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.
- Terms
- 2,494 terms· showing letter S (222)
- Categories
- 17 categories
Showing 222 entries
S
222 entriesSADC (Southern African Development Community)
A 16-member southern African regional organization for economic integration,…
Safeguard Clause
A temporary measure allowing countries to restrict imports of a product to…
Safeguard Duty
A temporary Tariff imposed to protect domestic industries from a sudden surge…
Safeguard Measures
Temporary trade restrictions imposed to protect domestic industries from sudden…
Safeguards
Temporary trade barriers imposed to protect domestic industries from sudden…
Salience Bias
The tendency to focus on the most noticeable or emotionally striking…
SALT I Treaty
The 1972 Strategic Arms Limitation Talks agreement between the US and USSR that…
SALT II Treaty
A 1979 agreement between the US and USSR aimed at limiting strategic nuclear…
SALT Treaties
Strategic Arms Limitation Talks agreements between the U.S. and USSR aiming to…
SALTI Treaty
[Note: Likely a typo, intended SALT I Treaty listed above; skipping to a new…
Sampling Bias
Sampling bias happens when collected data does not represent the target…
Sampling Error
The difference between a sample statistic and the actual population parameter…
Sampling Frame
The actual list or database from which a sample is drawn for research or…
Sampling Frame Error
A bias that occurs when the sample selected does not accurately represent the…
Sanctions Busting
Sanctions busting involves illegal methods used by states or entities to evade…
Sanctions Committee
A UN Security Council body responsible for overseeing the implementation of…
Sanctions Evasion
Techniques used by states or entities to circumvent economic or political…
Sanctions Regimes
Coordinated measures imposed by states or international organizations to…
Satire Detection
Satire detection involves identifying content meant to humorously criticize or…
Satyagraha
Mahatma Gandhi's method of Nonviolent Resistance to achieve political and…
Scenario Planning
Scenario planning involves creating multiple plausible future situations to…
Scenario-Based Planning
A strategic method that uses hypothetical future scenarios to prepare for…
Seabed Authority
An international organization established to regulate mineral-related…
Secondary Sanctions
Penalties applied to third-party entities or countries that do business with a…
Secondary Source
Information or analysis derived from primary sources, often summarizing or…
Secretariat
The administrative body of the UN responsible for executing day-to-day…
Securitization Theory
An approach in international relations that explains how issues are framed as…
Security Community
A group of states among which war is considered unlikely because of shared…
Security Council
One of the six principal organs of the UN responsible for maintaining…
Security Council (UNSC)
The UN organ responsible for maintaining international peace and security with…
Security Council Resolution
A binding decision adopted by the United Nations Security Council addressing…
Security Council Veto
The power of any of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council to…
Security Dilemma
Situation where actions by a state to increase its security cause insecurity in…
Security Sector Reform
Processes aimed at improving a state's security institutions to be effective,…
Selective Exposure
The tendency of individuals to prefer information that aligns with their…
Selective Perception
The tendency to interpret information in a way that confirms existing beliefs…
Self-Defense (Article 51)
The right of states under UN Charter Article 51 to use force in self-defense if…
Self-Determination
The right of peoples to freely determine their political status and pursue…
Self-Determination of Peoples
Self-determination of peoples is the principle that communities have the right…
Self-Executing Treaty
A treaty provision that becomes effective in domestic law without the need for…
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
Self-fulfilling prophecy happens when expectations influence behaviors that…
Self-Interest
A fundamental concept in Adam Smith's theory, suggesting that individuals act…
Self-Selection Bias
Bias introduced when individuals select themselves into a group, causing the…
Selma to Montgomery March
The Selma to Montgomery March was a pivotal event in the Civil Rights Movement…
Semi-Presidential System
A government system where executive power is divided between a directly elected…
Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands
A group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea claimed by Japan (which…
Sensationalism
Using exciting or shocking stories or language to provoke public interest or…
Separation of Powers
The division of government responsibilities into distinct branches to prevent…
Shadow Cabinet
A group of opposition party members who scrutinize and offer alternative…
Shadow Campaigning
Political activities conducted outside formal campaign regulations to influence…
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
A Eurasian political, economic, and security organization founded in 2001,…
Sharpeville Massacre
The Sharpeville Massacre was a pivotal event in 1960 where South African police…
Shuttle Communication
Shuttle communication involves relaying messages between parties who are…
Shuttle Diplomacy
