Back to Topic 1.4 — Sovereignty
1.4.1Global Politics SL11 flashcards

What is sovereignty?

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1.4.1
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What is sovereignty?

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Card 1definition

Question

What is sovereignty?

Answer

A state's supreme authority over its own territory and people, with no higher authority above it.

Card 2concept

Question

What are the two sides of sovereignty?

Answer

Internal (the top authority inside its borders) and external (independence from outside control).

Card 3definition

Question

What is internal sovereignty?

Answer

The state's supreme authority inside its own borders — it makes and enforces the laws.

Card 4definition

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What is external sovereignty?

Answer

A state's independence from outside control — no other state can legally command it.

Card 5definition

Question

What is Westphalian sovereignty?

Answer

The idea (from 1648) that each state rules its own territory free of outside interference.

Card 6definition

Question

What is non-intervention?

Answer

The principle that states should not interfere in each other's internal affairs.

Card 7example

Question

How do states use sovereignty in practice?

Answer

They reject outside interference by calling it an 'internal affair' — protected by their sovereign right to rule at home.

Card 8concept

Question

Why is sovereignty the foundation of the system?

Answer

It makes states legally equal and independent, each supreme at home — the basic rule of international politics.

Card 9concept

Question

Is sovereignty absolute?

Answer

In theory it is supreme, but in practice it is challenged by globalization, international law and human-rights norms.

Card 10concept

Question

Does a weak state have sovereignty?

Answer

Yes — sovereignty is a legal status, not power; even a weak state is legally sovereign.

Card 11concept

Question

Sovereignty vs power?

Answer

Sovereignty is the legal right to rule with no higher authority; power is the ability to shape outcomes — a state can have one without much of the other.

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IB Global Politics What is sovereignty? Flashcards | 1.4.1 | Aimnova | Aimnova