PSC3702 Assignment 2 (COMPLETE ANSWERS) Semester 1 2026 - DUE April 2026

PSC3702 Assignment 2 (COMPLETE ANSWERS) Semester 1 2026 - DUE April 2026; 100% TRUSTED Complete, trusted solutions and explanations. For assistance, Whats-App 0.8.1..2.7.8..3.3.7.2... Ensure your success with us.... Two nuclear powers have become engaged in a military crisis. Both know that if they use these weapons against each other, both will perish (“mutually assured destruction”) but at the same time it is their most important military asset and the one that can protect them against a final defeat. They have to use therefore their less destructive, but also less effective, military weapons. The result is intense air bombardments, destruction of infrastructure and loss of life on both sides. They have not yet reached a military stalemate but they know that neither will be able to defeat the other side. The dilemma is therefore: who shall first be willing to talk about a ceasefire, and by implication acknowledge that it is severely hurt or the most desperate of the two to reach an end to the war; which in turn will weaken its position in the subsequent peace negotiations?” “Parties enter voluntarily into an arbitration process which is similar to a court case in the sense that the parties involved in the conflict present their cases to a panel of jurists who must make a final decision on the matter. The difference is, however, that the arbitration conclusion is not binding on them, because they are independent states and therefore not subject to any authority which can restrict their sovereignty”. “Parties enter voluntarily into an arbitration process which is similar to a court case in the sense that the parties involved in the conflict present their cases to a panel of jurists who must make a final decision on the matter. The difference is, however, that the arbitration conclusion is not binding on them, because they are independent states and therefore not subject to any authority which can restrict their sovereignty”. The two candidates are very senior party members with strong support in the party. The risk is that the loser in this contest will probably resign from the party, take his supporters with him and form a new party. The challenge is therefore how to strategise the negotiation approach on both sides. Candidate A accepted that his political future and that of the party depend on them reaching a compromise agreement, while candidate B is unwilling to make concessions, because he is not susceptible for other options”. What type of political conflict (i.e., direct, structural or cultural) is described by the following?: “Foreigners are accused of creating an uneven playing field with regard to a range of employment opportunities. The local population regards it as unfair while the foreigners experience it as a violation of their rights and as discrimination against them, even in the absence of explicit xenophobic violence”. Transitional justice can be used as confidence-building for implementation of sustainable peace (see study guide 5.2.2). Which one of the following options describes this role of transitional justice the least accurately? (Explain in one sentence why). • Transitional justice can exist only in the form of restorative justice and not also as punitive justice. • For those who have committed serious human rights’ crimes, transitional justice cannot provide guarantees about their future in a new democratic dispensation. • Truth commissions cannot grant amnesty for crimes like war crimes or genocide. • Not everyone agrees that amnesty, as an element of transitional justice, will promote justice. Which one of the three elements (i.e., contradiction, attitude and behaviour) of Johan Galtung’s conflict triangle is present in the following statement?: “The conflict has reached the point where the spokespersons of both parties question the sincerity and commitment of their opponents to be willing to address their differences regarding the territorial dispute which is lingering for many years already and that has caused several violent incidents in the past”. Power-sharing as a confidence-building mechanism, can be used in the form of either a temporary or a permanent constitutional arrangement. Which one of the two will be the best option in the following situation?: “The power-sharing government includes all the major political formations. They represent majority and minority political formations consisting of groups in society who tend not to change their political loyalties. They are therefore majorities and minorities for very long periods of time. This power-sharing arrangement is meant to accommodate all of them”. What does Johan Galtung mean by a “latent conflict”? Explain it in one sentence in terms of his conflict triangle (i.e., contradiction, attitude and behaviour). Which one of the following is not an instrument of transitional justice?: (explain why in one sentence) • Amnesty • Truth commissions • Ad hoc international tribunals • Gacaca courts • International Court of Justice Which deadlock-breaking mechanism (study guide p. 85-86) would be the most appropriate in the following situation? “The representatives of two states are in New York to attend an annual session of the United Nations. Their states were drawn into a long-standing conflict, and they made attempts to negotiate but it ended in a deadlock. At the moment they are not willing to meet face-to-face with each other while they are residing in two different New York hotels. The UN Secretary