The study of how states, international organisations and certain subnational entities (such as political parties) interact to shape the global environment. It is a multidisciplinary field, drawing on the fields of politics, history, economics, law, sociology and philosophy. It is taught at universities as part of the broad subject of international studies, but also has a dedicated department or school of international relations.
The idea that sovereign states must accept a degree of influence from other states if they wish to maintain their own national sovereignty. A key assumption of the modern world order established by the Treaty of Westphalia, this concept was exported to Africa and Asia via colonialism and is a central tenet of contemporary politics. It clashes with the notion of the nation-state, which implies that borders correspond to the characteristics of a country’s “nation”—a dominant ethnic group or shared values.
A system of diplomatic and military coordination among two or more countries that is a major factor in international relations. Often the result of a mutual interest, this cooperation can be aimed at limiting the power of a dominant regional power or preventing the rise of a new power that could threaten existing arrangements. Examples of such systems include the Gulf Cooperation Council and NATO.
The idea that governments, international bodies and other actors with some form of moral authority have a responsibility to protect civilian populations from atrocities committed by their government or another. A controversial idea, it is at odds with the principle of sovereignty and has been used as a justification for military intervention in places such as Rwanda, Bosnia and Sierra Leone.