)

ANARCHY Absence of any form of political authority. Political disorder and confusion. Absence of any cohesive principle, such as a common standard or purpose-a state of lawlessness Anarchy leads to self help, states have to look after themselves. Nobody will do it for them. They arm themselves against potential enemies. One states security is another's insecurity. eg USA vs Iraq and Iran, South Korea The end result is usually an arms race or war

WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT THERE IS ANARCHY IN THE IS? It means that there is no single overarching government in the International System (IS) There might be local or national governments but not international

THE PRINCIPLE OF SOVEREIGNTY The state enjoys political independence from other states. No state or group of states has the right to intervene, directly or indirectly for any reason whatever in the internal or external affairs of any state(UN declaration of principles if international law 1970). There are many issues today that challenge this principle of sovereignty such as terrorism, world markets, nuclear weapons, environmental issues global warming,

FAILED STATES • • Is the complete break down of domestic order in states. Such as in Somalia, Liberia, Rwanda, Sudan State failure may lead to humanitarian intervention. Challenging the principle of sovereignty Characterised by loss of control of its territory, or of the monopoly on the legitimate use of physical forcetherein, erosion of legitimate authority to make collective decisions, an inability to provide public services, and an inability to interact with other states as a full member of the international community.

INTERVENTION In International Relations Intervention refers to the act of interfering in the affairs of state by another state or actors. There is military and non-military interventions Military intervention: Military deployment Non-Military or Humanitarian intervention: provision of medicine, shelter, food, water etc.

NON-INTERVENTION Principle of nonintervention as used in International law refers to a rule that a country should not interfere in the internal affairs of another country. The rule is based upon the principles of state sovereignty and selfdetermination. This principle is also embodied in Article 2(7) of the U. N. Charter which binds it from intervening “in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state. ”

GLOBALIZATION Is the spread and intensification of social, economic and cultural relations across international borders. Trade, technology, internet , facebook, Globalization contributes to economic growth in developed and developing countries through increased specialization and the principle of comparative advantage. The term can also refer to the transnational circulation of ideas, languages, and popular culture.

NATION-STATE The main actor in IR marked by the Westphalia treaty of 1648 after the 30 yrs war Characterized by – territory, government, population , sovereignty. Has the responsibility to ensure and defend basic social conditions and values including order, justice, security, freedom and welfare. The state has legal jurisdiction over its own affairs and population which is sovereignty

BIPOLARITY VS UNIPOLARITY Polarity in International Relations refers to the arrangement of power within the international system. The concept arose from bipolarity during the Cold War, with the international system dominated by the conflict between two superpowers, and has been applied retrospectively by theorists. However, the term bipolar was notably used by Stalin who said he saw the international system as a bipolar one with two opposing powerbases and ideologies. USA vs USSR The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 had led to what some would call unipolarity, with the United States as a sole superpower. Consequently, the international system prior to 1945 can be described as multi-polar, with power being shared among Great powers.

POWER The concept of power in international relations can be described as the degree of resources, capabilities, and influence in international affairs. It is often divided up into the concepts of hard power and soft power. Hard power refers to coercive tactics: the threat or use of armed forces, economic pressure or sanctions, assassination and subterfuge, or other forms of intimidation. Hard power is generally associated to the stronger of nations, as the ability to change the domestic affairs of other nations through military threats. Realists and neorealists, such as John Mearsheimer, are advocates of the use of such power for the balancing of the international system. An actor that has succeeded in protecting its security, sovereignty, or strategic interests from repeated or significant challenge can also be described as powerful.

POWER CONTINUES Joseph Nye is the leading proponent and theorist of soft power. Instruments of soft power include debates on cultural values, dialogues on ideology, the attempt to influence through good example, and the appeal to commonly accepted human values. Means of exercising soft power include diplomacy, dissemination of information, analysis, propaganda, and cultural programming to achieve political ends. However, there is no clear dividing line between the two forms of power.

BALANCE OF POWER In international relations, a balance of power exists when there is parity or stability between competing forces. The concept describes a state of affairs in the international system and explains the behavior of states in that system. (Goldstein etal. 2004) As a term in International Law or a 'just equilibrium' between the members of the family of nations, it expresses the doctrine intended to prevent any one nation from becoming sufficiently strong so as to enable it to enforce its will upon the rest. Eg the cold war International system

HUMAN RIGHTS Human rights are commonly understood as "inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being. " Human rights are thus conceived as universal applicable everywhere) and egalitarian (the same for everyone). Many of the basic ideas that animated the movement developed in the aftermath of the Second World War and the atrocities of The Holocaust, culminating in the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Paris by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948. The United Nations Human Rights Council, created at the 2005 World Summit to replace the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, has a mandate to investigate violations of human rights.

GLOBAL SOUTH Dependency theory. the Global South represents the economically backward countries of Africa, India, China, Brazil, Mexico amongst others. Mainly producers of products eg gold, diamonds, timber, rubber

GLOBAL NORTH The Global North refers to the 57 countries with high human development that have a Human Development Index above. 8 as reported in the United Nations Development Programme Report 2005. The First World refers to the Highly Industrialized Countries of the world most of which are located in Western Europe, North America, and Japan. These countries have primarily free-market economies and democratic forms of government.