A negotiation technique where a mediator travels between parties who refuse…
Shuttle Mediation
Shuttle mediation involves a neutral mediator communicating separately with…
Shuttle Mediation Techniques
Methods used by mediators to communicate separately with disputing parties to…
Shuttle Negotiation
A negotiation technique where a third party communicates proposals between…
Shuttle Negotiation Dynamics
The process and challenges of negotiating through intermediaries who…
Signal Boosting
Amplifying a message or piece of information, often through social media…
Signal-to-Noise Ratio
The proportion of useful, relevant information compared to irrelevant or…
Signatory
A delegate who supports a Draft Resolution or working paper but does not take…
Signposting
Signposting uses verbal cues to guide the audience through the structure of a…
Signposting Phrase
A clear verbal indicator used by speakers to guide the audience through the…
Signposting Strategy
The deliberate use of verbal cues to guide listeners through the structure of a…
Silent Majority
A term popularized in political discourse to describe a large group of people…
Single Non-Transferable Vote
An electoral system where voters cast one vote in multi-member districts, often…
Single Transferable Vote
An electoral system where voters rank candidates and votes are transferred to…
Single-Issue Voting
When voters base their electoral choice primarily on one specific political…
Single-Member District
An electoral district that elects one representative to a legislative body.…
Slant
The subtle bias or perspective in media coverage that influences how…
Slanting
Presenting information in a biased way to favor a particular perspective or…
Slippery Slope Fallacy
A slippery slope Fallacy claims a small step will inevitably lead to extreme…
Smart Sanctions
Targeted economic or political sanctions aimed at specific individuals or…
Snapback
A treaty mechanism that automatically restores previously lifted sanctions if a…
SOCHUM
The Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee of the UN General Assembly…
Social Capital
The networks, norms, and social trust that facilitate coordination and…
Social Capital Theory
A theory emphasizing the value of social networks and trust in facilitating…
Social Cleavage
Deep divisions in society based on factors like ethnicity, religion, or class…
Social Contract Theory
A political philosophy concept that individuals consent, either explicitly or…
Social Contractarianism
A political philosophy emphasizing that legitimate state authority arises from…
Social Darwinism
A political theory applying the concept of natural selection to societies,…
Social Democracy
A political ideology advocating for interventions to promote social justice…
Social Desirability Bias
The tendency of respondents to answer questions in a manner that will be viewed…
Social Identity Framing
Shaping messages that resonate with a group's identity to increase persuasion…
Social Identity Theory
A theory explaining how individuals derive part of their identity from group…
Social Loafing
Social loafing occurs when individuals exert less effort in group tasks,…
Social Market Economy
An economic system combining free-market capitalism with social policies that…
Social Penetration Theory
Social penetration theory describes how interpersonal relationships develop…
Social Proof
The influence of others' actions or opinions on an individual's beliefs or…
Social Proof Heuristic
A mental shortcut where people look to others’ behavior to determine…
Social Proof Principle
Social Proof principle persuades individuals by showing that others have…
Social Proof Utilization
The strategic use of others’ actions or endorsements to influence attitudes and…
Social Protection
Programs designed to reduce poverty and vulnerability by providing income…
Social Protection Floor
A set of basic social security guarantees ensuring access to essential health…
Social Safety Net
Programs designed to provide basic support for vulnerable populations against…
Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee
Also known as SOCHUM, a main UNGA committee focusing on human rights,…
Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee (SOCHUM)
A main UN General Assembly committee addressing human rights, humanitarian…
Socialism
A political ideology advocating for collective ownership or regulation of the…
Socialism in One Country
Joseph Stalin's doctrine prioritizing building Socialism within the Soviet…
Socialist Feminism
A feminist theory combining the critique of patriarchy with analysis of…
Socratic Questioning
A disciplined questioning technique to challenge assumptions and explore…
Soft Authoritarianism
A form of authoritarian rule that maintains democratic institutions and…
Soft Law
Non-binding norms, principles, or declarations that influence international…
Soft Law Instruments
Non-binding agreements, declarations, or guidelines that influence state…
Soft Money
Political donations made to parties or organizations for general purposes not…
Soft Paternalism
Policy approaches that nudge individuals toward beneficial choices while…
Soft Power
The ability of a country to influence others through cultural appeal,…
Soft Power Diplomacy
The use of cultural influence, diplomacy, and persuasion rather than military…
Source Credibility
The trustworthiness and expertise of a source providing information or news.
