Deck 3: Theories of International Relations: Realism and Liberalism

Question 1

Should Iran develop a nuclear weapon, which states in the region would apparently also be tempted to develop nuclear weapons in response?

A) Israel
B) Syria
C) Iraq
D) Saudi Arabia

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Of the following U.S. presidents, which was the only political scientist and international relations scholar?

A) Richard Nixon
B) Thomas Jefferson
C) Theodore Roosevelt
D) Woodrow Wilson

Answer 2

D

Question 3

A set of beliefs about what should be taken for granted and what needs to be investigated, about what sorts of forces are most important in the world, and about what assumptions should begin the analysis is called a

A) paradigm
B) level of analysis
C) theory
D) postulate

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Realism focuses on which of the following?

A) Trade
B) Democratization
C) Power
D) International law

Question 5

A __________ is a specific statement about how international politics works.

A) paradigm
B) level of analysis
C) theory
D) postulate

Question 6

Which paradigm includes democratic peace at the state level of analysis?

A) Realism
B) Economic structuralism
C) Feminism
D) Liberalism

Question 7

The paradigm that examines international politics through the lens of gender is

A) feminism.
B) constructivism.
C) economic structuralism.
D) realism.

Question 8

The two oldest theories of international politics are

A) socialism and Marxism.
B) structuralism and constructivism.
C) autocracy and democracy.
D) realism and liberalism.

Question 9

A paradigm determines

A) which questions are asked and which questions are not asked.
B) only which questions are asked.
C) only which questions are not asked.
D) the answers to your questions.

Question 10

Which U.S. military actions apparently increased the Iranian government's fears of a U.S. attack?

A) U.S. naval exercises against pirates in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean
B) The success of U.S. air power in Iraq in 1991
C) The U.S. special forces raid in Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden
D) The successful blockade of the Persian Gulf by U.S. naval forces

Question 11

What does "so far as right and wrong are concerned ... there is no difference between the two…." mean?

A) It means that in international politics, power is more important than morality.
B) It refers to the fact that the world is anarchic, so therefore there can be no right and wrong.
C) It means that in international politics there is no shared morality, so morality cannot be the basis for action.
D) It means that capabilities and power govern international politics rather than rules or laws.

Question 12

Realism assumes that, at the individual level, human nature is

A) inherently peaceful.
B) inherently conflictual.
C) neither peaceful nor conflictual.
D) not relevant to understanding international politics.

Question 13

__________ is a situation in which there is no central ruler.

A) Chaos
B) Anarchy
C) A confederation
D) An oligarchy

Question 14

In international politics, a theory is

A) a specific statement about how international politics works.
B) an assumption that power drives international politics.
C) an assertion that human nature is inherently conflictual.
D) a paradigm that explains specific events.

Question 15

What appears to be the primary reason the Iranian government is pursuing a nuclear weapons program?

A) To make itself more secure
B) To have the ability to destroy Israel
C) In order to assert itself as the leading Islamic state in the Middle East region
D) To be able to threaten U.S. interests in the region

Question 16

Paradigms are used, instead of theories, because a paradigm is

A) broader than a single theory and may encompass many theories.
B) more specific and accurate than a theory.
C) really the same as a theory.
D) composed of many different subsets.

Question 17

Henry Kissinger served as national security advisor during which of the following administrations?

A) Nixon
B) Bush
C) Carter
D) Reagan

Question 18

Under what paradigm does the following statement fall: "The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must?"

A) Liberalism
B) Constructivism
C) Realism
D) Economic structuralism

Question 19

According to the author, the state of theory in international politics is characterized by

A) misunderstanding and fear.
B) widespread agreement and cooperation.
C) disagreement and debate.
D) misperception and suspicion.

Question 20

Which of the following figures was not associated with realism?

A) Machiavelli
B) Hobbes
C) Thucydides
D) Locke

Question 21

All of the following are assumptions of realism except

A) anarchy.
B) states as main actors.
C) international cooperation.
D) states as rational actors.

Question 22

What is the main criticism against the realist focus on the state?