General appointed an envoy to meet representatives of the two states in New York with the task to reach an agreement on how to start a mediation process between them”. Pluralism is a theory associated with “politics as conflict resolution”. Which one of the following assumptions is not associated with pluralism?: (explain why in one sentence): • the state has interests of its own and can therefore be one of the causes of conflict; • the theory is suitable for a free-market dispensation in which the state is not much involved; • the state fulfils a regulatory function and uses its institutions to facilitate relations between interest groups. Which one of the structural/post-structural theories is described by the following assumptions?: “The state’s authority is challenged, because the right to self-determination allows for secessionist movements; globalization is associated with the international pressure on states to implement unpopular economic restructuring plans, which undermines the state’s capacity; persons or groups fill the gaps in public services by establishing their own informal institutions”. Why is the following statement about the International Criminal Court incorrect?: “Like the International Court of Justice, the ICC is a court established by the United Nations. All the members of the UN are therefore members of the court. Cases can be referred to it by the UN Security Council. War crimes committed during the wars in the former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s were referred to it.”. Which approach to negotiations (i.e., positional or interest-based) is followed in the following case? (in one sentence, explain why): The negotiators from each side used subjective criteria which support their own interests. The goal of each party is to determine which options would guide them towards identifying what in the best interest in the negotiations could be. Each one of the parties presented their proposals in the belief that they have the best potential to resolve the issues. They might require mediation to assist them in this process. Is the following a form of mediation or arbitration? (explain in one sentence): “A dispute emerged about the use/abuse of the media in public by two different political parties during a national election. They have a long-standing acrimonious relationship and both used the media to intensify it during the election. The electoral management body (IEC) indicated that it will disqualify both from the election if they continue with it. This created also a dispute between them and the electoral body. The legal representatives of the parties and IEC met in order to address it. The options for them were either mediation or arbitration. The representatives agreed that all the parties will summarise their arguments in writing and will submit them to a panel who will study the documents before they meet the three parties. The panel will thereafter indicate what they believe the solution for the situation is. The parties involved must then indicate whether or not they accept the panel’s conclusion. Interest-based (or merit-based) negotiations differ from positional negotiations in fundamental respects. Which one of the two approaches would have the best potential to produce positive results in the following situation?: “It is not a zero-sum conflict where one party will gain everything and the other one will lose everything. More options are available for the negotiators. Both parties want to avoid a deadlock situation and are therefore willing to make compromises. For them it is not about their personal interests but about shared results”. Power-sharing as a confidence-building mechanism, can be used in the form of either a temporary or a permanent constitutional arrangement. Which one of the two will be the best option in the following situation?: “The power-sharing government includes all the major political formations. They represent majority and minority political formations consisting of groups in society who tend not to change their political loyalties. They are therefore majorities and minorities for very long periods of time. This power-sharing arrangement is meant to accommodate all of them”. Which one of the game theories, discussed in the study guide (section 3.4), is used in the following situation?: “Two political parties have formed an alliance to cooperate in a national election. The one party is focused primarily on environmental issues, such as climate change. The other one is a business-friendly party, which is more critical of the economic costs for businesses of reducing carbon emissions. The two entered into a bitter feud over which of the two positions to include in their joint election manifesto. They need a mediator to demonstrate to them what the available compromises are that will include elements of both positions”. Which form of deadlocking-breaking by means of mediation is used in the following case? (see study guide p. 85): “Two states involved in a conflict, reached a deadlock in their initial bilateral talks. They are situated in a strategic location which controls access to an important maritime route through which many oil tankers move. The regional power in their region decided that it is in the region’s interest to resolve the matter and therefore announced (without the two states’ invitation) that it will play the role of mediator in their bilateral talks. When one of the states did not cooperate in the mediation, the regional power indicated that if it continues