Deck 18: National Security Policymaking

Question 1

Questions 1 and 2 refer to the following image. Credit: John Cole/Cagle Cartoons,Inc.
Based on the cartoon,which of the following occupies a significant amount of the president's time?

A)repairing national infrastructure
B)commanding the military -Consider This: Though commanding the military is one of the president's duties,the cartoon addresses the myriad complex international issues that confront the president.
C)developing strategies to deal with international problems
D)fighting wars in other countries

Answer 1

C

Question 2

-Based on the map,why have nuclear weapons remained an international issue despite the end of the Cold War-era arms race?

A)Eight countries continue to have declared nuclear weapons capacity.
B)Several nations currently seek nuclear weapons capacity.-Consider This: Currently,Iran is the only country actively seeking a nuclear weapons program.
C)Countries that once had nuclear programs refuse to abandon them.
D)More countries have nuclear weapons than do not have them.

Answer 2

Eight countries continue to have declared nuclear weapons capacity.

Question 3

“The Government of Canada, the Government of the United Mexican States and the Government of the United States of America, resolved to:
STRENGTHEN the special bonds of friendship and cooperation among their nations;
CONTRIBUTE to the harmonious development and expansion of world trade and provide a catalyst to broader international cooperation;
CREATE an expanded and secure market for the goods and services produced in their territories;
REDUCE distortions to trade;
ESTABLISH clear and mutually advantageous rules governing their trade;
ENSURE a predictable commercial framework for business planning and investment;
ENHANCE the competitiveness of their firms in global markets;
FOSTER creativity and innovation, and promote trade in goods and services that are the subject of intellectual property rights;
CREATE new employment opportunities and improve working conditions and living standards in their respective territories;
PROTECT, enhance and enforce basic workers' rights;”
--North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), 1994


-Which of the following are free trade agreements designed to prevent?

A)globalization -Consider This: Globalization is not an aspect of trade that is sought to be prevented.
B)interdependency
C)détente
D)high tariffs

Answer 3

high tariffs

Question 4

Questions 10 and 11 refer to the following graph.
Trends in defense spending Source: Office of Management and Budget,Budget of the United States Government,Fiscal Year 2017: Historical Tables
(Washington,DC: U.S.Government Printing Office,2016),Table 3.1.
NOTE: Data for 2016 and 2017 are estimates.
How does the graph illustrate Congress's power over the United States' foreign policy?

A)Congress can limit foreign policy funds for presidents under investigation.
B)Congress,with its power of the purse,must authorize appropriations for defense spending.
C)Congress can refuse to declare war to prevent the military from executing the president's foreign policy wishes.
D)Congress can replace the secretary of state with someone who will implement foreign policy according to Congress's wishes.-Consider This: The secretary of state works for the president.

Question 5

Questions 3 and 4 refer to the following map.
U.S.Military interventions in Central America and the Caribbean since 1900
Which of the following most contributed to the events described on the map?

A)the Truman Doctrine -Consider This: The Truman Doctrine specifically referred to U.S.aid to Greece and Turkey.
B)the Marshall Plan
C)the Monroe Doctrine
D)isolationism

Question 6

-Based on the map,why might U.S.foreign policy regarding Iran and North Korea have been similar for much of the past decade?

A)Both countries' economic development has outpaced the U.S.-Consider This: Concern over Iran and North Korea have been driven by factors other than economic development.
B)The two countries are at the same point in the development of nuclear programs.
C)The U.S.is concerned with the wealth of natural resources the countries possess.
D)It has been largely driven by concerns over nuclear weapons.

Question 7

“The Government of Canada, the Government of the United Mexican States and the Government of the United States of America, resolved to:
STRENGTHEN the special bonds of friendship and cooperation among their nations;
CONTRIBUTE to the harmonious development and expansion of world trade and provide a catalyst to broader international cooperation;
CREATE an expanded and secure market for the goods and services produced in their territories;
REDUCE distortions to trade;
ESTABLISH clear and mutually advantageous rules governing their trade;
ENSURE a predictable commercial framework for business planning and investment;
ENHANCE the competitiveness of their firms in global markets;
FOSTER creativity and innovation, and promote trade in goods and services that are the subject of intellectual property rights;
CREATE new employment opportunities and improve working conditions and living standards in their respective territories;
PROTECT, enhance and enforce basic workers' rights;”
--North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), 1994


-Which of the following do NAFTA,and other agreements like it,promote?

