The Reference Library
Diplomacy & Politics Glossary
Every term you need — from Model UN procedure to international law, economics, and political theory. Clear definitions, real examples, and cross-linked concepts.
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- 2,494 terms· showing letter B (111)
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Showing 111 entries
B
111 entriesBack-channel
A confidential communication line between adversaries that bypasses official…
Backchannel Communication
Private or informal communication channels used alongside official public…
Backchanneling
Nonverbal or verbal feedback given by listeners during communication to show…
Backfire Effect
When presented with evidence contradicting their beliefs, individuals may hold…
Background Guide
A resource document providing comprehensive information on topics, countries,…
Background Note
A concise document providing essential context and facts about a committee’s…
Balance of Payments
A record of all economic transactions between residents of a country and the…
Balance of Payments Exception
A WTO rule allowing countries temporary trade restrictions to address serious…
Balance of Power
A situation where no single state or coalition dominates others, maintaining…
Balance of Power Theory
A theory in international relations suggesting that national security is…
Balance of Threat
States form alliances based on perceived threats rather than just power,…
Balance of Threat Theory
An IR theory suggesting states form alliances based on perceived threats rather…
Ballot Access
The legal requirements candidates or parties must meet to appear on election…
Ballot Access Barriers
Legal or procedural obstacles that make it difficult for candidates or parties…
Ballot Access Laws
Regulations determining the requirements political candidates or parties must…
Ballot Access Litigation
Legal challenges and court cases concerning the rules and requirements…
Ballot Access Petition
A formal process where candidates or parties collect signatures from eligible…
Ballot Access Reform
Efforts and policies aimed at changing the rules and procedures that determine…
Ballot Access Restrictions
Legal or procedural barriers that candidates or parties must overcome to appear…
Ballot Design
The layout and format of a voting ballot, which can influence Voter…
Ballot Drop Box
A secure container where voters can deposit completed mail-in or absentee…
Ballot Harvesting
Collecting and submitting completed absentee or mail-in ballots by third…
Ballot Initiative
A process that allows citizens to propose and vote directly on laws or…
Ballot Issues
Specific points or criteria that judges use to decide which team wins a debate…
Ballot Rotation
A method of changing the order of candidate names on ballots to reduce the…
Ballot Security Measures
Procedures and technologies implemented to prevent unauthorized access,…
Ballot Spoiling
Deliberately submitting an invalid or blank ballot to express protest or…
Ballot Voting
The process by which a judge decides the winner of a debate round and records…
Ballot Voting Issue
A specific reason given to the judge for deciding in favor of one side on the…
Bandung Conference
A 1955 meeting of Asian and African states promoting economic and cultural…
Bandwagon Effect
The bandwagon effect is a Cognitive Bias where people adopt beliefs because…
Bandwagoning
A strategy where a weaker state aligns with a stronger power to share the…
Bangkok Rules
United Nations rules on the treatment of women prisoners and non-custodial…
Baselines
Lines along the coast from which the breadth of the Territorial Sea and other…
BATNA Analysis
Evaluating the Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement to determine the most…
BATNA Assessment
Evaluating your Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement to understand your…
BATNA Calibration
Adjusting your Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement based on new…
BATNA Development
The process of identifying and improving one’s Best Alternative to a Negotiated…
BATNA Enhancement
Improving your Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement strengthens your…
BATNA Improvement Techniques
Methods used to enhance the Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement by…
Battle of Stalingrad
A major World War II battle between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union that…
Bay of Pigs Invasion
A failed 1961 U.S.-backed attempt by Cuban exiles to overthrow Fidel Castro's…
Beatrice Webb's Social Reform
Beatrice Webb advocated for systematic social reforms emphasizing the role of…
Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)
China's signature global infrastructure and connectivity programme announced by…
Bench
A team or side in British Parliamentary debate, consisting of two members who…
Bench Role
In British Parliamentary debate, the specific responsibilities assigned to each…
Berlin Airlift
A 1948-1949 operation supplying West Berlin by air after Soviet forces…
Berlin Blockade
A Soviet attempt in 1948-1949 to cut off Allied access to West Berlin, leading…
Berlin Crisis of 1961
A Cold War confrontation triggered by the Soviet demand to make West Berlin a…
Berlin Wall
A fortified barrier constructed in 1961 dividing East and West Berlin,…
Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement
The most advantageous course of action a party can take if negotiations fail…
Best Delegate
An award given to the most outstanding participant in a committee based on…
Best Delegate Award
An accolade recognizing the most skilled and effective delegate in a committee.…
Best Position Paper Award