to be an obstacle, it will mobilise the support of the region to apply sanctions against that state. That pressure made it possible to reach an agreement between the two states”. Which approach to negotiations (positional or interest-based) is followed in the following case?: “Two political parties have a dispute over national election results and are therefore engaged in negotiations to resolve it. In the negotiations that followed they adopted the following strategy: party A wants to have a re-election while party B wants an external agency to verify the voters’ roll and recount all the ballots. They are approaching a stalemate situation and might need to call for mediation or use arbitration to resolve the impasse”. Consider the following hypothetical situation: In 1999 a conflict in a former Eastern Europe came to an end. The original state was divided into two new states. One of the complicating factors of this separation was that the most holy religious sites of the population in state A are found in state B. In order to gain exclusive access to these sites, the military forces of state A killed a few thousand of the civilian population in state B living around these sites, which can be regarded as either a war crime or genocide. Which of the international courts can deal with this specific case?Two states involved in a conflict, reached a deadlock in their initial bilateral talks. They are situated in a strategic location which controls access to an important maritime route through which many oil tankers move. The regional power in their region decided that it is in the region’s interest to resolve the matter and therefore announced (without the two states’ invitation) that it will play the role of mediator in their bilateral talks. When one of the states did not cooperate in the mediation, the regional power indicated that if it continues to be an obstacle, it will mobilise the support of the region to apply sanctions against that state. That pressure made it possible to reach an agreement between the two states”. Which deadlock-breaking mechanism (study guide p. 85-86) would be the most appropriate in the following situation? “The representatives of two states are in New York to attend an annual session of the United Nations. Their states were drawn into a long-standing conflict, and they made attempts to negotiate but it ended in a deadlock. At the moment they are not willing to meet face-to-face with each other while they are residing in two different New York hotels. The UN Secretary General appointed an envoy to meet representatives of the two states in New York with the task to reach an agreement on how to start a mediation process between them”. Is the following a form of mediation or arbitration? (explain in one sentence): “A dispute emerged about the use/abuse of the media in public by two different political parties during a national election. They have a long-standing acrimonious relationship and both used the media to intensify it during the election. The electoral management body (IEC) indicated that it will disqualify both from the election if they continue with it. This created also a dispute between them and the electoral body. The legal representatives of the parties and IEC met in order to address it. The options for them were either mediation or arbitration. The representatives agreed that all the parties will summarise their arguments in writing and will submit them to a panel who will study the documents before they meet the three parties. The panel will thereafter indicate what they believe the solution for the situation is. The parties involved must then indicate whether or not they accept the panel’s conclusion. Consider the following hypothetical situation: In 1999 a conflict in a former Eastern Europe came to an end. The original state was divided into two new states. One of the complicating factors of this separation was that the most holy religious sites of the population in state A are found in state B. In order to gain exclusive access to these sites, the military forces of state A killed a few thousand of the civilian population in state B living around these sites, which can be regarded as either a war crime or genocide. Which of the international courts can deal with this specific case? The following is an incorrect statement about the theories of human needs. Which one of the options below (bullet points) will make the statement correct?: “The theories of human needs differ from many other conflict theories, because they are focused on the needs of nations to improve their status in the international community. The other theories, such as psychological and structural theories are focused on the individual person and their sense of alienation or incompatible interests”. • Human needs theories are focused on internal or civil conflicts and not international or inter-state conflicts. • The other conflict theories are focused on individual persons and their need to improve their power in society but competing for the scarce resources. • Human needs theories are focused on the poor sections of a population and their struggle to change the structure of a society’s socio-economic systems. Which approach to negotiations (positional or interest-based) is followed in the following case?: “Two political parties have a dispute over national election results and are therefore engaged in negotiations to resolve it. In the negotiations that followed they adopted the following strategy: party A wants to have a re-election while