Interstate War
What does it mean for actors to be involved in a Security Dilemma?
This implies that one actor building up arms inherently threatens another state's security.
What is the difference between center-seeking rebels and separatists?
Center-seeking rebels want to change the central government.
Separatists want an independent state.
What are NATO and the Warsaw Pact?
North Atlantic Treaty Organization - an alliance of Western countries against the USSR.
Warsaw Pact - an alliance of the USSR and satellite states against the West. Both in the Cold War.
What are audience costs?
Audience costs are the potential negative consequences for failing to uphold a promise.
Did the outcome of India’s elections in May 2019 affect its policy change toward Kashmir in August 2019?
Yes :)
What does resolve mean?
Resolve is the willingness of an actor to endure costs in order to acquire a particular good.
In other words, how much an actor cares about something.
What are some motivations that rebels might fight against their governments?
What does it mean for an actor to entrap its ally?
What is the relationship between the selectorate and the winning coalition?
The winning coalition is a subset of the selectorate. In theory, the selectorate chooses who leads; while it is the winning coalition who actually installs and supports the leader.
What countries are engaged in conflict over Kashmir?
India, Pakistan and China.
Compellence and deterrence are both instances of ____ force/diplomacy.
What are the goal(s) of compellence? Of deterrence?
They are both coercive force/diplomacy, not brute force.
Compellence aims to coerce an actor to commit action or to stop an action.
Deterrence aims to coerce an actor to not engage in an action.
What are some reasons why a state government may collapse or lose control over a territory?
A regime which is either too inclusive or repressive - a lukewarm regime.
Poverty.
Terrain.
Large population.
(Various other issues too)...
A realist may expect balance of power to exist in international relations. What is balance of power?
When states balance against stronger potentially threatening actors.
What is a win-set and how does this relate to two-level games?
A win-set is the array of options that may satisfying both the international (treaty) and domestic (ratification) processes of diplomacy.
Golden hummers filled with jaguars are an example of a payoff to one's winning coalition in the form of what type of good?
Private goods.
What is the distinction between preventive and preemptive war? Which example applies to what type; Iraq and the Six Days' War.
Preventive - wars aimed at preventing an adversary from becoming stronger in the future. (Iraq)
Preemptive - first-strike advantage; when an attack is imminent. (Six Days' War)
How might rebels be able to overcome collective action problems?
Provide resource incentives to potential allies.
What are diversionary incentives? Provide two potential examples.
These are factors encouraging a leader to engage in international crises in aims of creating a rally effect.
Bad economy, scandal, poor governance etc...
Institutional explanations for the Democratic Peace consist of...
1.) Transparency (of democracies)
2.) Credible Signaling (of democracies)
3.) Avoidance of Public Bads (of democracies)
What are the two sources of legal wars in international relations?
Wars of self-defense.
Wars authorized by the UN Security Council.
What is a Nash Equilibrium?
What outcome(s) function as a Nash Equilibrium in a Prisoner's Dilemma situation? What outcome(s) function as a Nash Equilibrium in a Stag Hunt situation?
Nash Equilibrium - when both actors have no incentive to deviate from a particular strategy in repeated interactions.
In a Prisoner's Dilemma, the Nash Equilibrium is mutual defection.
In a Stag Hunt, the Nash Equilibrium is either mutual defection or mutual cooperation.
War is costly. What are three common strategic explanations as to why wars occur?
1.) Asymmetric information and incentives to misrepresent.
2.) Commitment problems.
3.) Issue Indivisibility.
How does a collective security organization differ from an alliance? Provide two important examples of CSO(s).
CSOs are broader than alliances; dealing with security issues beyond the military sphere such as economic, health or legal.
Additionally, threats emerge from within the CSO; threats emerge from outside of alliances.
League of Nations. United Nations.
Normative/ideological explanations for the Democratic Peace consist of...
1.) Constitutional Republic (political)
2.) Reciprocal Understanding (international)
3.) Cosmopolitan Commerce (economic)
What are three main reasons why the UN Security Council might be conducive to international peace?
Deterrence of aggressors.
Enforcement of agreements.
Reduce the advantages of 1st strikes.