Global Politics

Core Declarative Knowledge
What should students know?

• 1.1 Nature of Power
  • 1.1.0 Definitions of Global, Politics, Power – what is a state? What is statehood? Different theories on states – Realism and Liberalism.
    • How do States show their power internally?
    • What actors play a part in state power?

Core Procedural Knowledge
What should students be able to do?

• Can I explain the following key concepts: power, sovereignty, legitimacy, interdependence?
• Can I explain the following key concepts: Justice, Human Rights, Liberty, Equality?
• Can I define the nature of power?
• Can I explain sovereignty and legitimacy?
• Can I describe the history of Human Rights?
• Can I understand the requirements of the 25 mark essay question?

Links to TOK

• How are the methods used to gain knowledge in global politics similar or different to those of other subjects?
• How do the processes of natural sciences interact in knowledge formation?
• Can one person or a group of people know what is best for the other people that they control?

Links to Assessment

• Essay on ‘Can China Rise Peacefully? (25 Marks)
• Case Study on USA incarceration

Core Declarative Knowledge
What should students know?

• 1.13 Multilateralism and Unilateralism.
• 1.14 Summarising 1.1 The Nature of Power.
• 1.15 Example 25 mark essay question. – Crib Sheet and Reteaching.
• 1.2 Organisation of State Power in Global Politics
  • 1.2.1 Defining nations, states, nation-states, multi-nation states, stateless nations, micronations.
    • How have states come into existence?
    • What makes a State strong or weak?
    • What are the differences between Democratic and Militarised States?
  • 1.2.2 A brief history of sovereignty.
  • 1.2.3 The present- day concept of sovereignty (and rule of law).

Core Procedural Knowledge
What should students be able to do?

• Can I explain the following key concepts: power, sovereignty, legitimacy, interdependence?
• Can I explain the following key concepts: Justice, Human Rights, Liberty, Equality?
• Can I define the nature of power?
• Can I explain sovereignty and legitimacy?
• Can I describe the history of Human Rights?
• Can I understand the requirements of the 25 mark essay question?

Links to TOK

• Are there times when we are morally obliged to act on what we know?
• How do I know when one theory or model is better than another?
• To what extent do levels of analysis – international, national, local affect decision making?
• How can we assess ‘expert’ opinions when they disagree with one another?

Links to Assessment

• How do states interact with one another to form relations and international cooperation? (25 Marks)

Core Declarative Knowledge
What should students know?

L1.4 Nature of Extent on Interactions in Global Politics – Covered discreetly in the rest of the course. 2.1 Evolution of Human Rights. – 2.1.1 What are ‘human rights’ and what is the UDHR? – 2.1.2 The contested history of human rights. – 2.1.3 A timeline of human rights. – 2.1.4 Example 25 mark essay question. (1) To define the concept of human rights; (2) To understand that human rights is a culturally contested concept
(1) To be able to describe both the content and context of the universal declaration of human rights; (2) To identify and describe a case study example of when human rights have been breached by a state
(1) To be able to describe both the content and context of the universal declaration of human rights; (2) To identify and describe a case study example of when human rights have been breached by a state
(1) To understand that human rights are a culturally contested concept; (2) To assess the extent to which human rights are a western construction
(1) Consider the ways in which human rights are codified, protected and monitored through the use of human rights laws and treaties; (2) Begin to assess the effectiveness – or otherwise – of multilateral and bilateral human rights diplomacy.
(1) Consider the ways in which human rights are codified, protected and monitored through the use of human rights laws and treaties; (2) Begin to assess the effectiveness – or otherwise – of multilateral and bilateral human rights diplomacy.
(1) To describe the role of the ICC in the global human rights regime; (2) To begin to assess the effectiveness of the ICC as a human rights institution
(1) To investigate the claim made on human rights by different groups globally; (2) To evaluate the claim to human rights made by indigenous peoples
(1) To evaluate the extent to which the US detention centre at Guantanamo Bay is a violation of internationally accepted human rights standards
(1) To describe the distribution of child soldiers and define the concept; (2) To become familiar with one case study from a choice of eight

Core Procedural Knowledge
What should students be able to do?

(1) To investigate whether economic sanctions in response to human rights abuses are, sui generis, an abuse of human rights
(1) To practice the skills of required for Paper 2 extended answer style questions
(1) To practice the skills of required for Paper 1 stimulus response style questions
(1) To introduce the Political Engagement Activity and begin brainstorming possible ideas;
(1) To develop familiarity with the PEA through individual and group assessment of exemplars

Links to TOK

• Do the human sciences help us to understand the human species as a whole or just give insight into particular cultural groups?
• To what extent are our perspectives determined by our membership of a particular culture?
• The UNCOHR claims to be universal?
• Is there anything hat is true for all cultures?
• How are international treaties ratified and how are they hampered by national sovereignty?
• How do the meanings of key terms and concepts within disciplines change over time?
• Is it possible for scientists to maintain a detached relationship with the subject matter they are investigating?

Link to Assessment

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

Core Declarative Knowledge
What should students know?

• 3.1 Defining development
• 3.2 Measuring development
• 3.3 Political factors affecting development
• 3.3.2 Economic factors affecting development
• 3.4 Contemporary pathways towards development

Core Procedural Knowledge
What should students be able to do?

(1) To understand that development is a contested concept and there are different ways in which the concept can be operationalised;

(2) To begin to work towards constructing a workable definition of development

(1) To accurately describe the four main measures of development (GDP, HDI, Gini-coefficient and HPI);

(2) To evaluate the usefulness of each measure

(1) To investigate one political factor affecting corruption;

(2) To evaluate, as a group, the relative effect of each political factor

(1) To investigate the causes and effects of third world debt through producing one video case study;

(2) To become familiar with the assessment criteria for the HL extension presentation task

Links to TOK

• To what extent do the concepts that we use shape the conclusion we reach?
• What is the difference between facts, data and theories?
• Do these terms mean the same thing in all areas of knowledge?
• Is having more data available always helpful in the production of knowledge?
• Given that they have access to the same facts, how is it possible that there can be disagreement between experts in a particular area of knowledge?
• To what extent are we aware of the impact of our culture on what we believe or know?
• Is it possible to have knowledge about future events?
• Can we predict the future?

Link to Assessment

• Discuss the extent to which cultural relativism can be used to justify different concepts of Human Rights. “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) is no longer relevant for dealing with human rights issues in the 21st century.”
• To what extent do you agree with this claim?
  “The evolution of human rights since 1948 has undermined the effectiveness of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” To what extent do you agree with this claim?