PTO101
SEMESTER 2
2023
THEME 1: INTRODUCING GLOBAL POLITICS
DEFINE AND DISTINGUISH BETWEEN INTERNATIONAL AND GLOBAL
INTERNATIONAL POLITICS:
o REFERS TO THE INTERACTIONS, RELATIONSHIPS & ACTIVITIES THAT OCCUR AMONG
SOVEREIGNTY STATES IN THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM
o PRIMARILY FOCUSES ON THE BEHAVIOUR OF STATES, DIPLOMACY, ALLIANCES, CONFLICTS,
AND COOPERATIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE NATION-STATE AS THE PRIMARY ACTOR
o CHARACTERISTICS:
• STATE CENTRIC:
▪ IT PLACES THE SOVEREIGN STATE AT THE CENTER OF ANALYSIS AND
DECISION-MAKING
• INTERACTIONS BETWEEN STATES:
▪ DEALS WITH THE INTERACTIONS AND RELATIONS BETWEEN DIFFERENT
STATES AND HOW THESE STATES PURSUE THEIR INTERESTS ON THE GLOBAL
STAGE
• EMPHASIS ON ANARCHY:
▪ OPERATES WITHIN AN ANARCHIC SYSTEM WHERE THERE IS NO CENTRAL
AUTHORITY
▪ THIS LEADS TO COMPETITION AND POTENTIAL CONFLICTS BETWEEN STATES
• REALIST AND LIBERAL PERSPECTIVES:
▪ TRADITIONAL THEORIES LIKE REALISM AND LIBERALISM ARE COMMONLY
ASSOCIATED WITH INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
GLOBAL POLITICS:
o REFERS TO A BROADER SCOPE OF POLITICS
, o ENCOMPASSES NOT ONLY THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN STATES BUT ALSO INCLUDES NON-
STATE ACTORS, TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES, GLOBAL GOVERNANCE & ISSUES THAT TRANSCEND
NATIONAL BOUNDARIES.
o IT RECOGNIZES THAT GLOBAL CHALLENGES OFTEN REQUIRE COLLECTIVE RESPONSES
BEYOND THE NATION-STATE LEVEL.
o CHARACTERISTICS:
• BEYOND STATES:
▪ EXTENDS ITS FOCUS BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL NATION-STATE ACTORS TO
INCLUDE NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (NGOS), MULTINATIONAL
CORPORATIONS (MNCS), INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS (UNITED
NATIONS) AND GLOBAL CIVIL SOCIETIES
• TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES
▪ ADDRESSES TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES SUCH AS CLIMATE CHANGE, GLOBAL
HEALTH, TERRORISM, AND ECONOMIC GLOBALIZATION THAT AFFECT PEOPLE
AND STATES WORLDWIDE.
• GLOBAL GOVERNANCE
▪ EMPHASIZES THE ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND
GOVERNANCE MECHANISMS IN MANAGING AND REGULATING GLOBAL
AFFAIRS
• PLURALISTICS PERSPECTIVES
▪ CRITICAL & PLURALISTIC PERSPECTIVES, INCLUDING FEMINISM,
POSTCOLONIALISM, AND CONSTRUCTIVISM ARE OFTEN APPLIED TO ANALYZE
GLOBAL POLITICS
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES
INTERNATIONAL GLOBAL
STATE INTERACTIONS WIDER RANGE OF ACTORS AND ISSUES
STATE-CENTRIC SYSTEM WITH A FOCUS ON IMPORTANCE OF GLOBAL INTERDEPENDENCE &
POWER AND SOVEREIGNTY SHARED CHALLENGES
TRADITIONAL DIPLOMATICS INTERACTIONS SOLUTIONS REQUIRE COOPERATION BETWEEN
STATES AND NON-STATE ACTORS ON A GLOBAL
SCALE
SEMESTER 2
2023
THEME 1: INTRODUCING GLOBAL POLITICS
DEFINE AND DISTINGUISH BETWEEN INTERNATIONAL AND GLOBAL
INTERNATIONAL POLITICS:
o REFERS TO THE INTERACTIONS, RELATIONSHIPS & ACTIVITIES THAT OCCUR AMONG
SOVEREIGNTY STATES IN THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM
o PRIMARILY FOCUSES ON THE BEHAVIOUR OF STATES, DIPLOMACY, ALLIANCES, CONFLICTS,
AND COOPERATIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE NATION-STATE AS THE PRIMARY ACTOR
o CHARACTERISTICS:
• STATE CENTRIC:
▪ IT PLACES THE SOVEREIGN STATE AT THE CENTER OF ANALYSIS AND
DECISION-MAKING
• INTERACTIONS BETWEEN STATES:
▪ DEALS WITH THE INTERACTIONS AND RELATIONS BETWEEN DIFFERENT
STATES AND HOW THESE STATES PURSUE THEIR INTERESTS ON THE GLOBAL
STAGE
• EMPHASIS ON ANARCHY:
▪ OPERATES WITHIN AN ANARCHIC SYSTEM WHERE THERE IS NO CENTRAL
AUTHORITY
▪ THIS LEADS TO COMPETITION AND POTENTIAL CONFLICTS BETWEEN STATES
• REALIST AND LIBERAL PERSPECTIVES:
▪ TRADITIONAL THEORIES LIKE REALISM AND LIBERALISM ARE COMMONLY
ASSOCIATED WITH INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
GLOBAL POLITICS:
o REFERS TO A BROADER SCOPE OF POLITICS
, o ENCOMPASSES NOT ONLY THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN STATES BUT ALSO INCLUDES NON-
STATE ACTORS, TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES, GLOBAL GOVERNANCE & ISSUES THAT TRANSCEND
NATIONAL BOUNDARIES.
o IT RECOGNIZES THAT GLOBAL CHALLENGES OFTEN REQUIRE COLLECTIVE RESPONSES
BEYOND THE NATION-STATE LEVEL.
o CHARACTERISTICS:
• BEYOND STATES:
▪ EXTENDS ITS FOCUS BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL NATION-STATE ACTORS TO
INCLUDE NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (NGOS), MULTINATIONAL
CORPORATIONS (MNCS), INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS (UNITED
NATIONS) AND GLOBAL CIVIL SOCIETIES
• TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES
▪ ADDRESSES TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES SUCH AS CLIMATE CHANGE, GLOBAL
HEALTH, TERRORISM, AND ECONOMIC GLOBALIZATION THAT AFFECT PEOPLE
AND STATES WORLDWIDE.
• GLOBAL GOVERNANCE
▪ EMPHASIZES THE ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND
GOVERNANCE MECHANISMS IN MANAGING AND REGULATING GLOBAL
AFFAIRS
• PLURALISTICS PERSPECTIVES
▪ CRITICAL & PLURALISTIC PERSPECTIVES, INCLUDING FEMINISM,
POSTCOLONIALISM, AND CONSTRUCTIVISM ARE OFTEN APPLIED TO ANALYZE
GLOBAL POLITICS
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES
INTERNATIONAL GLOBAL
STATE INTERACTIONS WIDER RANGE OF ACTORS AND ISSUES
STATE-CENTRIC SYSTEM WITH A FOCUS ON IMPORTANCE OF GLOBAL INTERDEPENDENCE &
POWER AND SOVEREIGNTY SHARED CHALLENGES
TRADITIONAL DIPLOMATICS INTERACTIONS SOLUTIONS REQUIRE COOPERATION BETWEEN
STATES AND NON-STATE ACTORS ON A GLOBAL
SCALE
