Concepts

IB Global politics concepts

The IB subject guide says:

"Integrating political content and topics revolves around a set of key concepts that are central to the study of global politics: power, sovereignty, legitimacy and interdependence. These weave a conceptual thread through the course and facilitate connections between topics and also with other subjects. Even when not explicitly addressed, these key concepts are related to most of the prescribed content of the course and are central to the analysis of political issues."

"The definitions of each key concept and their relationship to the study of global politics are subject to debate and should be treated as contestable. A significant part of the learning in the course will come from discussions on how these concepts are understood, interpreted and prioritized in different contexts or by a diverse range of stakeholders."

The following presents the IB subject guide's "initial guidance" for each concept. 

You do not need to memorise these descriptions. It is more important to be familiar with different understandings of each concept. 

Power

Power is a central concept in the study of global politics and a key focus of the course. Power can be seen as an ability to effect change. Rather than being viewed as a unitary or independent force, it can also be seen as an aspect of relations among people functioning within a social organization. Contested relationships between people and groups of people dominate politics, particularly in this era of increased globalization. Understanding the dynamics of power therefore plays a central role in understanding global politics. 

Sovereignty

Sovereignty characterizes a state’s independence, its control over territory and its ability to govern itself. How states use their sovereign power is at the centre of many important issues in global politics. Some theorists argue that sovereign power is increasingly being eroded by aspects of globalization such as borderless communication and trade, which states cannot fully control. Others argue that sovereign states exercise a great deal of power when acting in their national interest, and that this is unlikely to change.

Legitimacy

Legitimacy refers to an actor or an action that is commonly considered acceptable to a population. It provides the fundamental rationale for all forms of governance and other ways of exercising power.

The most accepted contemporary form of state legitimacy is some form of democracy or constitutionalism, whereby the governed have a defined and periodic opportunity to choose who governs and exercises power. In states where this is not the norm, other sources of legitimacy might be expressed, such as hereditary or traditional leadership.

Within any proposed framework of legitimacy, individual actions by a state can be considered legitimate to a greater or lesser extent. Other actors in global politics, and their behaviour, can also be evaluated from the perspective of legitimacy. Evaluation can be based on the acceptance or recognition these actors are given by others in exercising certain roles or taking specific decisions.

Interdependence

In global politics, the concept of interdependence most often refers to the mutual reliance between and among groups, organizations, geographic areas and/or states on access to resources that sustain living arrangements. Often, this mutual reliance is economic (e.g. trade), but it can also have a security dimension (e.g. defence arrangements) and, increasingly, a sustainability dimension (e.g. environmental treaties). Globalization has increased interdependence, while often changing the power relationships among and between global political actors. 

More concepts

There are many more political concepts that you will find throughout the course. Each thematic unit has four concepts.

These 12 concepts are listed as 'prescribed content'  meaning the terms appear in exam questions. 

For each, you should study their 'contested meanings' to give different perspectives and understandings.