A)higher wages in U.S.factories -Consider This: A major critique of NAFTA is that American jobs have left the country.
B)international trade
C)tourism
D)increased foreign aid

Question 8

Who serves on the Joint Chiefs of Staff?

A)the cabinet secretaries
B)the commanding officers of each of the services
C)the president's foreign policy advisers
D)the secretary of defense,the secretary of homeland security,and the director of the Central Intelligence Agency -Consider This: The Chiefs are military leaders.

Question 9

Questions 8 and 9 refer to the following image. Credit: Lionel Cironneau/AP Images
What event marked the actual end of the Cold War?

A)the resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis
B)the collapse of the Soviet Union
C)the signing of the SALT II Treaty
D)the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan -Consider This: Soviet withdrawal was a major event,but it did not end the Cold War.

Question 10

Questions 8 and 9 refer to the following image. Credit: Lionel Cironneau/AP Images
How does this image symbolize the end of the Cold War?

A)the Americans and the Soviets are pictured together
B)the United Nations encouraged détente between superpowers
C)the Berlin Wall was the symbol of a divided world
D)Eastern Europeans fought off Soviet oppressors -Consider This: Many Eastern Europeans rose up and toppled Soviet-supported governments,but the fall of the Berlin Wall was a worldwide announcement that the Cold War was coming to an end.

Question 11

Which of the following constrained Pakistan's efforts to fight terrorists who have emerged in some areas of Pakistan?

A)Pakistan is a poor nation and lacked international assistance to fight the terrorists.
B)There was substantial sympathy for the Taliban among many Pakistani military and intelligence officials.
C)The terrorists took over large cities and were beyond the government's control.-Consider This: Although terrorists took control cities in Syria and Iraq,this was not the case in Pakistan.
D)The terrorists had shown no sign of being dangerous,so the Pakistani government was not concerned about them.

Question 12

Which of the following best describes U.S.foreign aid?

A)Americans greatly overestimate the amount that is spent on foreign aid.
B)Most foreign aid programs are aimed at providing medical care and other services in less-developed nations.
C)Foreign aid primarily consists of various loan programs that provide favorable interest rates and preferential trade agreements for nations that lower trade barriers.-Consider This: Loans are a significant part of foreign aid,but not the primary form.
D)Foreign aid primarily consists of advice from the U.S.government to less-developed nations in Africa and Asia.

Question 13

What was one of the primary purposes of the military action in Afghanistan?

A)prevent the spread of communism
B)remove the Taliban regime
C)protect Iraq from Afghani military attacks
D)retaliate for the bombing of the USS Cole -Consider This: The US did not retaliate for the Cole attack.

Question 14

Questions 10 and 11 refer to the following graph.
Trends in defense spending Source: Office of Management and Budget,Budget of the United States Government,Fiscal Year 2017: Historical Tables
(Washington,DC: U.S.Government Printing Office,2016),Table 3.1.
NOTE: Data for 2016 and 2017 are estimates.
During which of the following events did U.S.military spending comprise the highest percentage of federal spending?

A)the Vietnam War
B)the Reagan administration -Consider This: Defense spending was high during this period,but not the highest.
C)the war in Iraq
D)the war in Afghanistan

Question 15

What was Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative envisioned to accomplish?

A)protect the United States from nuclear weapons
B)promote democracy by fostering economic development
C)reduce the number of nuclear warheads held by both the United States and the Soviet Union -Consider This: SDI was not a warhead reduction program
D)refocus the military on nonconventional warfare

Question 16

Who is the president's chief adviser on intelligence matters?

A)the director of the Central Intelligence Agency -Consider This: Although the CIA is important,its director is not the president's chief intelligence adviser.
B)the director of national intelligence
C)the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
D)the National Security Agency

Question 17

Which of the following is a reason why the United States is considered to be predominant in terms of military capabilities?

