IB Global Politics Terms, Concepts, and Ideas Questions & Answers Solved 100% Correct!!

state - self-governing political entity with sovereignty and characteristics that include territrory, population, organization and recognition. Universally, it is the highest political organization. Failed State - A state characterized by social, political, and economic failure. Common Characteristics of a Failed State - a central government too weak or ineffective to control its territory, non-provision of public services, widespread corruption and criminality, refugees and involuntary movement of populations, and sharp economic decline Social Indicators of a Failed State - massive movement of refugees, demographic pressures (unsustainability) Economic Indicators of a Failed State - uneven economic development, sharp economic decline Political Indicators of a Failed State - criminalization, deligitimization of the state, deterioration of public services, violation of human rights, intervention of external states Danger posed by Failed States on International System - - Transnational crime: criminal conduct in one country has an impact on another/several others - a lack of contribution to the wellbeing and cooperation in the international system - Tend to have over-dependency on foreign aid or peacekeeping missions - when chaos prevails, terrorism, narcotics trade, weapons proliferation, and other form of organized crime tend to flourish Real-life examples of Failed States - 9/11 terrorist attacks on America by Afghanistan-based Al qaeda.- In Somalia the weak central government was toppled by rebels in 1991. despite transitional government installed in 2004, they were unable to protect themselves without intervention of Kenyan forces. Also, Somalian pirates have been a threat to international shipping for years -Civil war in Syria threatening to overrun Lebanon Sovereignty - the most essential characteristic of an international state. It strongly implies political independence from any higher authority and suggests at least theoretical equality. Sovereignty as absolute - One of the characteristics of sovereignty is that it is absolute. It is based on the very idea that it is unlimited and above all laws Limitations to absolute Sovereignty - - International treaties and cooperation impose limits on sovereignty by their very nature, as they increase the co-dependency of a nation. An example of this is the Torrijos-Carter treaty signed in 1977, which gave the United States the right to intervene in Panama if they consider it to be at risk. This limits Panama's sovereignty as, despite being internationally recognized as a legitimate state, the United States still has the power to intervene within their borders, which limits their sovereignty. - In the international system, NGO's that give unequal amounts of power to its member states also limit sovereignty. The very concept of collective security is a limitng factor on soveirgnty, as it encourages nations to be dependent on each other, not themselves. Also, the fact that the UN has a Security Council that can veto over other nations mean that these nations can impose thir sovereignty over other nations. Realist view of Absolute Sovereignty - Accept and encourage absolute sovereingty, as reliance on other states would essentially take away from the power of the sovereign nation. They would argue that sovereignty also depends on the power of a nation. For example, the US invasion of Iraq in 2002, which they carried out without the support of the Security Council or UN, was a demostration of the liberating nature of power in the international system. It also showed that, Iraq had less power in the International System, they couldn't defend themselves from a breach in their sovereignty. Liberalist view of Absolute Sovereignty - Accept the concept of collective security and international cooperation over absolute sovereignty. The very institutions that are constricting forces upon the sovereignty of nations, such as the UN, are products of Liberalist thought. Development - a ype of growth or improvement of something, usually linked to economical factors. International development is seen as progress for the greater quality of life of people, and itencompasses issues like healthcare, education, poverty reduction, gender equiality, and economic stablity and self-sufficiency. Modernization Theory of Development - This theory delineates a single, linear path to development, which is reflected in the transformation of Western countries from traditional, preindustrial agrarian societies to modern, industrial, and mass consumption ones Alternative View of Development - deals with six main ideas, but rejects the "one size fits all model proposed by the modernization theory of development. The nine ideas are: - Humanistic view of poverty, emphadizing on poverty, fredom, and empowerment - Self-reliance rather than reliance on wealthy states, international bodies or the market - Ecological balance, sustainability, and conservation of "global commons" - Social and cultural inclusion through respect of cultural diversity and interests of marginalized groups - Local control through community action and democratic participation - View that poverty stems from imbalances in global trading system and elsewhere Why is foreign intervention helpful in the development of a country - - provides guidance and push start towards solig certain humanitarian, economic, and enviornmental issues the state may have. - states have responsibility to protect their citizens from both inside and outside threats to their human rights. Why foreign intervention is not helpful in development of countries - - No matter the inicial reason, countries are more often than not unable to avoid impericism and neo-colonial efforts - Countries that recieve development aid become reliant on nations providing the aid - It is an ideal that believes in the self-sacrifice of sovereign states when in reality intervention takes place for reasons of self-interest and power maximisation. (EX: US and UK claim to invade Iraq for WMD's, claim later found to be absolutely false now after this intervention, capitalist restraints have been imposed upon the country which constrains the countries ability to embark in actions that would benefit their inhabitants.) Legitimacy - Politcial legitimacy is the popular acceptance of authority. It is consdered to be the basic condition for government, without which it will collapse. Sometimes it only takes a small-influential elite to render a natioin legitimate despite the regime being unpopulat (syria)Constitution - A set of fundamental principles or established precedents accordinf to which a state or organization is governed. Legitimacy in Democracies - In democracies, legitimacy is derived from popular sovereignty, and so the constitution of these states follow this doctrine. For example, the US constitution includes amendments forbidding the state from prohibiting the voting of citizens because of race or gender, Other forms of legitimacy - Nations such as Saudi Arabia consider the source of legitimacy to derive from religion, or the divine right of kings. Fragile and rising states and the lack of legitimacy: - Majority of people are not behind the state, yet these states have constitutions that allude to popular sovereignty. They claim to be legitimate because they have the support of the people, yet they don't Main goals of the United Nations - - Maintain peace throughout the world - Develop friendly relations amongst nations - To help nations work together to improve the lives of poor people, to conquer hunger, disease and illiteracy, and to encourage respect for each other's rights and individual freedoms - Be a center for harmonizing the actions of the nations to achieve goals