party B wants an external agency to verify the voters’ roll and recount all the ballots. They are approaching a stalemate situation and might need to call for mediation or use arbitration to resolve the impasse”. Pluralism is a theory associated with “politics as conflict resolution”. Which one of the following assumptions is not associated with pluralism?: (explain why in one sentence): The following is an incorrect statement about the theories of human needs. Which one of the options below (bullet points) will make the statement correct?: The conflict in the Middle East between USA, Israel and Iran in March 2026 is what type(s) of conflict manifestation (see study guide section 1.2)? Which one of the game theories (study guide section 3.4) is illustrated by the following situation? “Two nuclear powers have become engaged in a military crisis. Both know that if they use these weapons against each other, both will perish (“mutually assured destruction”) but at the same time it is their most important military asset and the one that can protect them against a final defeat. They have to use therefore their less destructive, but also less effective, military weapons. The result is intense air bombardments, destruction of infrastructure and loss of life on both sides. They have not yet reached a military stalemate but they know that neither will be able to defeat the other side. The dilemma is therefore: who shall first be willing to talk about a ceasefire, and by implication acknowledge that it is severely hurt or the most desperate of the two to reach an end to the war; which in turn will weaken its position in the subsequent peace negotiations?” Which part is incorrect in the following presentation of arbitration as a means of resolving political conflicts? “Parties enter voluntarily into an arbitration process which is similar to a court case in the sense that the parties involved in the conflict present their cases to a panel of jurists who must make a final decision on the matter. The difference is, however, that the arbitration conclusion is not binding on them, because they are independent states and therefore not subject to any authority which can restrict their sovereignty”. Which one of the following options is irreconcilable with the others? Explain why in one sentence. It refers to a government of national unity as a form of confidence-building in the second phase of implementing sustainable peace: In the context of a temporary arrangement, a GNU is always an oversized coalition. A GNU can only be a post-conflict arrangement and cannot exist during conflicts or wars. As a permanent arrangement, a GNU provides inclusivity for diverse societies. It therefore builds confidence that all the main groups in that society will be included in it as part of a long-term constitutional arrangement. In a permanent arrangement, the population groups will not only share power but will also be autonomous in respect of group identity matters. Which conflict-resolution theory (study unit 4) is described by the following? In the context of political conflicts, it emphasizes the role of the state and the relationship between state structures and economic classes in society. According to this theory, the state has interests of its own and is therefore not merely an arena where conflicts about social and economic interests can be settled. The state functions within both national and international economic contexts. Which approach of negotiations [positional or interest] (study unit section 6.4) is used by the two candidates in the following description? (explain in one sentence): “A political party is preparing for an elective conference. The position of secretary general is hotly contested by two factions in the party, each with its own candidate. The two candidates are very senior party members with strong support in the party. The risk is that the loser in this contest will probably resign from the party, take his supporters with him and form a new party. The challenge is therefore how to strategise the negotiation approach on both sides. Candidate A accepted that his political future and that of the party depend on them reaching a compromise agreement, while candidate B is unwilling to make concessions, because he is not susceptible for other options”. “The theories of human needs differ from many other conflict theories, because they are focused on the needs of nations to improve their status in the international community. The other theories, such as psychological and structural theories are focused on the individual person and their sense of alienation or incompatible interests”. “It is not a zero-sum conflict where one party will gain everything and the other one will lose everything. More options are available for the negotiators. Both parties want to avoid a deadlock situation and are therefore willing to make compromises. For them it is not about their personal interests but about shared results”. Power-sharing as a confidence-building mechanism, can be used in the form of either a temporary or a permanent constitutional arrangement. Which one of the two will be the best option in the following situation?: “The power-sharing government includes all the major political formations. They represent majority and minority political formations consisting of groups in society who tend not to change their political loyalties. They are therefore majorities and minorities for very long periods of time. This power-sharing arrangement is meant to accommodate all of them”.