Description
PSC3702 Assignment 1 Semester 2 2026 – Due August 2026
Due date: 2 September 2025 at 20h00
1. The approach of “politics as conflict” is encapsulated in a number of theoretical
frameworks. Which one of the following statements is irreconcilable with these
frameworks?
• States tend to concentrate on their national interests and it means that they
want to influence a balance of power in their favour.
• Constitutional institutions and processes involve political parties, which are
by nature in competition or conflict with each other, and make politics prone
to conflict.
• Gender relations are traditionally regarded as private and therefore not
political. More recent views are that power relationships within a family are
also political, and their contested nature makes politics conflictual in nature.
• Conflict between social classes in the workplace is the essence of politics
in society, and therefore politics by its very nature is about conflict.
2. In one sentence, why is the following statement about the relative deprivation
theory incorrect?
“The theory is associated with Ted Gurr and what he described as the
“expectations deficit” which is determined in terms of the objective criteria of
persons’ perceived deprivation”.
3. Is the following distinction between rational choice theories and game theories
correct or incorrect – explain why?
“Rational choice theory presumes that the final decision will identify the most costeffective
option
while
in
game
theories
the
decision
depends
also
on
the
choices
made
by
the
other
parties”.
4. Which one of the three traditions in International Humanitarian Law (i.e., the Law
of The Hague, Geneva or New York) is applicable in the following situation?
“The Security Council of the United Nations approved a new convention applicable
to warfare in outer space which should protect civilian airplanes and unarmed
civilians who are participating in civilian space programmes, against military
attacks”.
5. Which one of the following points are not typical of preliminary bargaining in a
negotiation process?
“Parties have to accept joint responsibility for managing the negotiations;
agreement is reached on how decisions will be made in the negotiations; a
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