IB Global Politics Power Unit Vocabulary

The use of coercive means such as military force or economic sanctions. Key Theorist: Joseph Nye (contrasts with soft power); Example: U.S. invasion of Iraq (2003). Sample Sentence: The U.S. used hard power in Iraq to remove Saddam Hussein from power.

• Soft Power

• Hard Power

• Smart Power

• Cultural Power

The ability to attract and co-opt rather than coerce. Key Theorist: Joseph Nye (originator of the term); Example: South Korea’s global cultural influence via K-pop. Sample Sentence: South Korea’s soft power has grown through its cultural exports like music and film.

• Hard Power

• Soft Power

• Cultural Imperialism

• Economic Power

Power embedded in institutions and norms that shape global behavior. Key Theorist: Susan Strange (originator of the term); Example: Global financial system favoring Western economies. Sample Sentence: Structural power is evident in how global trade rules benefit industrialized nations.

• Structural Power

• Institutional Influence

• Global Norms

• Economic Hegemony

Power that exists through interactions and relationships. Key Theorist: Robert Dahl; Example: China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Sample Sentence: China’s relational power is evident in its infrastructure investments across Africa and Asia.

• Relational Power

• Structural Power

• Coercive Power

• Soft Power

A strategic combination of hard and soft power. Key Theorist: Joseph Nye; Example: Obama’s foreign policy approach. Sample Sentence: Smart power was evident in the U.S. strategy of combining drone strikes with diplomatic outreach in Pakistan.

• Smart Power

• Hard Power

• Soft Power

• Diplomatic Power

Power derived from control over valuable resources. Key Theorist: Michael Klare (resource conflicts); Example: Russia’s gas exports to Europe. Sample Sentence: Russia’s resource power allows it to influence European energy policy.

• Resource Power

• Economic Influence

• Geopolitical Strategy

• Energy Dominance

A global system with multiple centers of power. Example: Current global order with U.S., China, EU, India. Sample Sentence: The rise of China and India suggests a shift toward a multipolar world.

• Bipolar

• Unipolar

• Multipolar

• Tripolar

The ability to use digital tools to achieve political objectives. Key Theorist: Thomas Rid (cyberwarfare); Example: Russian interference in 2016 U.S. elections. Sample Sentence: Cyberpower was demonstrated when hackers disrupted electoral systems in multiple countries.

• Cyberpower

• Digital Diplomacy

• Information Warfare

• Cybersecurity

A global system dominated by one superpower. Example: Post-Cold War U.S. dominance. Sample Sentence: The 1990s were marked by a unipolar world with the U.S. as the sole superpower.

• Bipolar

• Multipolar

• Unipolar

• Tripolar

The authority of a state to govern itself without external interference. Key Theorist: Jean Bodin (early theorist); Example: Brexit as a reclaiming of sovereignty. Sample Sentence: Brexit was framed as a move to restore British sovereignty from EU institutions.

• Sovereignty

• Federalism

• Anarchy

• Colonialism