1 Foundations of International Relations Free Online FlashCards

What does international relations study?

International relations studies political, economic, and social interactions across borders among states and other actors.

How does a state differ from a government?

A state is a political organization governing a population and territory; a government is the group currently directing that state.

What is sovereignty?

Sovereignty is a state's claim to supreme authority within its territory and independence from other states.

What does anarchy mean in the international system?

Anarchy means there is no world government with supreme authority over states. It does not mean constant disorder or a lack of rules and cooperation.

What does the individual level of analysis focus on?

Individual-level analysis examines decision-makers' beliefs, perceptions, choices, and possible misjudgments.

What does state-level analysis examine?

State-level, or domestic-level, analysis examines factors within a country, such as political institutions, public opinion, economic interests, and competing groups.

What does system-level analysis focus on?

System-level analysis focuses on the structure of international relations and interactions among actors, including alliances, the distribution of power, and the absence of central authority.

Why is the Peace of Westphalia significant in IR history?

The Peace of Westphalia ended the Thirty Years' War in Europe and is often treated as a landmark in the development of a state-based international system.

What is a key caveat about the Westphalian account?

Westphalia did not instantly create today's system of fully sovereign, equal states. Treating it as a single decisive starting point oversimplifies a gradual and contested history.

How did imperial expansion shape the international system?

European powers expanded empires and colonial rule, linking regions through unequal systems of political and economic control.

What was a major limitation of the League of Nations?

The League of Nations was established after the First World War, but it did not prevent a second world war.

When was the UN founded, and what was its purpose?

States founded the United Nations in 1945 as a forum for cooperation and to support international peace and security. Its Charter came into force on October 24, 1945.