Source Transparency
The clarity and openness about the origin and context of evidence used in a…
Source Triangulation
Using multiple independent sources to verify the accuracy and reliability of…
Sourcing Transparency
The practice of clearly identifying and disclosing where information originates…
South China Sea Arbitration
A 2016 international tribunal ruling invalidating China's territorial claims in…
South China Sea Dispute
Ongoing territorial and maritime conflicts involving China and several…
Sovereign Debt Restructuring
Sovereign debt restructuring is the process by which a state renegotiates its…
Sovereign Immunity
The principle that a sovereign state cannot be sued in the courts of another…
Sovereignty
The principle that states have full authority over their territory and domestic…
Sovereignty Paradox
Tension between State Sovereignty and international intervention for human…
Soweto Uprising
The Soweto Uprising was a series of protests by students in 1976 against…
Speaker Points
Speaker points are scores awarded by judges evaluating a debater's speaking…
Speaker's List
A list maintained by the chair that tracks the order of delegates wishing to…
Special and Differential Treatment
Provisions in WTO agreements granting developing countries flexibilities and…
Special Drawing Rights (SDRs)
International reserve assets created by the IMF to supplement member countries’…
Special Economic Zone
A designated area within a state with distinct economic regulations to attract…
Special Political and Decolonization Committee
A main UNGA committee focused on political issues, Decolonization,…
Special Political and Decolonization Committee (SPECPOL)
A main committee of the UN General Assembly focusing on Decolonization,…
Special Rapporteur
An independent expert appointed by the UN to investigate, monitor, and report…
Special Rapporteur Mandate
A Special Rapporteur mandate authorizes an independent expert to investigate,…
Specialized Agency
An autonomous organization affiliated with the UN that focuses on specific…
Speech Act Theory
The study of how utterances function as actions that can change social…
Speech Anxiety Reduction Techniques
Practical methods to decrease nervousness and improve confidence before and…
Speech Delivery Techniques
Methods for effective verbal and Nonverbal Communication during presentations,…
Speech Ethos Enhancement
Techniques to increase a speaker’s Credibility and ethical appeal during public…
Speech Flow
The logical progression and connection of ideas within a speech to maintain…
Speech Structure Analysis
The examination and organization of a speech’s components to enhance clarity,…
Sphere of Influence
A region or country over which a powerful state exerts predominant political,…
Spheres of Influence
Regions where a powerful state exerts predominant political, economic, or…
Spin
Presenting information with a biased interpretation to influence public…
Spin Doctor
A political communicator who shapes information to present a favorable…
Spin Doctoring
Deliberate presentation of information in a biased way to influence public…
Split-Ticket Voting
Voting for candidates from different parties on the same ballot, rather than…
Spoiler Candidate
A candidate whose presence in an election draws votes from a major candidate,…
Spoiler Effect
When a third-party or minor candidate draws votes away from a major candidate,…
Spokesperson Skills
The abilities required to effectively represent an organization or individual…
Spokesperson Training
Spokesperson training prepares individuals to effectively represent…
Sponsor
A delegate or country that authors and supports a Draft Resolution or working…
Sponsor List
The list of delegates who formally support and take responsibility for a Draft…
Sponsorship
The act of formally supporting a Draft Resolution or working paper by being…
Spontaneous Order
Friedrich Hayek's idea that complex social orders arise naturally without…
Spread Debate
A style of policy debate characterized by extremely rapid delivery to present…
Spread Technique
A rapid delivery style used in policy debate to present many arguments within…
Spreading
The technique of speaking very quickly during a debate round to present as many…
Stakeholder Analysis
Identifying and assessing the influence and interests of individuals or groups…
Stakeholder Engagement Plan
A strategic document outlining how to communicate and involve stakeholders…
Stakeholder Influence Mapping
A visual analysis tool used to identify and assess the power and influence of…
Stakeholder Mapping
The process of identifying and analyzing stakeholders to prioritize engagement…
Stakeholder Prioritization
Stakeholder prioritization ranks stakeholders based on their influence and…
Stakeholder Prioritization Matrix
Stakeholder Prioritization matrix categorizes stakeholders by influence and…
Stakeholder Salience
The degree to which stakeholders are perceived as important based on their…
Stakeholder Salience Model
A Framework to prioritize stakeholders based on their power, legitimacy, and…
Stalinist Five-Year Plans
Centralized economic programs aimed at rapid industrialization and…
Stalinist Totalitarianism
A political system characterized by centralized control, repression, and cult…
Standard of Evaluation
A criterion that judges use to measure which argument better fulfills the Value…
Standing Committee
A permanent Legislative Committee that focuses on specific subject areas to…
State Consent Doctrine
The concept that a state is bound by international law only when it has given…
State Immunity