An award recognizing the delegate who submits the most thorough and…
Bias Blind Spot
The tendency to recognize biases in others' thinking while failing to see one's…
Bias by Omission
Leaving out relevant information or perspectives to skew a narrative or…
Bias Confirmation
The process of favoring information that confirms preexisting beliefs and…
Bias Confirmation Loop
A repetitive cycle where exposure to information confirms existing beliefs,…
Bicameral Legislature
A legislature divided into two separate chambers or houses, typically an upper…
Biden Doctrine
Biden's 'foreign policy for the middle class': renewed alliances,…
Bilateral Diplomacy
Direct diplomatic engagement and negotiation between two sovereign states to…
Bilateral Immunity Agreement
An agreement between two states to protect each other's nationals from…
Bilateral Investment Treaties
Agreements between two countries establishing terms and protections for private…
Bilateral Investment Treaty
A treaty establishing terms and protections for investments made by investors…
Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT)
A treaty establishing terms and protections for private investment by nationals…
Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) Arbitration
A legal process resolving disputes between investors and states under Bilateral…
Bilateral Security Agreement
A formal agreement between two countries outlining mutual defense commitments…
Bilateral Treaty
A formal agreement negotiated and signed between two sovereign states outlining…
Biopolitics
A concept developed by Michel Foucault describing the governance of populations…
Biopower
A concept describing how modern states regulate populations through techniques…
Blitzkrieg
A military tactic meaning "lightning war" involving fast, surprise attacks…
Bloc
A group of delegates or countries with similar interests or policies…
Bloc Alignment
The process by which countries within a Bloc coordinate their positions and…
Bloc Building
The process of forming alliances among countries with shared interests to…
Bloc Leader
A delegate who organizes and represents a group of countries sharing similar…
Bloc Strategy
A coordinated plan among a group of countries with similar interests to…
Block Argument
A comprehensive argument that covers multiple points, often used to…
Block Voting
A voting style where judges award wins based on the strength of a single block…
Bona Fide Purchaser
A party who acquires property in good faith without knowledge of any defects or…
Brahminization
The process by which dominant cultural norms and values spread to subordinate…
Breakout Capability
The ability of a state to quickly develop nuclear weapons from civilian nuclear…
Bretton Woods Institutions
The IMF and World Bank created to promote international monetary cooperation…
Bretton Woods System
An international monetary system established after World War II to regulate…
Brexit
The United Kingdom's 2016 Referendum decision and subsequent process to leave…
Brezhnev Doctrine
The Soviet doctrine asserting the right to intervene in any Warsaw Pact state…
BRICS
An intergovernmental grouping originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India,…
Bridging
A technique to connect an argument from one context or Framework to another,…
Bridging Argument
A Claim that connects two seemingly opposing arguments to show compatibility or…
Brief
A prepared summary of arguments and evidence used by debaters to organize and…
Briefing Book
A compilation of organized evidence and arguments used by policy debaters to…
Budapest Convention on Cybercrime
The 2001 Council of Europe treaty that is the principal international framework…
Budget Reconciliation
A legislative process that expedites the passage of budget-related bills by…
Burden of Proof
The obligation a debater has to provide sufficient evidence to support their…
Burden of Proof in International Arbitration
The obligation of a party to present evidence sufficient to convince the…
Burden of Rejoinder
The obligation of a team to respond and refute opposing arguments to maintain…
Burden Sharing
The distribution of costs, responsibilities, and risks among states or actors…
Bureaucracy
A system of government officials and agencies responsible for implementing laws…
Bureaucratic Accountability
Mechanisms that ensure government officials and agencies are responsible for…
Bureaucratic Discretion
Bureaucratic discretion allows public administrators to interpret and implement…
Bureaucratic Drift
The tendency of bureaucratic agencies to implement policies in ways that…
Bureaucratic Inertia
The resistance within government agencies to change policies or procedures,…
Bureaucratic Insulation
A condition where government agencies operate with limited external oversight,…
Bureaucratic Pathologies
Common dysfunctions within bureaucracies, such as red tape, conflict,…
Bureaucratic Politics Model
A theory explaining Foreign Policy decisions as outcomes of bargaining among…
Burkean Conservatism
A political philosophy emphasizing tradition, social continuity, and gradual…
Burkean Skepticism
Edmund Burke's cautious approach to political change emphasizing tradition and…
Burkean Sublimity
The aesthetic experience of awe mixed with terror that Edmund Burke linked to…
Burkean Tradition
A political philosophy valuing social continuity, tradition, and cautious…
Burning the Ballot
When a team makes arguments that are unlikely to convince judges, effectively…
Bush Doctrine
The George W. Bush administration's post-9/11 strategy emphasizing preventive…
Byrd Rule
A Senate rule that restricts the use of reconciliation to budget-related…