Def: a logically consistent set of statements that explains a phenomenon of interest

Sig: While theories in hard sciences can be reinforced by repeated controlled experiments, theories in political science are significant only as loose analytic frameworks 

Def: an analytic process that involves developing hypotheses, observing and collecting data, and interpreting results to either strengthen or dismiss initial hypotheses (Sagan)

Sig: The scientific method is significant in international relations because it provides a method to obtain objective conclusions

Def: a book written by Carl Sagan that encourages people to think skeptically and offers tools to do so, such as identifying fallacies and the scientific method Sig: This is significant because theories in international relations must be objective and therefore must not be based off normative judgments.

Def: a typology for classifying theories in international relations that, according to Waltz, defines actors at an individual, state, and international level.

Sig: Provides a uniform basis for theories in international relations

Def: The unit in the levels of analysis that accounts for individual people (their character, goals, background, etc.) as actors in international relations Sig: The first image is significant because it implies that human nature has a significant say in the outcomes of international relations (Waltz)

Def: The unit in the levels of analysis that accounts for domestic determinants (the state) (Waltz)

Sig: According to Keohane and Nye's theory of neo-liberalism, the 2nd image plays a significant role in the causation of war.

Def: The unit in the levels of analysis that accounts for international level

Sig: According to Waltz’s theory of neo-realism, the 3rd image is significant because distribution of power is the greatest determinant of outcomes in international relations

Def: The four V’s (Verification, validation, vindication, and violence) are what people use in attempting to make/establish truth claims

Sig: The four V’s are significant because while validation and vindication are the only valid for avenues for establishing truth claims, most people utilize violence or verification, which have no logical merit.

Def: The ability of actor A to get actor B to do something that B would not otherwise do

Sig: According to Waltz’s neorealism, power is the most significant driving force in international relations.

Def: The term fungibility of force refers to the ability of military power to affect other sectors such as the economy

Sig: Fungibility of force is significant as Waltz’s theory of neo-realism asserts that force is almost always fungible and the most important aspect of international relations.

Def: State sovereignty refers to a state’s legal and political supremacy within its territorial boundaries, as established in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 Sig: State Sovereignty is significant because it establishes the structure in which states act in modern international relations

Def: The Peace of Westphalia is the settlement that ended the Thirty Years' War in 1648

Sig: It is significant because it can be attributed with creating the modern state system by its general recognition of the principles of sovereignty and nonintervention.

Def: a portion of Thucydides' account of the Pelopenisian war that describes the Melians' negotiations with their attackers, Athens

Sig: It is significant because it established realist thought, claiming that bargaining and preemptive war are acceptable, and asserting that “the strong do what they can and the weak suffer as they must.”

Def: the belief implored by Kant and Locke that man is free to act in his own self-interests and that society is a product of human nature

Sig: Liberalism is significant to international relations because it asserts that war is the product of selfish and violent actors as explained in Waltz's Man, the State, and War.

Def: Neo-realism states that international politics are anarchic in nature and that states are unitary actors that focus on security

Sig: This is significant because it asserts that power is the most important factor in a hierarchy of influences that affect international relations (Waltz)

Def: an absence of central authority with the ability to make and enforce laws

Sig: Anarchy is significant to international relations because it represents the current state of the international community, which lacks absolute laws and a system of enforcing international agreement, and is fundamental to Waltz’s neo-realist argument

Def: An actor (such as an individual, group of individuals, or a state) that has a set of common interests or goals

Sig: It is significant to note that a core assumption of Waltz’s neo-realist theory is that nation states are unitary actors in an anarchic international system.

Def: Rationality is having reason and good judgment, and behaving with logic to obtain self-interest

Sig: In Waltz’s neo-realist theory, all states act rationally and therefore in their best interest

Def: A security dilemma refers to a situation wherein two or more states are drawn into conflict, possibly even war, over security concerns, even though none of the states actually desire conflict 

Sig: Security dilemmas are significant because they create prisoner dilemmas in which rationally thinking states will actually end up hurting themselves.

