International Relations Key Concepts Sovereignty Security Dilemma Democracy Global Economy Lecture Notes 2025/ 2026 Comprehensive Study Guide

International
International
International
Relations
Relations
Relations
Key
Key
Key
Concepts_
Concepts_
Concepts_
Sovereignty,
Sovereignty,
Sovereignty,
Security
Security
Security
Dilemma,
Dilemma,
Dilemma,
Democracy,
Democracy,
Democracy,
Global
Global
Global
Economy,
Economy,
Economy,
and
and
Human
and
Human
Human
Rights
Rights
Rights
––
Lecture
–
Lecture
Lecture
Notes
Notes
Notes
_ Study
_ Study
_ Study
Material.pdf
Material.pdf
Material.pdf




International
Relations Key
Concepts:
Sovereignty,
Security Dilemma,
Democracy, Global
Economy, and
Human Rights –
Lecture Notes /
Study Material




International
International
International
Relations
Relations
Relations
Key
Key
Key
Concepts_
Concepts_
Concepts_
Sovereignty,
Sovereignty,
Sovereignty,
Security
Security
Security
Dilemma,
Dilemma,
Dilemma,
Democracy,
Democracy,
Democracy,
Global
Global
Global
Economy,
Economy,
Economy,
and
and
Human
and
Human
Human
Rights
Rights
Rights
––
Lecture
–
Lecture
Lecture
Notes
Notes
Notes
_ Study
_ Study
_ Study
Material.pdf
Material.pdf
Material.pdf

, International Relations Key Concepts_ Sovereignty, Security Dilemma, Democracy, Global Economy, and
International
Human Rights.pdf
Relations Key Concepts_ Sovereignty, Security Dilemma, Democracy, Global Economy, and
International
Human Rights.pdf
Relations Key Concepts_ Sovereignty, Security Dilemma, Democracy, Global Economy, and Human Rights.pdf
5/28/26, 11:57 AM International Relations Key Concepts: Sovereignty, Security Dilemma, Democracy, Global Economy, and Human Rights Flashcards | Quizlet




Sovereignty is the supreme authority of a state to govern itself without outside
interference. It means a state has full control over its territory, population, and
internal affairs and is recognized as independent by other states . This idea
comes from the Westphalian system, which established that states are legally
equal and should not interfere in each other's domestic matters. There are two
parts: internal sovereignty (control within borders) and external sovereignty
(representation to other states). An example is how countries create their own
laws without needing approval from others. However, sovereignty can be
challenged when international organizations or powerful states pressure
weaker ones. Today, sovereignty is debated when global issues like climate
change or human rights require outside involvement. This creates tension
between respecting state independence and solving global problems.


Security Dilemma occurs when one state increases its military power to feel safer, but this makes
other states feel threatened. As a result, those states also build up their
military, leading to an arms race and more insecurity . Even if no state actually
wants war, the situation can still escalate into conflict. There are two views:
defensive realism (get enough power to stay safe) and offensive realism (gain
as much power as possible). An example is the Cold War, where the U.S. and
USSR kept building nuclear weapons. Each side believed they were acting
defensively, but it increased global tension. Today, this can be seen in rising
military competition between major powers. The dilemma shows how trying to
stay safe can actually make everyone less secure.




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International Relations Key Concepts_ Sovereignty, Security Dilemma, Democracy, Global Economy, andInternational
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