A)The United States spends less on defense than does any other industrialized democracy.-Consider This: The U.S.spends more on defense than our western allies.
B)The United States has underwhelming nuclear superiority.
C)The United States has the world's dominant air force and the only navy with worldwide operations.
D)The United States has lost the unique capability to project power around the world.

Question 18

Questions 1 and 2 refer to the following image. Credit: John Cole/Cagle Cartoons,Inc.
According to the cartoonist,who is the main force behind U.S.foreign policy?

A)Congress
B)the president
C)the State Department -Consider This: State has an important role in foreign policy,but it is not the main force.
D)the National Security Council

Question 19

Questions 3 and 4 refer to the following map.
U.S.Military interventions in Central America and the Caribbean since 1900
Based on the map,which of the following statements is most accurate?

A)The U.S.rarely intervened in Latin American affairs in the 20th century.
B)U.S.involvement in Latin America in the 20th century was primarily economic.-Consider This: The U.S.had a strong economic interest in Latin America at the same time,but its focus on promoting democracy in the region was often more of a priority.
C)The U.S frequently sent advisors to Latin America to support new rulers.
D)The U.S.often intervened militarily to support its interests in the region.

Question 20

Questions 12 and 13 refer to the following graph.
Size of the U.S.Armed Forces Source: Office of Management and Budget,"Appendix," Budget of the United States Government,Fiscal
Year 2017 (Washington,DC: U.S.Government Printing Office,2016),223-224.
Note: Data are estimates for 2017.
Based on the graph,which of the following factors empowers the United States' military defense?

A)The Marines are the smallest branch of the military.
B)The U.S.has an active military draft.
C)The U.S.is more equipped to fight at sea than on land.-Consider This: The army is larger than the navy,and soldiers in every branch of the military are trained in multiple forms of combat.
D)The U.S.has a large,diverse standing military force.

Question 21

How are tourists most likely to benefit to international relations?

A)Tourists are the largest carriers of diseases in the world.
B)Tourists help build goodwill between countries.
C)Tourists confirm negative stereotypes about foreign countries.
D)Tourists typically increase the trade deficit.-Consider This: This would not be considered a benefit.

Question 22

Which of the following best describes the conflict that has sometimes existed between the National Security Council (NSC)and others within the national security establishment?

A)Because the NCS always integrates advice from other cabinet departments,most advisers in national security see the council as having little independent value.
B)The NSC has sometimes conspired with the State and Defense departments in covert operations,such as the Iran-Contra affair.-Consider This: The NSC's role in Iran Contra was largely of its own making.
C)Because the NCS was created after September 11,2001,many in the departments of State and Defense do not respect the limited experience of this newcomer.
D)The NSC has sometimes competed with,rather than integrated advice from,cabinet departments such as State and Defense,and it also has become involved in covert operations such as the Iran-Contra affair.

Question 23

Which of the following is most consistent with the foreign policy of isolationism?

A)a country's refusal to intervene in an armed conflict between two other countries
B)a country's willingness to use diplomatic sanctions to pressure another country to address human rights violations
C)the George W.Bush administration's policy of actively rooting out terrorism before a threat has fully developed -Consider This: Interventionist policy is the opposite of isolationism.
D)multilateral trade agreements

Question 24

Which of the following is most consistent with the concept of diplomacy?

A)counterintelligence
B)military threats -Consider This: Diplomacy aims to affect change without military threat.
C)negotiation
D)confrontation

Question 25

Which of the following engages in a global surveillance operation that was unmasked by Edward Snowden in 2013?

A)the Department of Defense
B)the secretary of state
C)the Central Intelligence Agency -Consider This: The CIA was not Snowden's target.
D)the National Security Agency

Question 26

Which of the following could result from a balance-of-trade deficit?

A)The value of the dollar increases,so Americans can buy more goods from other countries for the same amount of money.-Consider This: Trade deficits are often associated with a decline in the dollar's value.
B)The value of the dollar declines,so Americans have to pay more for goods from other nations.
C)The value of the dollar increases,making American products cheaper abroad,thereby increasing our exports.
D)The value of the dollar declines,which makes American products more expensive abroad,thereby decreasing our exports.