Def: The term cognitive dissonance refers to anxiety caused by information that is contradictory to one’s beliefs

Sig: This is significant because this anxiety causes people to be biased and actively avoid situations and information that would likely increase dissonance

Def: A book written by Fred Greenstein that provides an account assessing the performance of presidents ranging from FDR to Clinton.

Sig: Greenstein’s central significant argument is based on the notion that a lack of emotional intelligence can seriously cripple a president even if he is strong in all other categories.

Def: refers to the decline of military force as a policy tool and the increase of other various, complex transnational connections between states and societies such as international organizations, trade, etc.

Sig: This is significant because, as Keohane and Nye assert, the increase of economic and other forms of interdependence should increase the probability of cooperation among states and therefore reduce the frequency and severity of war (opposite of realism).

Def: The Kantian Tripod is made up of three complimentary influences that Kant theorized would promote “perpetual peace,” including representative democracies, capitalist economies, and international organizations

Sig: The Kantian Tripod is significant because it is the basis of Keohane and Nye's theory of neo-liberalism

Def: States that democracies are less likely to fight each other

Sig: This is significant because this is the only true law in international relations, and it is part of Neohane and Nye’s theory of neo-liberalism.

Def: The United Nations is a collective security organization founded in 1945 after World War II consisting of all recognized states (WP).

Sig: The United Nations is significant because it is the most prominent attempt to provide global security, however, it has been largely ineffective.

Def: The main governing body of the United Nations, made up of five permanent nations with veto power (United States, Britain, France, Russia, and China) and ten non-permanent members serving two year terms, that has the authority to identify threats to international peace and security and to prescribe the organizations response, including military and/or economic sanctions.

Sig: Its significance lies in the fact that it has the ability to investigate any dispute (Article 34) and that any of its permanent members have the power to veto a UN resolution (WP).

Def: International organizations are organizations whose members are states and that have buildings, budgets, and bureaucrats

Sig: They are significant because they contribute to complex interdependence and Keohane and Nye’s theory of neo-liberalism.

Def: Collective security is an agreement between three or more parties to unite with the interest of maintaining and defending each other’s security against other members of the party.

Sig: Supported by neo-liberalist theory, collective security is significant because it is the primary principle of the United Nations, yet often encounters debate due to ambiguities in the ideal process of its execution (WP).

Def: Bipolarity is a distribution of power in which two states have the majority of military, cultural, and economic influence

Sig: This is significant because according to Waltz, this power structure is the most stable, because the pull between two great powers will prevent either from escalating conflict and lend balance to the international system.

Def: Multipolarity is a distribution of power in which more than two states have nearly equal amounts of military, cultural, and economic influence (i.e. WWI or WWII)

Sig: This is significant because according to Waltz this power balance inherently causes tension and instability in the international system, inevitably causing conflict.

Def: Unipolarity is a distribution of power in which a single state has the most military, cultural, and economic influence (currently the United States). Sig: This is significant because, as Snyder points out?, it provides a flaw in Waltz’s neorealism theory, which asserts that unipolarity was impossible.

Def: A great power is a state or nation that has the ability to exert its influence on a global scale

Sig: Great powers are significant in international relations because they are constantly shifting.

Def: A balance of power is a situation in which the military capabilities of two states or groups are roughly equal

Sig: Balance of power is significant because Waltz’s theory of neo-realism asserts that it is a key feature that may predict and preserve stability

Def: A relationship between military leaders and the industries that benefit from international conflict, such as arms manufacturers

Sig: This relationship is significant because although it is not typically sufficient enough to cause a war directly, it can often create more opportunities for conflict by increasing the aggressiveness of a state’s foreign policy (WP)

Def: Diversionary war theory states that state leaders have incentive to start international crises in order to rally public support at home by diverting attention away from domestic issues

Sig: This is significant because it asserts that leaders may start international conflict for selfish interests as opposed to in the interests of their country (WP).

Def: Interests groups consist of members with common interests that organize to influence public policy in their favor

Sig: They are especially significant in their financial contributions to political campaigns.