The principle that a sovereign state and its property are immune from the…
State Immunity from Execution
A doctrine that protects a sovereign state from enforcement measures like…
State Jurisdiction
The legal authority a state has to regulate conduct and enforce laws within its…
State of Nature
A theoretical condition posited by Hobbes describing human existence without…
State Practice
Consistent and general behavior by states followed out of a sense of legal…
State Responsibility
The legal accountability of a state for internationally wrongful acts that…
State Sovereignty
State Sovereignty is the principle that states have supreme authority over…
State Succession
The legal process by which one state replaces another in responsibility for the…
State Succession in Respect of Treaties
The rules governing the continuity or termination of treaty obligations when a…
Statelessness
The condition of individuals who are not recognized as citizens by any country,…
Statelessness Determination Procedures
Statelessness determination procedures are legal processes used to identify…
Stiglitz's Market Failure Theory
The concept that markets can fail due to information asymmetries,…
Stiglitzian Information Asymmetry
Joseph Stiglitz's theory that unequal information among parties leads to market…
Stiglitzian Market Failure
Joseph Stiglitz's analysis of situations where markets fail due to imperfect…
Story Arc
A story arc structures a narrative with a clear beginning, middle, and end to…
Storyboarding
Planning the sequence and content of a presentation or communication using…
Strategic Ambiguity
Strategic ambiguity is deliberately vague policy communication to deter…
Strategic Candidate Entry
Decisions by potential candidates to run or not based on calculations about…
Strategic Silence
Purposeful use of pauses or silence during negotiation or public speaking to…
Strategic Voting
When voters choose a candidate not as their first preference but to prevent an…
Straw Man Fallacy
Misrepresenting or oversimplifying an opponent's argument to make it easier to…
Structural Adjustment Program
Economic policies imposed by international financial institutions on developing…
Structural Adjustment Programs
Economic policies imposed by international financial institutions requiring…
Structural Realism
A theory in international relations emphasizing the anarchic structure of the…
Structural Transformation
The reallocation of economic activity from agriculture to industry and services…
Structural Unemployment
Long-term unemployment caused by changes in the economy that make certain…
Stuxnet
A sophisticated computer worm discovered in 2010 that damaged Iranian nuclear…
Subsidiarity
A principle in political theory that decisions should be made at the most local…
Subsidiary Body
A committee or working group established under a main UN organ to focus on…
Subsidy
Financial assistance provided by governments to domestic industries to make…
Substantive Amendment
An amendment that significantly alters the content or intent of a Draft…
Substantive Debate
The part of committee discussion focused on the content and merits of a topic,…
Substantive Jurisdiction
Substantive jurisdiction is the authority of a court or tribunal to hear and…
Substantive Vote
A vote on the main content of a Draft Resolution or amendment, as opposed to…
Sudan Conflict
Ongoing internal conflicts in Sudan involving ethnic, political, and resource…
Sudan Darfur Conflict
An Armed Conflict beginning in 2003 in Sudan's Darfur region involving…
Suez Crisis
1956 invasion of Egypt by Israel, Britain, and France after Egypt nationalized…
Summary Speech
A Public Forum debate speech that reviews and compares major arguments to…
Summit for Democracy
A Biden-era initiative convening democratic governments to advance commitments…
Sunk Cost Fallacy
Continuing a behavior or endeavor because of previously invested resources,…
Sunrise Provision
A legal clause that sets a future date for a law or regulation to come into…
Sunset Clause
A provision within a law or regulation that sets an automatic expiration date…
Sunset Law
Legislation that includes a provision for automatic expiration after a certain…
Sunset Provision
A legislative clause that sets an expiration date for a law or program unless…
Sunset Review
A periodic evaluation process to determine whether a government program or…
Super PACs
Political action committees that can raise unlimited funds but cannot directly…
Superdelegate
A party official or elected leader who has a vote in selecting a party's…
Survivorship Bias
Focusing on successful examples while ignoring failures, leading to distorted…
Suspension of the Meeting
A motion to temporarily halt committee sessions, allowing delegates to Caucus…
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Global agenda of 17 goals adopted by UN member states to address social,…
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Integration
Incorporating the UN SDGs into national policies and international cooperation…
SWIFT
A global messaging network facilitating secure financial transactions among…
Swing District
An electoral district where no single party has overwhelming support, making it…
Swing State
A state in which no single candidate or party has overwhelming support, making…
Swing Voter
A Voter who does not have a strong allegiance to any political party and can be…
Swing Voters
Voters who do not have consistent party loyalty and can change their vote…
Sykes-Picot Agreement
A secret 1916 agreement between Britain and France dividing Ottoman territories…