IB Global Politics Core: Understanding Power and Global Politics Key Definitions

Agenda-setting is the process by which media outlets influence what issues the public and policymakers consider important by choosing which topics to cover prominently and which to ignore.

Civil disobedience is the deliberate, public, and usually non-violent breaking of a law to protest an injustice. Participants typically accept the legal consequences in order to draw attention to the cause and pressure authorities to change.

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are non-state actors that operate independently of governments and businesses.

Collective rights are the rights held by groups of people, often tied to their shared identity, culture, or history, such as Indigenous peoples’ rights to land or the right of minority groups to preserve their language and traditions.

Conflict resolution is the process of addressing the underlying causes of conflict and finding mutually acceptable solutions. Common methods include negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and peacekeeping.

A critical theory that challenges realism and liberalism. Argues that global politics is socially constructed through norms, beliefs, identities, and discourse. Rejects the idea of a single objective reality, what matters is how we interpret and give meaning to things.

Cyberpower refers to the use of cyberspace, including the internet, computer networks, digital devices, and information technology, to create advantages and influence events. It includes activities such as cyber warfare, cyber diplomacy, and cyber espionage.

A diaspora refers to a population that has dispersed from its ancestral homeland and lives outside it, whether through voluntary migration or forced displacement.

External sovereignty refers to a state’s ability to act independently in international affairs—outside its borders. It reflects how much power a state has when interacting with other states and global actors.

Critiques liberalism and realism for ignoring the experiences of women in global politics. Emphasizes patriarchy, the idea that systems are structured to benefit men and exclude women from power.

Formal forums are structured and institutionalized, often with legal or binding authority. They include international organizations, treaties, and summits.

Framing is the way media presents information to emphasize certain aspects of a story while downplaying others, shaping how audiences interpret events and issues.

Global governance refers to the framework of rules, institutions, and processes that guide international cooperation and decision-making.

Global governance refers to the coordinated efforts of states, international organizations, and non-state actors to address transnational issues that no single nation can solve alone.

Refers to countries with lower levels of economic and industrial development, typically found south of more developed nations.

Hard power refers to the use of coercion or force to achieve political objectives.

Humanitarian intervention refers to the use of military force by one or more states in another state without the latter's consent, with the primary aim of preventing or stopping widespread suffering or human rights abuses.

A socially constructed sense of self and group belonging, shaped by shared history, culture, language, religion, ethnicity, or ideology, that informs how individuals and collectives act in political life.

Informal forums are flexible and adaptive, often lacking legal or binding authority. They facilitate dialogue, consensus-building, and innovation.

Insider groups are interest or pressure groups that enjoy regular, institutionalized access to government decision-makers, being consulted on policy development and regarded as legitimate stakeholders within the established political process.

Interaction in global governance refers to the dynamic relationships between actors as they negotiate, implement, and enforce policies.

Interdependence refers to the mutual reliance between actors in the international system, such as states, organizations, and individuals.

Interest groups are organizations that seek to influence public policy to benefit their members or advance a specific cause.

Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs) are formal institutions made up of two or more states that work together on common issues such as peace, security, trade, or the environment. They are established through treaties and operate under international law, meaning member states are legally bound by the organization’s rules.