UGC NET Political Science International Relations Syllabus

International Relations syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for International Relations in UGC NET Political Science, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Approaches to the study of International Relations

   9 topics

   • Idealism
   • Realism
   • Structural Marxism
   • Neoliberalism
   • Neorealism
   • Social Constructivism
   • Critical International Theory
   • Feminism
   • Postmodernism
2. 2

   Concepts

   4 topics

   • State, state system and non-state actors
   • Power
   • Sovereignty
   • Security: traditional and non-traditional
3. 3

   Conflict and Peace

   5 topics

   • Changing Nature of Warfare
   • Weapons of mass destruction
   • Deterrence
   • Conflict resolution
   • Conflict transformation
4. 4

   United Nations

   5 topics

   • Aims, Objectives, Structure and Evaluation of the Working of UN
   • Peace and Development perspectives
   • Humanitarian intervention
   • International law
   • International Criminal Court
5. 5

   Political Economy of IR

   6 topics

   • Globalisation
   • Global governance and Bretton Woods system
   • North-South Dialogue
   • WTO
   • G-20
   • BRICS
6. 6

   Regional Organisations

   4 topics

   • European Union
   • African Union
   • Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
   • ASEAN
7. 7

   Contemporary Challenges

   6 topics

   • International terrorism
   • Climate change and Environmental Concerns
   • Human Rights
   • Migration and Refugees
   • Poverty and Development
   • Role of Religion, Culture and Identity Politics

International Relations flashcards for UGC NET Political Science

21 of 53 cards from the International Relations deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is the core assumption of Idealism (Liberal Internationalism) in International Relations?

   That human nature is essentially good, war is not inevitable, and international cooperation through law, morality, democracy and institutions (e.g., the League of Nations) can secure lasting peace.

2. What are the three core assumptions of classical Realism as articulated by Hans Morgenthau?

   (1) States are the principal actors in an anarchic system, (2) states act rationally to pursue their national interest defined as power, and (3) politics is governed by objective laws rooted in a flawed human nature.

3. How does Neorealism (Structural Realism) differ from classical Realism?

   Kenneth Waltz's Neorealism locates the cause of state behaviour in the anarchic STRUCTURE of the international system (distribution of capabilities) rather than in human nature; states seek security/survival, not power for its own sake.

4. Distinguish offensive from defensive neorealism.

   Defensive realism (Waltz) holds states seek only enough power for security and balance against threats; offensive realism (Mearsheimer) holds states maximize relative power, aiming for hegemony because intentions are uncertain.

5. What does Neoliberalism (Neoliberal Institutionalism) argue about cooperation under anarchy?

   Associated with Keohane and Nye, it accepts anarchy and state self-interest but argues that international institutions/regimes reduce transaction costs, provide information and reciprocity, enabling sustained cooperation and absolute gains.

6. What is the central claim of Social Constructivism in IR (Alexander Wendt)?

   That key structures are social and ideational, not merely material; identities and interests are socially constructed through interaction. As Wendt put it, 'anarchy is what states make of it.'

7. What is the focus of Structural Marxism / dependency-world-systems thought in IR?

   It views the world capitalist economy as the key structure, dividing it into an exploiting core and a dependent periphery (Wallerstein's world-systems; semi-periphery), explaining global inequality through unequal exchange.

8. What does Critical International Theory (Frankfurt School / Robert Cox) argue?

   That 'theory is always for someone and for some purpose'; it distinguishes problem-solving theory (accepts the status quo) from critical theory (questions how order arose and seeks emancipatory change).

9. What is the central concern of Feminist IR theory?

   It highlights how gender shapes world politics, makes women's experiences visible, and critiques the masculine assumptions embedded in concepts like power, security and the state (e.g., Cynthia Enloe, J. Ann Tickner).

10. What is the main contribution of Postmodernism / Poststructuralism to IR?

    It rejects objective truth and meta-narratives, treats knowledge as power-laden (Foucault), and uses deconstruction and discourse analysis to expose how identities and 'reality' in world politics are textually constructed.

11. Define the 'state' in International Relations and list its essential elements.

    A state is a political-legal entity with four elements (Montevideo Convention 1933): a permanent population, a defined territory, a government, and the capacity to enter relations with other states (sovereignty).

12. What is the 'state system' and when is its modern form conventionally dated?

    A system of sovereign, territorially defined states recognizing no superior authority; the modern sovereign state system is conventionally traced to the Peace of Westphalia (1648).

13. Give examples of non-state actors in international relations.

    Intergovernmental organizations (UN, WTO), multinational corporations, international NGOs (Amnesty, Red Cross), terrorist and transnational criminal networks, social movements, and influential individuals.

14. In IR theory, what are the three classic 'faces' or dimensions of power?

    (1) Decision-making power (getting others to act against their will), (2) agenda-setting power (controlling what is decided), and (3) ideological/structural power (shaping preferences) — Steven Lukes's three faces.

15. Distinguish hard power, soft power and smart power.

    Hard power = coercion via military/economic force; soft power (Joseph Nye) = attraction via culture, values and legitimate policy; smart power = the skillful combination of both.

16. Define sovereignty and its internal and external dimensions.

    Sovereignty is supreme authority within a territory. Internal sovereignty = supreme authority over a society; external sovereignty = independence from and legal equality with other states, free of outside interference.

17. What is the traditional (realist) conception of security?

    State-centric and military in focus: security means protecting the state's territorial integrity and sovereignty from external military threats, achieved chiefly through military power and deterrence.

18. What does non-traditional (human) security encompass?

    It shifts the referent from the state to people, covering economic, food, health, environmental, personal, community and political security — captured by the ideas of 'freedom from fear' and 'freedom from want' (UNDP 1994).

19. What is meant by the 'changing nature of warfare'?

    A shift from inter-state conventional wars toward asymmetric, intra-state, hybrid and 'new wars': insurgency, terrorism, cyber and drone warfare, non-state combatants, and blurred civilian-military lines.

20. What are the three categories of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)?

    Nuclear, biological and chemical weapons (NBC/CBRN), capable of causing mass casualties and large-scale destruction.

21. Name the key treaties governing each category of WMD.

    Nuclear: NPT (1968) and CTBT (1996); Chemical: Chemical Weapons Convention (1993/1997); Biological: Biological Weapons Convention (1972/1975).

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