Q/A

Glossary of Terms:

Federalism:

Federalism is the distribution of power in an organization, as a government, between a central authority and the constituent units.

Marxism:

Marxism is a worldview and method of societal analysis that focuses on class relations and societal conflict that uses a materialistic interpretation of historical development, and a dialectical view of social transformation. Marxist methodology uses economic and sociopolitical inquiry and applies that to the analysis and critique of the development of capitalism and the role of class structure in systemic economic change.

Nationalism

Nationalism is a belief, creed or political ideology that involves identifying with, or becoming attached to, one’s nation.

Pacifism

Pacifism is the belief that any violence, including war, is unjustifiable under any circumstances, and that all disputes should be settled by peaceful means.

Socialism

Socialism is a social and economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and co-operative management of the economy, as well as a political theory and movement that aims at the establishment of such a system.

POLITICAL SPECTRUM:

A political spectrum is a system of classifying different political positions upon or more geometric axes that symbolize independent political dimensions. Most long-standing spectra include a right-wing and left wing, which originally referred to seating arrangements in the French parliament after the Revolution (1789-1799). According to the simplest left-right axis, communism and socialism are usually regarded internationally as being on the left, opposite fascism and conservatism on the right. Liberalism can mean different things in different contexts, sometimes on the left (social liberalism), sometimes on the right (economic

liberalism). Those with an intermediate outlook are classified as centrists or moderates.

Anarchism is a political philosophy that advocates stateless societies. Anarchists believe that the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, or harmful.

Communism is a socioeconomic system structured upon common ownership of the means of production and characterized by the absence of social classes, money, and the state.

Socialism is a social and economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production, as well as a political theory and movement that aims at the establishment of such a system.

Liberalism is a political philosophy or worldview founded on ideas of liberty and equality.

Conservatism as a political and social philosophy promotes retaining traditional social institutions in the context of the culture of Western Civilization.

Monarchism is the advocacy of a monarch or monarchial rule.

Nazism is the ideology and practice of the Nazis, especially the policy of racial nationalism, national expansion, and state control of the economy.

Fascism is a political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.

International Agreements

A treaty is an agreement under international law entered into by sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an international agreement, protocol, covenant, convention, pact, or exchange of letters.

In modern usage, a treaty is an official, express written agreement that states use to legally bind themselves. A treaty is the official document which expresses that agreement in words.

In the Unites States, the term “treaty” has a different, more restricted legal sense than exists in international law. Unites States law distinguishes what it calls “treaties” from “executive agreements.” The distinctions are primarily concerning their method of approval. Whereas treaties require advice and consent by two-thirds of the Senators present, sole executive agreements may be executed by the President acting alone.

The United States Supreme Court in the Head Money Cases (1884) ruled that “treaties” do not have a privileged position over Acts of Congress and can be repealed or modified by aby subsequent Act of Congress. The Supreme Court also ruled in Reid v. Covert (1957) that any treaty provision that conflicts with the Constitution are null and void under U.S. law.

The United States has entered into many treaties in their history, and other treaties, such as the Treaty of Versailles, did not gain the sufficient votes in the Senate to be ratified by the United States. Some examples of important treaties and agreements, referred to in the press or media, or during debate, are the following:

1) Geneva Conventions

The Geneva Conventions comprise four treaties, and three additional protocols, that establish the standards of international law for humanitarian treatment in war. The Geneva Conventions extensively defined the basic rights of wartime prisoners; established protections for the wounded and sick; and established protections for the civilians in and around a war-zone.

2) Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the Non- Proliferation Treaty, is an international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general

and complete disarmament. The treaty was opened for signature in 1968, and entered into force in 1970. As required by the text, after twenty-five years, NPT parties met in May 1995 and agreed to extend the treaty indefinitely. As of August 2017, 191 states have adhered to the treaty, through North Korea, which acceded in 1985 but never came into compliance, announced its withdrawal from the NPT in 2003, following detonation of nuclear devices in violation of core obligations. Four UN states have never accepted the NPT, three of which are thought to possess nuclear weapons: Israel, India, and Pakistan. In addition, South Sudan, founded in 2011, has not joined.

3) Paris Agreement

The Paris Agreement, Paris climate accord, or Paris climate agreement, is an agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) dealing with greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, adaptation and finance starting in 2020. The language of the agreement was negotiated by representatives of 196 parties at the 21st Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC in Paris and adopted by consensus on December 12, 2015. As of July 2017, 195 UNFCCC members have signed the agreement, 154 of which ratified it. In the agreement, each country determines, plans and regularly reports its own contribution it should make in order to mitigate global warming. There is no mechanism to force a country to set a specific target by a specific date.

In 2017, President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the agreement, causing widespread condemnation in the European Union and many sectors in the United States.

4) Trans-Pacific Partnership

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a trade agreement between Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. The United States, under the Obama administration, was also a member. On January 23, 2017, President Trump signed a presidential memorandum to withdraw. The other 11 countries agreed in May 2017 to revive the deal without US participation.

The agreement stated aim is to “promote economic growth; support the creation and retention of jobs; enhance innovation, productivity, and competiveness; raise living standards; reduce poverty in the signatories’ countries; and promote transparency, good governance, and enhanced labor and environmental protections.”

5) Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a forum of 21 Pacific Rim member economies that promote free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region. It was established in 1989 in response to the growing interdependence of the Asia-Pacific economies and the advent of regional trade blocs in other parts of the world and to establish new markets for agricultural products and raw materials beyond Europe. Their headquarters are in Singapore and its members are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, United States, and Vietnam.