Question bank GP

 Discuss the claim that power in Global Politics (GP) is mostly exercised through the use of force and threats.

 Examine the claim that increased interactions and interconnectedness in GP have fundamentally changed the nature of state sovereignty.

Power is often assumed to be linked to the possession of, or access to, resources. Discus the validity of this view.

Evaluate the claim that state sovereignty creates obstacles for the realisation of justice for individuals and communities.

Examine the claim that the significance of military power is diminishing in contemporary GP.

Discuss the impact of NGOs, MNCs, and international organisations on state sovereignty. 

 Discuss the extent to which cultural relativism can be used to justify different concepts of human rights.

‘Human rights covenants and treaties limit development in newly industrialising economies.’ To what extent do you agree with this claim?

‘The UNHR is no longer relevant for dealing with human rights issues in the twenty-first century.’ To what extent do you agree with this claim?

Examine the effectiveness of non-state actors in advancing the protection of human rights.

Compare and contrast an institutional approach to the ratification and enforcement of human rights (e.g., through the Hague courts) with non-institutionalised approaches (e.g., NGOs)

To what extent do complex realities and relationships of power in GP make the concept of human rights an unachievable ideal?

Evaluate the view that globalisation harms rather than benefits the poorest people in countries with the lowest incomes.

Discuss the view that sustainable development will never be achieved until state and nonstate actors can be persuaded or forced to act in the common interest.

Discuss the view that social factors such as gender relations or migration can both help and hinder development.

Examine the view that successful development cannot be achieved without addressing political inequality.

Evaluate the claim that development through aid relies heavily on a stable government and a lack of corruption.

The fundamental weakness of development goals (e.g., Millennium Development Goals) is their lack of focus on how targets are actually achieved. To what extent do you agree with this claim? 

Evaluate the success of third-party involvement in transforming one intra-state conflict away from violence and towards positive peace. 

‘The use of violence can never be legitimate.’ Discuss the validity of this claim, with reference to at least one violent conflict you have studied. 

Peacebuilding is arguably more important than peacemaking, yet it is given much less funding and attention. To what extent do you agree with this claim? 

Discuss why non-violent protest is sometimes able to achieve success against even the most powerful of opponents. 

 ‘Transforming armed conflicts towards peace relies on an interrelationship of peacemaking, peace keeping and peace building.’ Discuss. 

 ‘If a person died from tuberculosis in the 18th century it would be hard to conceive of this as violence since it might have been quite unavoidable, but if he dies from it today, despite all the medical resources in the world, then is violence present?’ (Galtung). To what extent do you agree with the view that those in power have an obligation to identify and prevent structural violence?