Key Concepts

• Key concepts


  • Power
  • Sovereignty
  • Legitimacy
  • Interdependence
  • Human rights
  • Justice
  • Liberty
  • Equality
  • Development
  • Globalization
  • Inequality
  • Sustainability
  • Peace
  • Conflict
  • Violence
  • Non-violence
• Power


  A central concept in the study of global politics, the ability to effect change, an aspect of relations among people functioning within a social organization
• Sovereignty


  A state's independence, control over territory, and ability to govern itself
• Legitimacy


  An actor or action being commonly considered acceptable, the fundamental basis or rationale for all forms of governance and other ways of exercising power over others
• Interdependence


  Mutual reliance between and among groups, organizations, geographic areas and/or states for access to resources that sustain living arrangements, often economic, security or sustainability-related
• Human rights


  Basic claims and entitlements that one should be able to exercise simply by virtue of being a human being, essential for living a life of dignity, inalienable, and should be accepted as universal
• Justice


  Fairness and individuals getting what they deserve, often approached through the idea of rights and what individuals can legitimately expect of one another or of their government
• Liberty


  Having freedom and autonomy, often divided into positive liberty (freedom from external coercion) and negative liberty (autonomy to carry out one's own rational will)
• Equality


  All people or groups of people being seen as having the same intrinsic value, closely linked to justice and fairness
• Development


  A sustained increase in the standard of living and well-being of a level of social organization, involving increased income, better access to goods and services, improvements in education, healthcare, institutions, decreased inequality, reduced poverty and unemployment, and more sustainable production and consumption patterns
• Globalization


  A process by which the world's local, national and regional economies, societies and cultures are becoming increasingly integrated and connected, facilitated by developments in transportation and communication technology, and powered by cheap energy
• Inequality


  A state of affairs where equality between people or groups of people is not realized, often manifesting through unequal access to resources needed to sustain life and develop individuals and communities
• Sustainability


  Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs, involving environmental, sociopolitical and economic considerations
• Peace


  The absence of conflict and violence, as well as a state of harmonious relations
• Conflict


  The dynamic process of actual or perceived opposition between individuals or groups, over positions, interests or values
• Violence


  Physical or psychological force afflicted upon another being, or anything that prevents others from reaching their full potential
• Non-violence


  The practice of advocating one's own or others' rights without physically harming the opponent, often involving boycotts, demonstrations and civil disobedience