Unit 3: Global Politics and Power in the International Arena
What this domain tests
Unit 3 examines how power operates beyond the state: the international system, sovereignty, anarchy (in the IR sense, meaning no central authority), global governance and international institutions such as the United Nations and its agencies, the World Trade Organization and international courts. You must explain how states pursue national interest through hard power (military, economic coercion) and soft power (culture, diplomacy, aid, values), and how non-state actors - multinational corporations, NGOs, terrorist networks, international media - shape outcomes.
Concepts to master
Be able to explain realism vs liberalism vs constructivism as competing lenses on state behaviour, and apply them to a case rather than recite them. Know the structure and limits of the UN Security Council (five permanent members, veto), the difference between binding and non-binding instruments, and the debate over humanitarian intervention and the responsibility to protect. Understand globalisation, interdependence, trade blocs and regional organisations.
Common traps
- Using 'anarchy' to mean chaos rather than the absence of central authority.
- Confusing the UN General Assembly (one state, one vote, largely non-binding resolutions) with the Security Council (binding decisions, veto).
- Claiming soft power is 'weak' power; questions reward explaining attraction and agenda-setting.
- Describing globalisation as purely economic and ignoring political and cultural dimensions.
- Asserting that international law is irrelevant because it is often unenforced - better answers explain its influence on legitimacy and state behaviour.
Worked example / rule of thumb
Use the actor–instrument–outcome chain: identify the actor (state or non-state), name the instrument of power used, then evaluate the outcome against the stated goal. For example, sanctions (economic hard power by a coalition of states) aim to change another state's behaviour; evaluation should address humanitarian costs and the target's capacity to adapt. This structure prevents descriptive answers that never evaluate.