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Terra Nullius
Terra Nullius
Territory that has never been subject to the sovereignty of any state, or land that has been deliberately abandoned by a previous sovereign.
Example:
In historical international public law, the concept of terra nullius allowed a state to acquire sovereignty over a territory through occupation. This doctrine was primarily used by European colonial powers to justify the acquisition of land in the Americas, Africa, and Oceania, often by disregarding the existing land rights and political organization of Indigenous peoples.
Soft Power
Soft Power
The use of persuasion (rather than force) in order to exert influence over other actors, convincing other states to want the same ends as one’s own state. Unlike hard power, soft power operates via intangible factors such as the moral standing of that particular country.
Example:
Movies like the Rocky series or music genres like jazz and hip-hop showcase American ideals such as individualism, freedom, creativity, and the "American Dream" to a global audience. People in other countries consume this media for entertainment and, in doing so, are exposed to and may adopt American values and aspirations.
Puppet State
Puppet State
A state that is independent in law, but not in fact. They are under the influence and control of another state due to the threat of military force.
Example:
Manchukuo serves as a textbook example of a puppet state, created by the Empire of Japan in 1932 within the occupied region of Manchuria. While it possessed the outward appearance of an independent nation with its own flag, currency, and a nominal head of state—the last Chinese emperor, Puyi—it was in fact entirely controlled by the Japanese military's Kwantung Army. Japan used the constant threat of military force to dictate all key political, economic, and foreign policies, effectively leveraging the facade of an independent government to exploit Manchuria's resources and further its imperial ambitions.
Human Rights
Human Rights
Those rights based upon an entitlement by virtue of being human. They are typically considered universal and can be the basis for humanitarian intervention.
Example:
The Montgomery bus boycott stands as a powerful example of an entire community mobilizing around the defense of human rights following Rosa Parks' stand against segregation on December 1, 1955. Her simple refusal to yield her seat was a courageous act challenging the core injustice of Jim Crow laws, which stripped Black citizens of their fundamental human dignity and right to equality. The entire movement transformed Rosa Parks' arrest into a potent symbol of the fight for universal human rights, proving that non-violent resistance could dismantle institutionalized racism and advance the cause of equality under the law.
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