POLS 1502 Unit 11 - Definitions, Learning Objectives, Multiple Choice, Key Questions

(Definition) Concert of Europe

A largely informal agreement among themajor powers of nineteenth-century Europe to act together on matters of mutual concern. It developed following the Congress of Vienna (1814-15) after the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte and generally took the form of diplomatic meetings and conferences aimed at the peaceful resolution of differences.

(Definition) Cosmopolitanism

The idea that humans ought to be regarded asa single moral community to which universal principles apply, irrespective of national boundaries.

(Definition) Humanitarian intervention

Direct intervention by one country, or a group of countries, in the internal affairs of another country for humanitarian reasons (for example, to prevent genocide).See also "intervention

(Definition) Imperialism

The exercise of power by one group over another;from a Latin verb meaning literally "to command." Imperialism is sometimes used as a synonym for colonialism, but is broader because it does not necessarily involve actual physical occupationof the territory in question or direct rule over the subjugated people.

(Definition) Interdependence

In international relations, the (primarily liberal)notion that states are increasingly interconnected through a web of relations, especially in the economic field, and that this makes warfare less desirable as a foreign policy strategy. The concept of complex interdependence simply introduces more variables to the equation, deepening the complexity of interdependence and strengthening the case for a more pluralistic approach to international relations than neorealist thought allows for.

(Definition) Modernity

A temporal and cultural phenomenon linked in partto the rise of industrialization in Europe and North America and in part to profound changes in social and political thought associated with the intellectual movement known as the Enlightenment.

(Definition) Montevideo Convention

...

(Definition) Nation

A named community, often referred to as "a people,"usually occupying a homeland and sharing one or more cultural elements, such as a common history, language, religion, or set of customs. Nations may or may not have states of their own.

(Definition) Nation building

The process in which a state is created and thenits leaders attempt to mould its sometimes quite diverse groups of inhabitants into a coherent, functional "nation.

(Definition) Regionalization

A process in which a number of states in a givengeographical area come together for mutual benefit, often forming a regional association. Some, like the EU, are highly institutionalized and have myriad economic, social, and political interconnections, while others have minimal rules and less ambitious purposes.

(Definition) Sovereignty

The principle of self-government; to say a state issovereign is to claim that it has a monopoly of force over the people and institutions in a given territorial area.

(Definition) Statecraft

The skillful conduct of state affairs, usually in the context of external relations.

(Learning Objective) Describe the emergence of IR as an academic discipline.

International relations did not become a formal are of study in universities until the early 20th century/ It consisted of the study of history, politics, and international lawWhen IR emerged, its practitioners were concerned primarily with the causes of war and the conditions for peace in an international systemBoth the 1st and 2nd world wars entrenched international relations as a separate field of study within politics

(Learning Objective) Differentiate between "nations" and "states.

A nation is a distinct group of people as opposed to a formal territorial entityA state is a distinctive political community with its own set of rules and practices, separate from other communities

(Learning Objective) Explain the evolution of the international state system.

...

(Learning Objective) Explain the importance of sovereignty to this system.

...

(Learning Objective) Describe the role of imperialism in the spread of this system

Imperialism increased with the rise of the sovereign state, as European empires exported the sovereign state system to the rest of the worldHowever, with the end of World War II, the future of colonialism was soon called into question as the cost of war put European countries near bankruptcy, making it hard to continue engaging in imperialism, and the principle of self-determination was invoked by the colonized people, calling the legitimacy of colonialism into question. There factors drove a decolonization movement

(Multiple Choice) When did international relations emerge as a formal academic discipline?

Immediately after World War I

(Multiple Choice) According to IR, which of the following is a formally constituted, sovereign political structure encompassing people, territory, and institutions?

State

(Multiple Choice) What of the following calls for political organization to be based on national identity?

Nationalism

(Multiple Choice) Which of the following countries has maintained a high level of ethnic homogeneity by keeping immigration rates low?

Japan

(Multiple Choice) The existence of political communities has been dated back to what significant human event?

The rise of agriculture

(Multiple Choice) "Stateless communities" do not typically have an attachment to which of the following?

Fixed territory

(Multiple Choice) Who saw the state as the natural habitat for humans?

Aristotle

(Multiple Choice) What does the Greek word polis mean?

City-state

(Multiple Choice) Roman thought played a major role in the historical growth of the West, especially with respect to what?

Republicanism

(Multiple Choice) In most cases, empires have been held together by which of the following?

Force

(Multiple Choice) Which of the following is considered to have had the most powerful empire?

Britain

(Multiple Choice) Globalization has brought in a new imperial order that is based on the power of which of the following?

Transnational corporations

(Multiple Choice) Which of the following began around 1500 and led to industrialization, increased military power, and a gradual decline in the authority of religion?

Modernity

(Multiple Choice) Which of the following is often regarded as the founding moment of the modern sovereign state?

The Peace of Westphalia

(Multiple Choice) Lasting until the mid-1850s, which of the following was an agreement among European powers to meet regularly to resolve diplomatic disputes arising between states?

Concert of Europe