POL 2103 Study Guide - Winter 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - Zimbabwe, World War Iii, World War Ii
12 Oct 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
POL 2103
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
Introduction to international relations and global politics:
CLASS# 1:
Theories are used to make sense of our world, they may be incompatible because they
highlight different things that they see as most important.
Theories can be used to predict the outcome based on rules and expectations while others
only try to understand.
Prediction is inexact (not like natural hard science laws).
The international system has few immutable laws (they can all be changed and are all
created). They may be constructed for good reasons but they aren’t necessarily timeless.
The US dep of commerce next Monday will issue recommendation on whether the WH should implement
protectionist tariffs on Steal. Rules of Trade under UN (WTO) do not prevent such policies if based on other
principles than economics. It will hence be done based on “national security”.
Consequence?
Tensions may rise, foreign steal producers may be harmed while US producers may benefit.
Contextualization hence history is important in IR. (China vs the world today-Century of
humiliation)
Experience influence choices in the future- as seen in criminal law/origins of depression.
News today is often dominated by rapid negative events (little info about the good).
CLASS # 2
News has us lose track of long term or even term medium changes (Global poverty).
We fail to make connection between the cons and pros-Reduction of poverty is in part
responsible of Climate Change.
Passed changes can influence future changes (Tech advances build on itself).
Change having occurred between 1750 to 2018 is the same as change between 12. 000 BC to
1500 AD.
Law of accelerating returns (Ray Kurzweil)- Change accelerates because
of past change. All change that happened in the 20th century would have happened in 20 years
in the 21st century. Change happens exponentially.
The latter might impact the politics/economics/globalization of the world.
Why don’t we see it? 1) We see history linearly and 2) distort recent history.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Note: Not only science but society (social).
3) Limited by imagination (based on current experiences).
IR: Traditionally ways the States interact with one another. But globalization has changed it
to include NGOS, Int. orgs and Corporations or even epistemic actors. You also have social
actors (movements).
Key problem (Main focus) (orthodox approach):
- Collective goods (idea that there is an interest of every member of a community):
How can a group of State achieve their interest while sacrificing individual actors
interest. On a population interest we have solved this with use of coercion based on
laws. But there is no true World Court (Security council not a good option).
Countries have the common interest of reducing CC but also their own interest of burning FF. NATO.
- Hard to achieve because each member of the group (State) is sovereign.
Three core principles:
- Dominance (+) Order, stability, predictability. (-) Tensions and resentment.
- Reciprocity (+) Incentive for COOP. (-) Downwards spirals and complex to monitor.
- Identity (+) Sacrifice for groups and new redefined interests (-) Demonizing others.
1) Power hierarchy (vertical power): The Great powers impose on lesser powers.
-No way for Iraq to get away with invading Kuwait but China can annex Tibet.0
2) Resolves problems by rewarding behavior that benefits others too and punishes what
hurts others (UN charter)
-Does not require world government but all powers (or 5 PM) to agree. WTO basis. May create arms
races or opposite.
CLASS #3
The collective goods problem (how to have a group of many actors achieve their collective
interest vs achieving their own personal interest.
Often there is a combination of reciprocity and dominance (car insurance use dominance by having
your insurance rate increase if you are a dangerous driver and vice versa if you are a safe driver: reciprocity)
- Identity principle: When one’s self-interest is sacrifice to benefit the group: can be
ideological, geographical, national, linguistic.
Both are different because in one you realize self-interest but in the other you sacrifice.
The group can be any group: family, profession, national.
Identity communities play a role in giving foreign aid (Sweden): human beings. May be also
self-interest (different than material self-interest) by preventing global plagues.
Identity principle: Anglo-sphere.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Theories are used to make sense of our world, they may be incompatible because they highlight different things that they see as most important. Theories can be used to predict the outcome based on rules and expectations while others only try to understand. Prediction is inexact (not like natural hard science laws). The international system has few immutable laws (they can all be changed and are all created). They may be constructed for good reasons but they aren"t necessarily timeless. The us dep of commerce next monday will issue recommendation on whether the wh should implement protectionist tariffs on steal. Rules of trade under un (wto) do not prevent such policies if based on other principles than economics. It will hence be done based on national security . Tensions may rise, foreign steal producers may be harmed while us producers may benefit. Contextualization hence history is important in ir. (china vs the world today-century of humiliation)
