Globalization has increased interdependence, while often changing the relationships of power among the various actors engaged in global politics. Often, this mutual reliance is economic (such as trade), but can also have a security dimension (such as defence arrangements) and, increasingly, a sustainability dimension (such as environmental treaties). In global politics, the concept of interdependence most often refers to the mutual reliance between and among groups, organizations, geographic areas and/or states for access to resources that sustain living arrangements. Other actors of global politics and their actions can also be evaluated from the perspective of legitimacy. Within any proposed overall framework of legitimacy, individual actions by a state can be considered more or less legitimate. Other sources of legitimacy are suggested in states in which such an opportunity does not exist. The most accepted contemporary source of legitimacy in a state is some form of democracy or constitutionalism whereby the governed have a defined and periodical opportunity to choose who they wish to exercise power over them. ![]() Legitimacy refers to an actor or an action being commonly considered acceptable and provides the fundamental basis or rationale for all forms of governance and other ways of exercising power over others. Others argue that sovereign states exercise a great deal of power when acting in their national interest and that this is unlikely to change. Some theorists argue that sovereign power is increasingly being eroded by aspects of globalization such as global communication and trade, which states cannot always fully control. How states use their sovereign power is at the heart of many important issues in global politics. ![]() Sovereignty characterizes a state’s independence, its control over territory and its ability to govern itself. Contested relationships between people and groups of people dominate politics, particularly in this era of increased globalization, and so understanding the dynamics of power plays a prominent role in understanding global politics. Power can be seen as ability to effect change and, rather than being viewed as a unitary or independent force, is as an aspect of relations among people functioning within a social organization. Power is a central concept in the study of global politics and a key focus of the course. This unit affiliation indicates where the concepts are most likely to surface, but the intention is that any of them can and should be addressed at any point of the course where they add value to the discussion. The concepts below are listed in the order in which they appear in the core units, with four concepts attached to each unit. A rich and balanced understanding of the key concepts is a key aim and assessment objective of the course and requires their examination from multiple approaches and perspectives in a variety of contexts. However, a few sentences could never capture the different and contested interpretations of these big, important and organizing ideas of the theory and practice of politics. ![]() They should be explored both when working with the four core units, the engagement activity and the HL extension, in order to equip students with a conceptual framework with which to access and understand the political issues examined.īrief explanations of the key concepts are given in the table below to provide teachers and students with a starting point for their conceptual journey of global politics. The following 16 key concepts weave a conceptual thread through the course.
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