Question 27

Through which of its powers can the Senate exercise influence over foreign policy?

A)command the armed forces -Consider This: Although Congress declares war,the president commands the military.
B)receive diplomats
C)ratify treaties
D)recognize the sovereignty of foreign countries

Question 28

Which of the following is an example of a situation in which economic sanctions accomplished the intended goal?

A)sanctions levied against South Africa in the mid-1980s to protest apartheid
B)the grain embargo on the Soviet Union in 1980 in retaliation for the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
C)the sanctions against Cuba to oust the Marxist dictator -Consider This: The Marxist regime was still in power 50 years after sanctions were first imposed.
D)sanctions imposed on Russia to keep it out of Crimea

Question 29

Which of the following is a responsibility of the State Department?

A)command of the military -Consider This: Military matters belong to the president and Department of Defense.
B)space exploration
C)protecting the president
D)diplomacy

Question 30

Which of the following was a fundamental part of the justification for the 2003 war in Iraq?

A)Iraq attacked Israel in 2002 with SCUD missiles and was threatening to do so again.
B)Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.
C)Saddam Hussein had provided considerable funding to Osama bin Laden.
D)Saddam Hussein had permitted Osama bin Laden to use Iraq for training terrorists.-Consider This: Osama bin Laden was based in Afghanistan.

Question 31

Which of the following is an advantage of using soft power to achieve foreign policy objectives?

A)Soft power takes full advantage of U.S.military prowess.
B)Soft power is particularly adept at dealing with rogue nations.-Consider This: Soft power may be least effective with rogue nations.
C)Resolutions reached through the use of soft power are more durable.
D)Soft power does not rely on military coercion to accomplish foreign policy goals.

Question 32

Which of the following helps to explain why a country's economy may be negatively affected by an economic crisis in another country?

A)a negative balance of trade
B)a positive balance of trade
C)isolationism -Consider This: Isolationism decreases interactions among nations.
D)interdependency

Question 33

Which of the following is composed of a broad array of the president's foreign policy advisers including the secretary of defense,the secretary of state,the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,and the director of national intelligence?

A)the Department of Homeland Security -Consider This: Homeland Security is a separate department
B)NATO
C)the National Security Council
D)the Central Intelligence Agency

Question 34

The United States engaged in which of the following military conflicts in order to fight against communist forces?

A)World War I
B)World War II -Consider This: The Soviet Union was a key ally in World War II.
C)the Vietnam War
D)Operation Desert Storm

Question 35

Which of the following best describes the arms race?

A)the rapid movements of world governments to arm and thereby protect Eastern European countries from attack by the Soviet Union in the wake of World War II
B)a tense relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1950s and 1960s during which each side was striving to procure more weapons than the other
C)the U.S.race in the early twenty-first century to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction to unstable governments -Consider This: The arms race was a byproduct of the Cold War
D)the efforts to rapidly reduce the number of nuclear weapons held by the United States and the Soviet Union

Question 36

What was the foreign policy of containment designed to prevent?

A)nuclear proliferation -Consider This: Containment was not specifically concerned with proliferation.
B)the spread of Soviet influence
C)terrorism
D)the Cold War

Question 37

Why was the North Atlantic Treaty Organization formed?

A)to provide mutual defense for the United States and Western Europe
B)to promote free trade between the United States and Western Europe -Consider This: NATO was not a trade agreement.
C)to help rebuild war-torn Europe after World War II
D)to enhance democratic government in newly industrializing countries

Question 38

With which of the following is the president most likely to consult about how to best take advantage of the strengths of the various service branches when conducting a military operation?

A)the Central Intelligence Agency
B)the Director of National Intelligence -Consider This: The national intelligence director advises on secret operations.
C)the Secretary of Homeland Security
D)the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Question 39

Which of the following best describes the world's superpowers since the end of World War II?

A)The United States has been the sole superpower since the end of World War II.
B)The United States and the Soviet Union were rival superpowers until the end of the Cold War,when the United States became the sole superpower.
C)The United States and the Soviet Union were rival superpowers until the Cuban Missile Crisis,when the United States and Russia became rival superpowers.
D)The United States and the Soviet Union were the only two rival superpowers until the end of the Cold War,when China also became a rival superpower.-Consider This: China has not achieved superpower status.

