Welcome to Glopo.info:
This site is your hub for the IB DP Global Politics. Here you’ll find:

Clear overviews of the core and three thematic studies
Assessment hub for P1, P2 (SL/HL) and P3 (HL)
Engagement Project
A growing case-study library and weekly news routines along with the revision sheet.

Essential Agreement

Respectful dialogue. We listen actively, disagree with ideas not people, and give everyone space to speak.
Evidence first. Claims must be supported with credible sources; use a consistent referencing style.
Academic integrity. No plagiarism or fabricated data. Paraphrase thoughtfully; quote and cite when needed.
Multiple perspectives. We seek out diverse viewpoints and surface potential biases (including our own).
Sensitive topics. We approach identity, conflict, and rights with care. If you feel uncomfortable, tell the teacher privately.
Privacy & consent. For Engagement Project interviews/observations: get informed consent; protect identities where appropriate; store data securely and delete it after use.
Digital citizenship. Fact-check news, avoid misinformation, and behave responsibly online.
Accessibility & inclusion. We accommodate different needs, languages, and backgrounds.
Well‑being. Balance academic challenge with care. Step away when needed; return ready to learn.
Action with humility. When we engage beyond the classroom, we try to help without harm and learn from communities.

What is the aim of the Subject?

To equip students to understand and engage with real-world politics. Specifically, Global Politics aims for students to:

explore and evaluate power in contemporary global politics;
understand how state and non-state actors operate and interact within political systems;
investigate and analyse current issues from multiple perspectives; and
develop active, ethical global citizenship through collaboration and agency.

What does it explore?

The core: how power works in global politics—key concepts (e.g., power, sovereignty, legitimacy, interdependence), actors and systems—always through real cases and contexts.

Three thematic studies (for all students): Rights & justice, Development & sustainability, Peace & conflict.

An integrated approach: linking the core across themes and contexts rather than teaching topics in isolation.

HL extension (for HL only): deeper inquiry into eight global political challenges—Borders, Environment, Equality, Health, Identity, Poverty, Security, Technology—studied through student-researched case studies.

What makes Global Politics compelling?

Global Politics is a live, real-world subject. It explores how power shapes everyday life—from school rules to global crises—through up-to-date case studies. Each week you’ll connect news to core concepts (power, rights, development, peace) and learn to argue with evidence. If you’ve ever debated a headline with friends, wondered who gets heard in your community, or asked why some change sticks and other change stalls, you’re already doing Global Politics. Its scope is wide: local to global, elections to protests, climate justice to digital privacy.

Do I need any prior learning?

No. Global Politics requires no specific prior learning or subject background; the skills you need are developed within the course itself.

Helpful (but not required): curiosity about current affairs, willingness to read diverse sources, and an openness to discuss different perspectives.

Stay current: magazines, podcasts, and YouTube

Magazines / news & analysis

The Guardian — daily reporting + long reads; clearly center-left; great for case depth.
Foreign Policy (FP) — global affairs magazine; strong foreign-policy focus (some paywall).
Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) — briefs & backgrounders; great for Paper 2 context.
Pew Research Center — non-partisan surveys & data (excellent for evidence).
NPR Politics / World — U.S. public media; clear explainers and interviews.
World Politics Review (WPR) — analytical essays on global trends (limited free).
ReliefWeb — the largest humanitarian report portal (UN OCHA); primary docs, situation updates.
International perspectives (native-language): FAZ (DE), El País (ES), NRC Handelsblad (NL) — use for contrasting viewpoints.

Podcasts (top picks)

The Rest Is Politics — insider politics from different sides (Rory Stewart & Alastair Campbell).
Leading — long-form interviews on leadership and power (Stewart & Campbell).
Foreign Policy Live — weekly conversations with policy thinkers and practitioners (global focus).
CFR: The World Next Week — quick preview of the week’s key world events.
Global Dispatches — expert interviews; great for under-covered regions/issues.
Pod Save the World — U.S.-leaning foreign-policy chat; accessible tone.
The Futurenauts — systems/futures lens on global challenges (fun + thought-provoking).
UCL Political Science Podcast — research-based takes on contemporary politics.
Trending Globally (Brown University) — bridges research, politics, and policy.
The Guardian: Today in Focus (daily news deep-dives) • Audio Long Read (feature essays).
Student-made: UWCSEA Global Politics — peers explaining issues; inspiration for EP/IA topics.

use on your commute; note episode date to keep examples contemporary.