A) There are too many different states.
B) There are many influential nonstate actors.
C) No one theory can explain all types of states.
D) States no longer initiate wars.

Question 23

When journalists or historians write "Russia did X" or "Washington believes Y," they are implicitly advancing the state-centered view of which theory?

A) Hegemonic stability theory
B) Complex interdependency theory
C) Liberalism
D) Realism

Question 24

An important lesson that derives from prisoner's dilemma is that

A) individual rationality leads to collective irrationality.
B) two wrongs do not make a right.
C) absolute power corrupts absolutely.
D) individual actors can control outcomes by their own decisions.

Question 25

Hegemons decline for several reasons, including all of the following except

A) costs of empire.
B) internal decay.
C) economic challenge from other countries.
D) high taxes.

Question 26

What is the national interest?

A) It is unimportant to realists, because it is not based on the concept that a state is a unitary and rational actor.
B) It is a foreign policy goal that is objectively valuable for the overall well-being of the state.
C) It implies that a state is a collection of actors and interests.
D) It is based on the concept that the state is a unitary and rational actor, so there is very little debate about how the national interest should be defined.

Question 27

According to hegemonic stability theory, stability results when

A) one great power dominates the others.
B) a balance results from sharing of power by many states.
C) a world government regulates all societies.
D) all countries agree to cooperate.

Question 28

The realist theory that states stability results from unipolarity is

A) balance of power.
B) democratic peace.
C) collective action.
D) hegemonic stability.

Question 29

The payoff for ____________ can be measured by critically linked strategies of cooperation and defection.

A) anarchy.
B) the prisoner's dilemma.
C) democratic peace.
D) a balance of power.

Question 30

Why does hegemony lead to peace?

A) Peace results from hegemony because states are not irrational enough to enter into a conflict with the hegemon unless it is absolutely necessary.
B) The hegemon reduces the anarchy in the system because they act as the "global cop."
C) Peace results from hegemony because the hegemon can punish those who defect, which solves the prisoner's dilemma.
D) All of the above are true.

Question 31

According to realist assumptions, why did Israel attack Iraq in 1981?

A) In order to help their longtime ally, Iran
B) To prevent Iraq from becoming too powerful
C) To stop trans-shipment of oil through its strategic pipeline network
D) Because Iraq attacked them first

Question 32

The security dilemma refers to

A) the tendency for one state's efforts to obtain security to cause insecurity in others.
B) the hesitation to go to war against another country.
C) efforts of states to stake their survival on agreements with other states.
D) the willingness of states to always cooperate with each other.

Question 33

The assumption that claims states are rational actors means that they

A) always make the correct decision.
B) always make the best decision.
C) have consistent, ordered preferences and calculate the costs and benefits of all policies in order to maximize their utility.
D) always make decisions in the national interest.

Question 34

All of the following are examples of hegemonic powers except

A) Britain during the eighteenth century.
B) France at the beginning of the nineteenth century.
C) Italy prior to World War I.
D) the United States after World War II.

Question 35

For realists, the central force in international politics is the

A) security dilemma.
B) prisoner's dilemma.
C) distribution of power.
D) hegemonic stability.

Question 36

The one area where realists do accept the importance of moral actions is when

A) a state considers the interests of other states.
B) a state pursues its own national interests, but not the interests of other states.
C) states all pursue peaceful outcomes to conflicts.
D) states cooperate together in international organizations.

Question 37

In hegemonic stability theory, stability results from

A) unipolarity.
B) bipolarity.
C) balance among the great powers.
D) nuclear weapons.

Question 38

"If states are to survive, they must rely on their own means." Which term best fits this statement?

A) Anarchy
B) Balance of power
C) Unitary actors
D) Self-help

Question 39

Which of the following undermines the Westphalian system?

A) The independence of state action
B) The absence of a supranational ruling institution
C) The influence of transnational nonstate actors
D) The ability of states to act as they please

Question 40

In realism, the relative power of countries is measured primarily by

A) geographic area.
B) military arsenals.
C) economic wealth.
D) advanced technology.

Question 41

The theory that argues that states are not the only important actors in the world and focuses on the substate level of analysis is

A) democratic peace theory
B) liberal institutionalist theory
C) hegemonic stability theory
D) complex interdependence theory.

Question 42

Liberal institutionalism shares three of the following views with realism. Which one is not shared?

A) Inevitability of war
B) Nature of international anarchy
C) Problem of insecurity
D) states as unitary, rational actors

Question 43

According to liberal institutionalists, when collaboration breaks down,

A) everyone is better off.
B) everyone ends up worse off.
C) nothing really changes.
D) conflict always occurs.

Question 44

A zero-sum game refers to the situation in which

A) one state can gain only at the expense of another.
B) both states can gain at the same time.
C) neither state can gain and both will lose.
D) both states can cooperate with one another.

Question 45

Liberals assert that the best form of government is

A) democracy.
B) authoritarianism.
C) fascism.
D) socialism.

Question 46

Some observers criticize the realist emphasis on power because

A) states are no longer relevant.
B) international organizations have more power than states.
C) defining power in a meaningful way is difficult.
D) we live in a unipolar world.

Question 47

The Concert of Europe followed

A) World War I.
B) the Cold War.
C) the Napoleonic Wars.
D) World War II.

Question 48

Liberal domestic theory focuses on the

A) economic protection of states.
B) rights of the individual
C) authority of the state's leadership.
D) expansive power of the state.

Question 49

Realists contend that liberal institutional theory is undermined by

A) verification provisions.
B) the possibility of cheating.
C) ideological rifts.
D) development of nuclear weapons.

Question 50

Which of the following is a liberal theory?

A) Balance of power theory
B) Democratic peace theory
C) Hegemonic stability theory
D) Neo-realist theory

Question 51

Which theorist argued that in order to solve the problem of domestic anarchy, a powerful monarch, the "Leviathan," was necessary?

A) Thomas Hobbes
B) John Locke
C) Niccolo Machiavelli
D) Saint Thomas Aquinas

Question 52

Liberal institutionalism suggests that a partial solution to the security dilemma would occur if

A) everyone stops building arms at the same time.
B) both sides continue to arm but at a slower rate.
C) one side evolves into a hegemonic power.
D) one side continues to build arms and the other stops.

Question 53

In this book, the author examines three strands of liberal theory. They are

A) balance of power, revisionism, and norms.
B) world systems, capitalist system, and hegemonic stability.
C) liberal institutionalism, democratic peace, and complex interdependence.
D) systemic norms, identity politics, and transnational actors.

Question 54

Which of the following does not apply to the democratic peace theory?

A) Liberal democratic states can solve disputes without going to war.
B) The theory focuses upon the state level of analysis.
C) Nongovernmental organizations are key actors in the international system.
D) What kind of government a state has is important in understanding its actions on the world stage.

Question 55

The liberal approach that considers politics as complex, multifaceted, and collaborative is

A) complex interdependence.
B) democratic peace.
C) balance of power.
D) hegemonic stability.

Question 56

Liberals argue that realists are essentially

A) optimistic about global politics.
B) pessimistic about global politics.
C) neither optimistic nor pessimistic.
D) correct, but wrong about human nature.

Question 57

Liberals argue that anarchy can be overcome through the use of

A) military power.
B) elections.
C) institutions.
D) conflict.

Question 58

Which of the following theories focuses on the systemic level of analysis and argues that cooperation is possible, as anarchy doesn't necessarily lead to conflict?

A) Realism
B) Liberal institutionalism
C) Complex Interdependence theory
D) Hegemonic Stability theory

Question 59

The first international attempt to put liberal theory into practice was the

A) Peace of Westphalia.
B) Concert of Europe.
C) Treaty of Paris.
D) Bretton Woods Agreement.

Question 60

What do liberals believe about human nature?

A) They believe that people are inherently good and peaceful.
B) They believe that people are prone to conflict and war.
C) They believe that people are smart enough to recognize the problems in the world and work to solve those problems.
D) They believe that people should try to solve the world's problems, but they probably will not be successful.

Question 61

How do realists view international organizations and institutions?

A) They believe that these institutions serve the powerful, and they believe that some states will eventually regret putting their faith in them.
B) They believe that they can solve the world's problems through cooperation and collaboration.
C) They believe that they will increase the level of democracy in the world.
D) They believe that they will be useful in ending war and conflict.

Question 62

What is the prisoner's dilemma? How does the prisoner's dilemma assist in understanding the security dilemma? How do liberal institutionalists use the prisoner's dilemma?

Question 63

The Concert of Europe proved that

A) complex interdependency was unworkable as a system-level theory.
B) the liberal institutionalist theory was correct, in that when collaboration broke down, every state ended up worse off.
C) the realist notion of balance of power was ultimately correct.
D) hegemonic stability theory did not provide the answer to the security dilemma.

Question 64

The focus on multiple actors in complex interdependence theory is sometimes referred to as

A) liberalism.
B) pluralism.
C) anarchy.
D) socialism.

Question 65

In which ways did the Concert of Europe apply balance of power theory to a tense political and military relationship in Europe in the nineteenth century? What other theories may help to explain the European political and military arrangements during the post-Napoleonic period?

Question 66

The normative claim that progress is certainly possible in international politics generally belongs to which theory?

A) Liberalism
B) Realism
C) Marxism
D) Neorealism

Question 67

Both complex interdependence theory and liberal institutionalism see __________ as important and possible in international politics.

A) collaboration and cooperation
B) a balance of power
C) hegemonic stability
D) disarmament

Question 68

Complex interdependence differs significantly from realism by including

A) multiple actors.
B) the single goal of security.
C) the primary role of the state.
D) power as the main driving force.

Question 69

What are the basic features of complex interdependence? In what way does complex interdependence help or hurt our understanding of international politics, and why?

Question 70

Complex interdependence consists of

A) a balance of power.
B) state sovereignty.
C) multiple channels of interaction.
D) anarchy.

Question 71

Power is an essential concept for both realism and liberalism. How do these two theories consider power? In what ways are their views similar from each other? In what ways are their views different?

Question 72

Liberalism argues that

A) progress in international affairs is impossible.
B) collaboration makes all participants better off and should be a priority.
C) security remains the key goal.
D) states are unable to work together because of diverse goals.

Question 73

Given what you know both about the war in Iraq as a policy in fighting terror and about realism and liberalism, how would a realist and a liberal explain this conflict?

Question 74

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called __________ an "existential threat" to Israel.

A) Iran's possession of a nuclear weapon
B) Palestinian demographic increase in the Israeli occupied territories
C) the Muslim Brotherhood's takeover of power in neighboring Egypt
D) the rise of fascism in Europe during the 1940s

Question 75

__________ argues that the basic characteristics of international relations have not changed over the past 2500 years.

A) Liberalism
B) Idealism
C) Realism
D) Complex interdependency

Question 76

Which theory would accept that Russia remains powerful in the military area, Japan is powerful in terms of the economy, and Saudi Arabia is powerful in terms of petroleum?

A) Realism
B) Liberalism
C) Constructivism
D) Complex interdependence

Question 77

What is pluralism?

A) It refers to the idea that in international politics there are many useful theories.
B) It refers to the idea that in complex interdependence theory there are many different actors.
C) It refers to the idea that international organizations have a wide variety of member states.
D) It is a combination of both realist and liberal theory.

Question 78

In the final analysis, the Bush administration explained its military involvement in Iraq as a means to bring democracy to an unstable Middle East. How does this example relate to the democratic peace theory? Was it a successful application of the theory to this troubled country? Why or why not?

Question 79

One of the concerns or criticisms of liberal institutionalism is that

A) states will be reluctant to limit their behavior because of their fear that other states will cheat.
B) it is only concerned with the individual level of analysis.
C) it argues that cooperation is the result of trust.
D) it overemphasizes altruism and trust in the behavior of states.

Question 80

The state is an essential component for realists. First, what are the defining characteristics of the state? Second, why are realists so attached to the state as the dominant actor in international politics? Third, how do realists incorporate nonstate actors into their argument?