| Front | Back | | --- | --- | | How would a realist explain Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine? |

Anarchy & Self-help: Russia acted in its own self-interest to secure its sphere of influence and counter NATO expansion.
Relative Power: Realists argue that military force is the ultimate currency of survival in an anarchic system where international law cannot protect states.

| | How do offensive and defensive structural realists differ in their assessment of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine? |

Offensive realists: View it as a rational attempt to maximize power and prevent a regional competitor (NATO) from encroaching.
Defensive realists: View it as strategically irrational, arguing that pursuing too much power triggers balancing coalitions and that the costs of conquest outweigh the benefits.

| | Structural realism, or neorealism, associated with thinkers like John Mearsheimer, argues that state behavior is driven by the structure of the international system rather than human nature. | Structural realism, or neorealism, associated with thinkers like John Mearsheimer, argues that state behavior is driven by the structure of the international system rather than human nature. | | How does the European Union (EU) demonstrate the core tenets of Liberalism? |

Economic Interdependence: Deep trade integration makes conflict between member states materially and politically irrational.
Institutional Cooperation: The EU acts as a supranational institution that facilitates negotiation, reduces transaction costs, and fosters trust.

| | How would a realist critique the liberal view of the European Union (EU) in the context of security crises like the Russia-Ukraine war? |

Primacy of Hard Power: Realists argue that the EU's soft power and economic integration are insufficient to deter military aggression.
State Sovereignty: In existential crises, individual member states ultimately prioritize national defense and self-interest over institutional consensus.

| | Under liberalism, the concept of collective security involves states working together to prevent aggression, while the Democratic Peace Theory posits that democracies are highly unlikely to go to war with one another. | Under liberalism, the concept of collective security involves states working together to prevent aggression, while the Democratic Peace Theory posits that democracies are highly unlikely to go to war with one another. | | How does the rapid shift of Finland and Sweden joining NATO in 2022-2023 illustrate constructivist theory? |

Socially Constructed Threats: The physical threat from Russia was always present, but the invasion of Ukraine shifted public narratives and threat perceptions.
Evolving Identities: Their decades-long national identity of military neutrality was rapidly redefined to align with Western collective security norms.

| | Contrast how a realist and a constructivist view the concept of 'anarchy' in global politics. |

Realist view: Anarchy is an objective, unchanging structural reality that inevitably forces states into self-interest and security competition.
Constructivist view: Anarchy is what states make of it, meaning its significance is socially constructed and can lead to cooperation or conflict based on shared ideas and norms.

| | How does Neo-Marxist Dependency Theory explain the exploitation of cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)? |

Core vs. Periphery: The DRC (periphery) is kept underdeveloped, supplying raw materials to benefit wealthy nations and multinational corporations (core).
Elite Alignment: Local DRC elites align with global capitalist interests rather than their own citizens, entrenching inequality.

| | How does the Marxist interpretation of multinational corporations (MNCs) in the DRC cobalt mines challenge the Liberal view? |

Liberal view: MNCs are benign agents of development, investment, and global cooperation.
Marxist challenge: MNCs are instruments of capitalist exploitation that extract wealth, exploit local labor, and entrench dependency.

| | Neo-Marxist Dependency Theory argues that wealthy core states maintain dominance over poor periphery states through international institutions, aid, and unfair trade. | Neo-Marxist Dependency Theory argues that wealthy core states maintain dominance over poor periphery states through international institutions, aid, and unfair trade. | | How would a feminist theorist analyze the Taliban's post-2021 restrictions on women's education and employment in Afghanistan? |

Gendered State Power: The state is not a neutral actor; its institutions are structured under patriarchy to deny women autonomy and public visibility.
Militarized Masculinity: The state enforces control through violent, patriarchal norms that traditional security theories ignore.

| | Why do feminist theorists argue that traditional security theories (realism and liberalism) fail to address gender-based violence? |

State-Centric Bias: Traditional theories focus on interstate war, ignoring the continuum of violence that occurs inside the home and during conflict (e.g., rape as a weapon of war).
Exclusion of Women: They overlook how the lack of female representation in peace negotiations leads to insecure outcomes for women.

| | In feminist global politics, intersectionality highlights how women's experiences differ based on race, class, and geography, while the fact that only 13 of 193 UN member states had female heads of government in March 2023 demonstrates severe underrepresentation. | In feminist global politics, intersectionality highlights how women's experiences differ based on race, class, and geography, while the fact that only 13 of 193 UN member states had female heads of government in March 2023 demonstrates severe underrepresentation. | | How does the 'Rhodes Must Fall' movement in South Africa and the UK apply postcolonial theory to global politics? |

Challenging Western Epistemology: It targets how academic curricula prioritize Western philosophers, marginalizing Global South knowledge.
Deconstructing Discourse: It exposes how colonial legacies continue to define what is considered 'legitimate' global knowledge.

| | How do postcolonialists critique the liberal assumption of universal human rights? |

Western Imposition: Postcolonialists argue that 'universal' rights are Western constructs imposed on non-Western societies, ignoring local contexts.
Discursive Imperialism: Human rights discourse can serve as a pretext for Western intervention, reinforcing racialized hierarchies of 'civilized' vs. 'uncivilized'.

| | Developed by Edward Said, Orientalism refers to the Western portrayal of the East as irrational, exotic, and inferior, which serves to justify intervention and control. | Developed by Edward Said, Orientalism refers to the Western portrayal of the East as irrational, exotic, and inferior, which serves to justify intervention and control. | | Contrast how a realist and a constructivist would explain the drivers of the Syrian Civil War. |

Realist: Focuses on material power struggles and proxy competition between regional and global actors (Russia, US, Iran).
Constructivist: Focuses on how sectarian identities (Sunni, Alawite) and ideological narratives shaped and fueled the conflict.

| |

Based on the core theories represented in global politics, which theory argues that international relations are fundamentally anarchic and shaped primarily by state self-interest and military power?

| Realism (specifically structural realism/neorealism). |

Core: Understanding power and global politics6 subtopics

Rights and Justice4 subtopics

Development and Sustainability4 subtopics

Peace and Conflict4 subtopics

IB Global Politics Theory in Global Politics Flashcards

Core: Understanding power and global politics6 subtopics

Rights and Justice4 subtopics

Development and Sustainability4 subtopics

Peace and Conflict4 subtopics

Flashcards for Theory in global politics

Flashcards for Theory in global politics - IB