Realism
This term describes the central condition of international politics for realists: the absence of any authority above states.
Anarchy
Unlike realists, liberals believe this kind of outcome—where cooperation leaves everyone better off—is possible even under anarchy.
Positive-sum (mutual gains / win-win)
Constructivists argue that these socially shared things—not just material power—shape how states behave: ideas, norms, and this aspect of who a state believes it is.
Identity
When analyzing a real-world conflict, this is the first thing you identify:
What is the capital of Nigeria?
Abuja
Realists argue that this is what every state ultimately pursues in order to survive in an anarchic world.
Power (and security)
Liberals emphasize this condition, where states are deeply connected through trade and exchange, which raises the cost of going to war.
(Complex) interdependence
This famous constructivist phrase argues that the meaning of the international system is not fixed but created by states' interactions.
"Anarchy is what states make of it"
A realist would most likely explain a rivalry between a rising power and an established power as a competition over this.
Power / security / dominance (balance of power)
What is the name of the lead actor in the movie Top Gun?
Tom Cruise
This dynamic occurs when one state's efforts to make itself more secure (e.g. building up arms) make other states feel less secure, leading to tension or conflict.
The security dilemma
This liberal theory holds that democracies very rarely, if ever, go to war with one another.
Democratic peace theory
This scholar is the leading figure of constructivism and authored the idea above.
Alexander Wendt
In a great-power trade conflict, a liberal would point to this as a force that raises the cost of conflict and pushes both sides toward (eventual) cooperation.
Economic interdependence (trade ties)
What is the primary ingredient used to make the famous Korean dish, kimchi?
Nappa Cabbage
This thinker is associated with classical realism and the view that the drive for power is rooted in human nature, while this other thinker founded structural (neo)realism, locating the cause of conflict in the system's anarchy rather than human nature.
Hans Morgenthau (classical); Kenneth Waltz (structural/neorealism)
These two scholars developed the concept of "complex interdependence," arguing that military force is less useful and that multiple channels connect societies.
Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye
According to constructivists, these are not simply handed to states by the structure of the system but are shaped by identity, history, and shared beliefs—explaining why two countries with similar power can act very differently.
Interests (a state's interests)
In analyzing a territorial conflict, a constructivist would focus on how each side uses these to justify its actions—rather than focusing only on military capability.
Identity and national narrative (norms, history, sense of self)
What is the tallest building in China?
Shanghai Tower
Offensive realists like this scholar argue great powers always seek to maximize power and ideally become a regional hegemon, and his concept describing the danger when a rising power threatens an established one is captured by this related idea.
John Mearsheimer; the "Thucydides Trap" (rising-power vs. established-power danger)
This Enlightenment philosopher's essay "Perpetual Peace" laid out forces for peace—like republics, international cooperation, and commerce—that influence modern liberal IR theory.
Immanuel Kant
Actors -> System -> Interactions
For the AP course-country application, explaining a state's foreign policy "through realism" means citing power and security, while explaining it "through constructivism" means citing this—and a strong answer names both a concept and an associated thinker.
Identity / norms / national narrative (e.g. Wendt's idea that states construct their interests)
Tamil, Greek, or Hebrew