YouTube (explainers & briefings)

The Economist — short explainers on geopolitics, trade, and elections.
Guardian News — visual explainers linked to daily reporting.
CFR — backgrounders on institutions, conflicts, and policy debates.
Al Jazeera English: Start Here — global stories from a non-Western perspective.
DW News / Documentary — European lens; solid visuals and data.
Gapminder (Hans Rosling) — data-driven videos on development and demographics.
Vox — concept explainers (elections, borders, climate) with clear visuals.

Optional “Data & tools” box

Gapminder (downloadable) — interactive indicators for development & health.
ReliefWeb — primary docs for humanitarian crises (great for Paper 2 examples).
Worldmapper — maps that resize countries by data (inequality, migration, emissions).

Referencing & Academic Integrity

What the IB expects

Your submitted work must be your own thinking and writing.
If you use words, ideas, data, images, or AI output, you must say so clearly—both in-text and on your Works Cited page.
Using AI to learn (e.g., to brainstorm viewpoints or find search terms) is acceptable; using AI to pretend you did the thinking is not.
When you use AI text or images in your work, IB expects an in-text reference that includes the prompt and the date, and a full Works Cited entry. You can also add a short “How I used AI” note at the end of your work for transparency.

MLA quick rules (what every student should do)

In-text citations sit inside your sentences whenever you paraphrase or quote: usually (Author page). If there’s no page, just use Author or a short title.
Quotation marks for any exact words you copy.
Works Cited = a single, alphabetized list with hanging indents, double-spaced.
Build entries with MLA’s core elements (as available):
Author. Title of source. Title of container, other contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication date, Location (pages/URL/DOI).
Prefer DOIs over naked URLs; if you must use a URL, drop tracking junk. Add Accessed day Month year for sources likely to change.
Be consistent: same style across news, videos, websites, reports, images, datasets, etc.

Citing AI in MLA (aligned with IB transparency)

In-text (required by IB)

Work the attribution into your sentence and include prompt + date:

According to ChatGPT (prompt: “Define legitimacy with a school example”, 12 Sep. 2025), …

—or parenthetical:

“…school norms can create perceived right to rule” (“ChatGPT response to ‘Define legitimacy…’,” 12 Sep. 2025).

Works Cited (example entries)

Text output used in the work
OpenAI. ChatGPT. Response to “Define legitimacy with a school example.” 12 Sept. 2025, chat.openai.com. (Include version if known.)
Image generated and used
OpenAI. DALL·E. Image generated with prompt “Poster illustrating civil society’s role in local politics.” 5 Oct. 2025. PNG file.

Tip: If the AI output isn’t publicly retrievable, the prompt and date help the reader understand what you used; MLA allows descriptive titles like Response to “…” for this purpose. IB also encourages a brief “AI use” statement at the end of your work (e.g., “I used ChatGPT on 12 Sep. 2025 to brainstorm counter-arguments; I rewrote and checked all points and cited any text I used verbatim or closely paraphrased.”).

Fast MLA templates (copy–edit for your sources)

Book: Lastname, Firstname. Title. Publisher, Year.
Chapter in edited book: Lastname, Firstname. “Chapter Title.” Book Title, edited by Editor Name, Publisher, Year, pp. xx–xx.
Journal article (with DOI): Lastname, Firstname. “Article Title.” Journal, vol. #, no. #, Year, pp. xx–xx. https://doi.org/xxxxx.
News/web article: Lastname, Firstname. “Title.” Site/Publication, Day Mon. Year, URL. Accessed Day Mon. Year.
YouTube video: Channel/Name. “Video Title.” YouTube, uploaded by Uploader, Day Mon. Year, URL.
Report (org as author): Organization Name. Title of Report. Publisher (if different), Year, URL/DOI.
Image you used: Creator. Title/Description. Year, Site/Collection, URL. Accessed …
Interview you conducted: Interviewee Lastname, Firstname. Interview. Day Mon. Year.

Good practice with AI & sources (do’s and don’ts)

Keep your drafts and notes (teachers may ask to see your process).
Cross-check AI leads in real sources; cite the originals you actually use.
Add a short “How I used AI” note if you used AI anywhere in the workflow.

Don’t

Paste AI text or images without attribution.
Ask AI to rewrite your entire piece for submission.
Use AI to translate your assessed work into the IB language of study.

One-minute pre-submission check

Every quotation/paraphrase has an in-text citation.
Works Cited matches what appears in-text (and vice-versa).
Any AI use is transparent (in-text + Works Cited; optional “How I used AI” note).