Question 40

Which of the following accurately describes the United Nations?

A)The UN is an international organization formed immediately after World War I in an effort to avoid another world war and consistently renounces war and respects human and economic freedoms.-Consider This: The post-World War I effort to form an international peacekeeping force failed.
B)The UN was created in 1945 as an international peacekeeping organization and has not always been capable of making and keeping peace.
C)The UN was formed in the late 1930s as an international peacekeeping organization and has remained isolationist from the start.
D)The UN is composed of fewer than 100 member nations and focuses exclusively on peacekeeping operations.

Question 41

Why did Congress create a director of national intelligence in 2004?

A)to help the director of the Central Intelligence Agency combat the growing threat posed by weapons of mass destruction
B)to better coordinate the large number of people working in diverse intelligence agencies
C)to decentralize authority within the intelligence community to prevent competition between agencies
D)because the previous organizational structure of the intelligence community encouraged the various agencies to do too much of their work collaboratively,which led to groupthink -Consider This: The lack of collaboration was a major concern of Congress.

Question 42

Why has the United States tried to deal with the threat from Iran with diplomacy,rather than military options?

A)Diplomacy is likely to succeed since the Islamic world trusts and respects the United States.
B)Diplomacy is likely to lead Iran to isolationism,thereby removing the threat.
C)Military action would be more likely to lead to further radicalization of Muslims and terrorist retaliation.
D)Military action would be less likely to succeed and could harm the cooperative approach taken by Iran toward the United States and its allies.-Consider This: Iran did not enter into the situation through a cooperative approach.

Question 43

Which of the following statements about terrorism is accurate?

A)Terrorism usually involves military personnel and military targets.
B)Terrorism is often designed to demoralize and frighten the general public.
C)Terrorism is usually financed by the government.-Consider This: Governments may harbor terrorists,but most financing comes from other sources.
D)Only nongovernmental political actors engage in terrorism.

Question 44

During the height of the Cold War,what would the United States likely have done if it had discovered that the Soviet Union had previously unknown stockpiles of nuclear weapons?

A)negotiate a bilateral nuclear nonproliferation agreement
B)engage in a military conflict with the Soviet Union -Consider This: Mutual assured destruction made a military conflict unlikely.
C)stockpile additional nuclear weapons in the United States
D)extend diplomatic immunity to the Soviet Union

Question 45

Which of the following is most likely to have the greatest influence over U.S.foreign policy?

A)Secretary of State
B)director of the Central Intelligence Agency
C)chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff -Consider This: Although the chair may be important,it does not have the greatest influence.
D)director of national intelligence

Question 46

How did the Cold War start?

A)It began after World War II when there was a shortage of coal and heating fuel in Europe.
B)It started when the United States established the Truman Doctrine at the end of World War II,which left Eastern European countries "in the cold" by declaring that they would have to defend themselves without U.S.help.-Consider This: The Truman Doctrine was in response to the Cold War.
C)It began after all of Eastern Europe fell under Soviet domination at the end of World War II,which prompted fears that the Soviets would spread communism around the globe.
D)It started when the Truman Doctrine froze all military alliances into their pre-World War II configurations.

Question 47

Why have multinational corporations become forces to be reckoned with in nearly all nations?

A)They frequently use their money to buy government officials' votes in nearly any country at nearly any time.-Consider This: Although such activity may occur,it is not at the frequency this would suggest.
B)They better understand the dangers of globalization than do most elected officials.
C)They encourage isolationist policies in order to get complete control of governments and markets in various countries.
D)They account for a large portion of the global economy and have voiced strong opinions about government and economics.

Question 48

Which of the following is an accurate statement about the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)?

A)The CIA is explicitly mentioned in the Constitution as being exempt from federal law as long as it is acting in the name of national security.
B)The CIA is in charge of the various other agencies in the intelligence community.
C)The CIA has sometimes become involved in other nations' internal affairs.
D)The primary mission of the CIA is to gather intelligence on American citizens.-Consider This: The CIA is legally barred from spying on American citizens.