Deck 2: Interpreting World Politics Through the Lens of Theory

Question 1

Who is most likely to embrace consequentialism?

A)realists
B)liberals
C)constructists
D)feminists

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which three important applications do theories have for policy makers?

A)diagnosis, prescription, and lesson-drawing
B)persuasion, prescription, and prognosis
C)prescription, description, and retrospection
D)inference, prescription, and prognosis

Answer 2

A

Question 3

At the core of liberalism is a belief in which of the following?

A)anarchy and self-help
B)national interest and relative gains
C)reason and the possibility of progress
D)anarchy and security dilemmas

Answer 3

C

Question 4

When state A acts to offset the increasing power of state B by arming itself or joining an alliance, state A is engaging in behavior that is consistent with which of the following concepts?

A)anarchy
B)balance of power
C)relative gains
D)absolute gains

Question 5

Which of the following is widely viewed as the strongest theoretical challenger to realism?

A)neoconservatism
B)liberalism
C)constructivism
D)feminism

Question 6

According to realism, what do all states have in common?

A)All states pursue national interests.
B)All states pursue absolute gains.
C)All states desire a balance of power.
D)All states are risk-averse.

Question 7

Whose writings can the realist theory of international relations be traced to?

A)St. Augustine's
B)Hugo Grotius's
C)Thucydides's
D)Carl Marx's

Question 8

Realists argue that the condition of anarchy typically leads to which of the following?

A)chaos
B)interdependence
C)war
D)self-help

Question 9

What constitutes transnational relations?

A)interactions across state boundaries involving at least one actor that is not associated with a government or an IGO
B)interactions across state boundaries involving more than two states
C)interactions between two or more nation states
D)interactions between nonstate actors

Question 10

Which political movement in the United States calls for the use of military and economic power in foreign policy to bring freedom and democracy to other countries?

A)liberalism
B)realism
C)defensive realism
D)neoconservatism

Question 11

Which of the following is derived from a set of assumptions and evidence about some phenomenon?

A)a framework
B)a theory
C)a paradigm
D)a normative proposition

Question 12

Which of the following statements best describes the notion of relative gains?

A)"Winning is more important than doing well."
B)"Doing well is more important than winning."
C)"Competition in international relations is undesirable."
D)"International anarchy leads to relative insecurity."

Question 13

Which of the following statements was most likely made by a neorealist?

A)"Human nature induces states to pursue power and compete with one another."
B)"Systemic anarchy induces states to pursue power and compete with one another."
C)"International laws and institutions can mitigate the effects of anarchy."
D)"International politics is a positive-sum game."

Question 14

Which of the following is the oldest of the prevailing schools of thought in international relations?

A)realism
B)neoconservatism
C)feminism
D)liberalism

Question 15

Which of the following is a good representation of a zero-sum relationship?

A)two individuals applying for the same position
B)two individuals working together on a project
C)a group of states forming an alliance
D)a group of states signing a non-aggression pact

Question 16

State A builds up its military by acquiring a new air defense system. State B considers this a threat and decides to acquire new weaponry, consequently starting an arms race. Which concept best captures the relations between these two states?

A)self-help
B)balance of power
C)security dilemma
D)anarchy

Question 17

Which of the following refers to a dominant way of looking at a particular subject, which structures our thought about an area of inquiry?

A)a paradigm
B)a theory
C)a normative proposition
D)a hypothesis

Question 18

Which theory stresses crosscutting ways in which the growing ties among transnational actors make them vulnerable to each other's actions and sensitive to each other's needs?

A)dependency theory
B)complex interdependence
C)realism
D)consequentialism

Question 19

What does the idea of collective security assume?

A)Judicial pressure is necessary for conflict resolution.
B)Coercion is necessary for conflict resolution.
C)The security of one is the concern of all.
D)Politics is a zero-sum game.

Question 20

Which of the following is likely to agree with Thomas Hobbes that world politics is "a war of all against all"?

A)realism
B)liberalism
C)constructivism
D)feminism

Question 21

Which of the following would a proponent of liberalism disagree with?

A)International institutions are important actors that can mediate disputes among states.
B)It is possible for states to achieve cooperative outcomes.
C)States are focused exclusively on relative gains and power.
D)Free trade gives states a material incentive to maintain peaceful relations.

Question 22

Which theory of international relations would be most likely to expect an international organization such as the United Nations to get involved in an international incident because of human rights violations?

A)realism
B)liberalism
C)constructivism
D)postcolonial feminism

Question 23

Which best defines neorealism?

A)State behavior is determined by differences in their relative power within the global hierarchy.
B)States will inevitably enter into conflict with one another.
C)People, therefore states, are evil by nature.
D)The arming of any state's adversaries will promote stability in the global system.

Question 24

Why do realists believe that states are the most important actors in global politics?

A)States are unable to make decisions independent of international organizations.
B)International law recognizes nonstates as the most important actors.
C)States answer to no authority higher than themselves.
D)International organizations have no impact on global politics.

Question 25

Which of the following concepts implies that the governments of states are subject to no higher authority than themselves?

A)national interest
B)collective security
C)state sovereignty
D)anarchy

Question 26

Which of the following best describes the liberal theory of international relations?

A)a theory that rejects the notion of power and self-interest as the only goals of states, and instead focuses on the importance of international institutions to promote cooperation
B)a theory that believes the effect of anarchy can be mitigated by the existence of international institutions
C)a theory that focuses on our constructions of reality and believes that cooperative or conflictual practices can evolve as our perceptions of reality change
D)a theory that is centered around the protection of individual rights to life, liberty, and property

Question 27

Which of the following is the primary difference between realism and neorealism?

A)Realists focus on the selfish nature of individuals, whereas neorealists believe human beings are naturally cooperative.
B)Neorealists believe that international anarchy, not the selfish nature of individuals, is responsible for the competitive nature of state interactions.
C)Realists focus on national security issues, whereas neorealists focus on economic matters.
D)Neorealists believe that states are naturally cooperative, whereas realists believe that states are naturally competitive.

Question 28

What theory of international relations emphasizes shared ideas, identities, and open discourse?

A)realism
B)liberalism
C)social constructivism
D)consequentialism

Question 29

Which of the following embodies the norms, principles, rules, and institutions around which global expectations unite regarding a specific international problem?

A)security dilemma
B)complex interdependence
C)international regime
D)consequentialism

Question 30

According to realist theory, which of the following is the primary goal of every state?

A)to promote its own self-interest
B)to negotiate alliances with allies
C)to strengthen international collective security arrangements
D)to limit nuclear proliferation

Question 31

Which principle that was unanimously adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2005 aims to combat ethnic cleansing, genocide, and crimes against humanity?

A)never again
B)responsibility to protect
C)conditional sovereignty
D)self-defense

Question 32

Who of the following best represents a pioneer of the realist perspective on international relations?

A)Karl Marx
B)Immanuel Kant
C)Woodrow Wilson
D)Thomas Hobbes

Question 33

Which of the following refers to the tendency of states to view the military build-up of other states as threatening?

A)self-help
B)balance of power
C)security dilemma
D)relative gains

Question 34

Which of the following is the best example of complex interdependence?

A)global trade
B)al-Qaeda
C)the United Nations
D)ethnic groups

Question 35

Which of the following was a criticism of the realist school of thought?

A)It was too idealistic.
B)It could not account for new trends in international relations such as economic cooperation.
C)It was too precise in how it defined key terms such as power and interest.
D)All of these are true.

Question 36

What is liberalism often criticized for?

A)not paying sufficient attention to domestic politics
B)ineffectiveness of international institutions and placing too much emphasis on morality
C)not paying sufficient attention to tangible power
D)not paying sufficient attention to international institutions

Question 37

Which of the following stresses ties between transnational actors, not just states, and focuses on issues besides national security?

A)complex interdependence
B)dependency theory
C)collective security
D)adjudication

Question 38

Which of the following statements would a proponent of liberalism likely agree with?

A)"Advocacy of global institutions is not desirable."
B)"Trade should be de-emphasized."
C)"Balance-of-power is the only way of attaining peace."
D)"Conflict practices used at home can also be used when dealing with international disputes."

Question 39

What is the typical result of the security dilemma?

A)a balance of power
B)a collective security arrangement
C)a self-help system
D)an arms race

Question 40

Which school of thought is likely to argue that commerce can reduce conflict?

A)realism
B)liberalism
C)constructivism
D)Marxism

Question 41

Define the paradigm of realism. What are its assumptions regarding the international system and state behavior? In your opinion, does realism accurately describe international relations in the twenty-first century?

Question 42

The theory of agent-oriented constructivism emerged to address what weakness in the social constructivist theory of international relations?

A)Social constructivism placed too much emphasis on the state, considering states the only important actor in international relations.
B)Social constructivism did not account for norms, values, and shared identities.
C)Social constructivism failed to address the complexities of state behavior, instead treating states as individuals.
D)Social constructivists assume that even in issues of national security, states will rely on supranational institutions to achieve cooperation.

Question 43

Which of the following is a weakness of the feminist school of thought in international relations?

A)The assumptions in traditional international relations theory are too dependent on characteristics that have been associated with masculinity.
B)Feminist theory challenges the material and individualist foundations of realism and liberalism.
C)Feminist theory has had little to no impact on any modern scholarship in international relations, with few researchers taking the theory seriously.
D)Because feminist theory focuses on interpretation of events, there are no scientifically testable hypotheses to determine its validity.

Question 44

Define theory . How are theories useful for understanding world politics? What applications can theories have in making international policy? What are the drawbacks of relying on a single theory to inform policy-making?

Question 45

Some in the liberal school of thought argue that the conditions under which people live is an underlying source of international conflict, and to enhance prospects for peace, those conditions should be reformed.
(a)Who would a liberal theorist believe is responsible for reforming living conditions?
(b)How would a realist counter this argument?

Question 46

What entities does the world-system theory divide the world into?

A)democratic and non-democratic nations
B)core, periphery, and semi-periphery
C)bourgeoisie and proletariat
D)capitalist and command economies

Question 47

What is the main concern of constructivism? How does it seek to expand on the theories of realism and liberalism? How useful is constructivism for understanding international phenomena?

Question 48

Which of the following best describes the Marxist critique?

A)Socialism inherently produces unequal results and cannot be sustained in the long run.
B)Capitalism has led to a class struggle in which the wealthy are far too powerful and the working class has little authority over the products of their labor.
C)Human nature is inherently antagonistic and self-interested, and is the primary determinant of international relations.
D)Everyone should have all they need without having to do any work.

Question 49

Which theory of international relations is completely satisfactory in describing international relations in the world today?

A)realism
B)liberalism
C)constructivism
D)No single theory can account for all facets of world politics; we must draw on all of them to understand the world around us.

Question 50

How have feminist scholars been critical of other international relations scholars? Are their critiques justified?