Basic Terminology of International Relations

1. Realism
A pragmatic approach to foreign policy, emphasizing national self-interest and based on the
premise that power is the central factor in IR.

2. Idealism
an approach to IR based on the belief that moral principles and international cooperation should
be guiding factors rather than considerations based purely on power and national interest
(assumes that law, institutions, and morality can contribute to the development of peaceful, just
IR—an optimistic perspective)

3. Nation-State
The primary or fundamental unit in IR; a political entity within a defined territorial area
possessing legal and political authority over that area.

4. Nationalism
Identification with a group based in a sense of a common heritage including some or all of these
factors: language, ethnic or racial origins, religion, geographic location, or political base; also, the
belief that the nation or nation state merits political loyalty; often associated with the goals of
self-determination and independence.

5. National Interest
Those elements constituting a nation's most vital needs and objectives, including such factors of
self-preservation, independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, military security, and
economic well-being.

6. Sovereignty
Considered to be the enabling concept of world politics, whereby nation-states possess authority
not only within their own territorial entities but possess membership in the international
community.

7. Balance of Power
A term used in various ways, but the traditional concept involves creating/maintaining an
equilibrium in the international order so that one nation/alliance does not become preponderant
over others.

8. Bipolar
A world political system in which power is concentrated in two power centers as it was during
cold war period.

9. Unipolar
A world political system in which power is concentrated in a single power center.

10. Multipolar
A world political system in which power is concentrated in multiple power centers.

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11. Globalization
The integration of people and countries, through increased contact, communication and
commerce into a larger, informal international system.

12. Unilateral
A national acting on its own, independently, in the pursuit of its foreign policy objectives, as
opposed to a bilateral or multilateral approach.

13. Multilateral
relationships among more than two states of other international actors for the purpose of
collective action.

14. Hegemony
Preponderant influence or dominance of one nation (or group) over other

15. Power
The ability or potential to influence behavior of others as measured by the possession of certain
tangible and intangible characteristics.

16. Interdependence
The increasing interrelationship and mutual dependence among nations, especially in an
economic sense

17. Geopolitics
The use of geography as an element of power; theories and concepts emphasizing location, size,
and geographic factors as primary influences in IR.

18. Imperialism
a policy or course of action that through which a state imposes control over others; identified with
the acquisition of colonies or colonial authority.

19. Non-Governmental Organizations

International/transnational organizations with private membership that interact with states (IGOs),
multinational corporations (MNCs), other NGOs, and intergovernmental organizations.

20. Proliferation
The spread of weapons capabilities from a few to many states

21. Preemption
taking action against an opponent before the opponent can act; acting against a potential threat.
Preemptive is something done in anticipation of another action or done to prevent something from
happening. When a military takes action against some militants they believe intend to do harm to
them, this is an example of a preemptive strike.

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22. Soft Power
power based on intangible or indirect influences such as culture, values, and ideology; the ability
to advance interests through attraction rather than through coercion. Involves economic
assistance, public diplomacy, educational and cultural exchange.

23. Diplomacy
The range of actions taken by a nation to represent and pursue its interests.
Diplomacy is defined as the skill for dealing with people effectively in a positive way including
the foreign relations with other countries. for example, when you negotiate or broker a deal
between two parties who are angry, this is an example of a time where you have shown
diplomacy. Likewise, when a president sits down to talk to the president of another foreign
country in order to try to resolve a tense situation, this is an example of a time when diplomacy is
necessary.

24. Public Diplomacy

The process of creating an overall international image that enhances a country's ability to achieve
diplomatic success; promoting national interests by understanding, informing, and influencing
foreign audiences.

25. Deterrence
Strategy of having a credible counter-threat so as to pose unacceptable risks to an opponent
considering an attack.
Deterrence, military strategy under which one power uses the threat of reprisal effectively to
preclude an attack from an adversary power. With the advent of nuclear weapons, the term
deterrence largely has been applied to the basic strategy of the nuclear powers and of the major
alliance systems. The premise of the strategy is that each nuclear power maintains a high level of
instant and overwhelming destructive capability against any aggression—i.e., the ability, visible
and credible to a would-be attacker, to inflict unacceptable damage upon the attacker with forces
that survive a surprise attack. An essential element in successful deterrence is a degree of
uncertainty on the part of a would-be aggressor as to whether the target power, although attacked
and badly damaged, will nonetheless retaliate—even at the risk of suffering further, crippling
damage in a second attack. Thus, nuclear-deterrence strategy relies on two basic conditions: the
ability to retaliate after a surprise attack must be perceived as credible; and the will to retaliate
must be perceived as a possibility, though not necessarily as a certainty.