Intro to Glopo

GloPo Guide 2026.pdf

Starter pack

Weekly Global Politics News Digest (Aug 25–Sep 1, 2025)

Africa

Togo: Constitutional Power Play

Togo remains in political limbo as President Gnassingbé’s family extends control through controversial constitutional reforms, eliminating direct presidential elections and centralizing power with the head of the Council of Ministers. This "institutional coup" highlights how autocrats manipulate legal frameworks to entrench long-term rule.acleddata+1

Nigeria: Ongoing Security Crisis

Northern Nigeria faces escalating jihadist violence, intensified by recent Al Qaeda-linked arrests. President Tinubu’s administration is struggling to demonstrate security progress ahead of the 2027 elections, highlighting the link between insecurity and political legitimacy in West Africa.africa-confidential

Ethiopia & Somalia: Fragile States and Power Struggles

In Ethiopia’s Tigray region, intra-governmental violence and external Eritrean interference continue. Somalia sees al-Shabaab regaining territory due to infighting among local and federal authorities, showing how fractured governance directly empowers militant groups. These cases illustrate the difficulty of state-building amid divided political leadership and conflict.acleddata

Asia-Pacific

Indonesia: Social Unrest and Police Brutality

Indonesia experienced deadly nationwide protests, with three killed and several injured after clashes over alleged police violence. President Prabowo canceled his China visit, underscoring how domestic instability can derail foreign policy priorities.cnn

Thailand: Democratic Accountability

Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was removed from office by a court over an ethics scandal involving a leaked call with Cambodia’s Hun Sen. This case demonstrates how the judiciary can act as a check on executive power, although the underlying political tensions remain unresolved.cnn

China-India: Diplomatic Thaw Amid Tariffs

At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, Presidents Xi and Modi publicly called themselves "partners, not rivals," signaling renewed bilateral diplomacy as US tariff pressures reshape global alliances. This shift exemplifies how economic tools influence strategic relationships and how external pressures can foster regional rapprochement.dw+1

Korea: US-South Korea Trade Tensions

Disputes arose over the details of a $350 billion trade deal at the Trump-Lee summit, reflecting persistent tensions within one of Washington’s major Asian alliances. South Korean firms also pledged multibillion-dollar US investments, showing how geopolitics drives business decisions.reuters

Europe

Ukraine War: EU Troop Planning

EU leaders discussed sending troops as part of future Ukraine security guarantees after the fighting ends, though no concrete action yet. German Chancellor Merz stated he is “mentally preparing” for a long war, tempering hopes for near-term peace.dw

Czech Republic: Disinformation Surge

Approaching elections, Czech society battles a record wave of Russian propaganda, spotlighting the role of information warfare in democratic resilience and the need for robust media literacy.euronews

France: Calls for Nationwide Shutdown

Grassroots and mainstream political groups are converging to call for a September 10 shutdown, reflecting major popular dissatisfaction with government economic policy and the growing power of digital organizing.euronews

Gaza Flotilla

A humanitarian flotilla, including climate activist Greta Thunberg, set sail from Barcelona aiming to break the Gaza blockade with aid. This underscores civil society’s role in direct action against longstanding international disputes.dw+1

Americas

US: Tariff Laws Challenged

A federal appeals court ruled that President Trump’s use of national emergencies to levy widespread import taxes exceeded constitutional bounds. This decision will shape future debates about executive power and economic policy.euronews

US: Immigration Tensions in Illinois

The White House deployed more ICE resources to Chicago, provoking political confrontation with the Democratic governor, demonstrating ongoing partisan disputes over immigration enforcement.dw

Middle East

Humanitarian Aid for Gaza

Largest-ever humanitarian flotilla attempts to breach Israel’s Gaza blockade, reflecting civil society pressure on international humanitarian issues and challenging the geopolitical status quo.euronews+1

Yemen and Syria: Conflict and Intervention

Continued fighting in Yemen and Syria, with Israel undertaking airstrikes and intervening in Syrian sectarian violence, shows how regional conflicts remain drivers of humanitarian crises and demonstrate the limits of international peace initiatives.acleddata

Oceania

Australia-New Zealand: Alliance Review

Leaders reaffirmed alliance commitments while New Zealand faces domestic opposition over possible deeper AUKUS participation, illustrating democratic debate about strategic policy choices.pm+1

Global Political Insights

Authoritarian resilience: Africa and Southeast Asia show how legal and constitutional manipulation cements autocratic rule.
Democracy’s vulnerabilities: Europe and Southeast Asia highlight threats from external disinformation and internal conflict.
Trade and diplomacy: Shifting US economic policy reshapes alliances—from India-China thaw to Korea-US business deals.
Civil society’s agency: Actions like the Gaza flotilla display the potential impact of grassroots movements on global issues.

These stories serve as valuable case studies for global politics classes examining power, legitimacy, crisis response, international cooperation, and the complexities of contemporary governance around the world.okayafrica+8

Welcome to Glopo.info: This site is your hub for the IB DP Global Politics. Here you’ll find: