| Front | Back | | --- | --- | | How would a realist explain the UN Security Council's veto power, using a specific geopolitical dynamic? | Realists argue IGOs reflect material power relations. The veto power of the P5 (e.g., Russia vetoing resolutions on Ukraine) demonstrates that great powers use IGOs to protect their own national interests rather than submit to global authority. | | How does liberal institutionalism explain why states join functional IGOs like the World Trade Organization (WTO)? | States join to reduce transaction costs, resolve market failures, and achieve absolute gains through structured, rules-based dispute resolution, despite sacrificing some policy autonomy. | | How did the 2015 migration crisis expose the limits of the European Union's regional integration? | It revealed deep tensions between national sovereignty (border control) and supranational policy, as member states like Hungary rejected EU-mandated refugee quotas in favor of national security priorities. | | Explain how the Doha Round stall at the WTO illustrates a core limitation of functional IGOs. | It demonstrates how a consensus-based decision-making structure can lead to gridlock when there are deeply divergent national interests between developed and developing nations. | | Contrast the decision-making authority of a supranational regional IGO like the EU with a traditional intergovernmental one. |

Supranational (EU): Institutions have authority above the national level and can make binding decisions that override national law.
Intergovernmental: Decisions require state-by-state consensus or ratification, preserving veto power for sovereign states.

| | Unlike Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) which represent civil society, Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs) are composed of sovereign states and are established through treaties governed by international law. | Unlike Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) which represent civil society, Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs) are composed of sovereign states and are established through treaties governed by international law. | | In the United Nations, the General Assembly provides equal representation for all member states, while the Security Council holds the unique power to authorize peacekeeping missions and enforce binding sanctions. | In the United Nations, the General Assembly provides equal representation for all member states, while the Security Council holds the unique power to authorize peacekeeping missions and enforce binding sanctions. | | What mechanism did the EU use to manage economic governance during the 2008 financial crisis, and what does this demonstrate? | The European Stability Mechanism (ESM). It demonstrated the EU's unique capacity to exercise supranational economic governance to protect the stability of the eurozone. | | What is the "democratic deficit" in the context of the European Union? | The criticism that EU decision-making institutions lack transparency and direct accountability to citizens, as key policies are often set by unelected bureaucrats (like the European Commission) rather than directly elected representatives. | |

How does the WTO mediate trade disputes, such as those between the US and China, to prevent trade wars?

| Through its Dispute Settlement Mechanism, which provides a structured, legally binding forum to rule on trade violations and authorize retaliatory measures if compliance is not met. | |

Why do critics argue the UN Security Council's structure is outdated for managing contemporary global security?

| The permanent five (P5) veto power reflects the 1945 post-WWII power balance, failing to represent emerging powers (e.g., India, Brazil) and leading to gridlock during modern humanitarian crises. | | The WTO's stalled Doha Round of trade negotiations highlights the difficulty of achieving consensus when developed and developing countries have deeply divergent agricultural and industrial interests. | The WTO's stalled Doha Round of trade negotiations highlights the difficulty of achieving consensus when developed and developing countries have deeply divergent agricultural and industrial interests. | | How can joining an IGO both erode and enhance a state's sovereignty? |

Erode: States must comply with binding rules or supranational decisions, limiting national policy autonomy.
Enhance: States gain collective capacity to solve transnational challenges (e.g., climate change) that they cannot address alone.

| | How would a constructivist explain the influence of the UN, beyond its material power? | Constructivists argue the UN acts as a norm entrepreneur, shaping state identities and interests by establishing global standards on human rights and sovereignty, creating a social expectation of compliance. | | The European Union's Single Market facilitates the "four freedoms": the free movement of goods, services, capital, and people across member states. | The European Union's Single Market facilitates the "four freedoms": the free movement of goods, services, capital, and people across member states. | | Give an example of a functional IGO and explain how its mandate differs from a regional IGO. |

Example: The World Health Organization (WHO) or World Trade Organization (WTO).
Difference: Functional IGOs focus on a specific sector or issue globally, whereas regional IGOs (like the EU or AU) focus on a broad range of issues within a defined geographic area.

| | The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the UN, designed to adjudicate legal disputes strictly between states. | The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the UN, designed to adjudicate legal disputes strictly between states. |

Core: Understanding power and global politics6 subtopics

Rights and Justice4 subtopics

Development and Sustainability4 subtopics

Peace and Conflict4 subtopics

IB Global Politics Intergovernmental Organizations Flashcards

Flashcards for Intergovernmental organizations

Flashcards for Intergovernmental organizations - IB

Core: Understanding power and global politics6 subtopics

Rights and Justice4 subtopics

Development and Sustainability4 subtopics

Peace and Conflict4 subtopics