26. Containment
A guiding principle of U.S. foreign policy in the post-World War II period based on preventing
the spread of Soviet communism; more broadly used to describe a strategy aimed at preventing a
state from using force to increase its territory or sphere of influence.

27. Détente
French term indicating lessening or relaxation of tensions between nations.
The name given to a period of improved relations between the United States and the Soviet Union
starting in 1971 and American President Richard M. Nixon visiting Moscow, USSR in May 1972.
Both countries stood to gain if trade could be increased and the danger of nuclear warfare
reduced. This period could not last longer as Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, and
ultimately came to an end with American President Ronald Reagan coming into power in 1981.

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28. Weapons of Mass Destruction
Generally deemed to be nuclear weapons with massive destructive capabilities. But, may also
include exceptionally devastating conventional arms as week as certain biological and chemical
weapons.

29. International Political Economy

Study of the politics/policies of trade, monetary and other economic relations among nations and
their connection to transnational forces. International political economy studies problems that
arise from or are affected by the interaction of international politics, international economics, and
different social systems (e.g., capitalism and socialism) and societal groups. It explores a set of
related questions (“problematique”) that arise from issues such as international trade,
international finance, relations between wealthier and poorer countries, the role of multinational
corporations, and the problems of hegemony (the dominance, either physical or cultural, of one
country over part or all of the world), along with the consequences of economic globalization.

30. International Security

A subfield of International Relations that focuses on questions of war and peace

31. Free Trade

The flow of goods and services across national boundaries unimpeded by tariffs or other
restrictions

32. Free Trade Area

A zone in which there are no tariffs or other restrictions on the movement of goods and services
across borders.

33. Cartel
An association of producers or consumers (or both) of a certain product, formed for the purpose
of manipulating the price on the world market

34. Protectionism
Protection of domestic industries against international competition by trade, tariffs and other
means.

35. Balance of Trade

A value of a state's exports relative to its imports.

36. Genocide
Systematic persecution/extermination of a group of people on the basis of their national, ethnic,
racial or religious identity.

37. Coup d’état

French for "blow against the state"; refers to the seizure of political power, usually by domestic
military forces, changing leadership and operating outsides the nation's constitutional order.

38. Human Rights

rights of all persons, regardless of what state they might inhabit, to be free from abuses such as
torture or imprisonment for their political beliefs (political and civil rights), and to enjoy certain

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 minimum economic and social protections (economic and social rights). Specific principles of
human rights are set forth in the United Nations' 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

39. Extraterritoriality
Exemption from the jurisdiction of local laws.

40. Xenophobia
Fear, dislike, distrust or intolerance of foreigners.

41. Supranational Institutions

Institutions above the level of the state which are established for the common, rather than state-
specific goals, such as the European Commission in the EU.

42. Rogue states

States that operate outside the international frameworks or agreements; particularly states that
seek to acquire weapons of mass destruction to threaten the peace of the world specifically having
intention to pass such weapons to the non-state terrorists.

43. Failed states

A state in which domestic institutions have collapsed or are non-functional.

44. Global south

A term now often used for the "third world", referring to less-developed countries located
primarily in the Southern Hemisphere

45. Engagement
Premise that working with or "engaging" another country through interdependency or dialogue is
the best approach for encouraging or improving relations-- as opposed to isolationism.

46. Sustainable development

Economic development approaches based in long-term considerations; meeting current needs
without destroying resources that will be needed in the future.

47. Sanctions
The use of economic capability by an actor or a group of actors to pursue certain policy goals.

48. Anarchy
Anarchy refers to the state of a society being without authorities or a governing body, and the general confusion
and chaos resulting from that condition. It may also refer to a society or group of people that totally rejects
hierarchy.

49. Order
The arrangement or disposition of people or things in relation to each other according to a
particular sequence, pattern, or method.

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50. Cold War
The Cold War was a period of geopolitical tension (1945-1991) between the Soviet Union with its satellite states,
and the United States with its allies after World War II.

51. World War

a war involving many large nations in all different parts of the world. The name is commonly
given to the wars of 1914–18 and 1939–45.

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