Deck 18: National Security and Foreign Policy

Question 1

National security is a broad term referring to

A) specific work done by the CIA and FBI.
B) the country's policy to keep all nations safe for democracy.
C) a set of programs and principle directing the government's interactions with other nations.
D) safety from external hazards to the nation's territory, sovereignty, and freedom of action, as well as to its people's lives and property.
E) laws and directives governing military activities.

Answer 1

safety from external hazards to the nation's territory, sovereignty, and freedom of action, as well as to its people's lives and property.

Question 2

The most basic duty of government is

A) national security.
B) foreign policy.
C) balancing the budget.
D) providing health care.
E) maintaining a stable economy.

Answer 2

national security.

Question 3

Foreign policy is the

A) main duty of the legislative branch.
B) safety from external hazards to the nation's territory, sovereignty, and freedom of action, as well as to its people's lives and property.
C) set of programs and principles directing the government's interactions with the rest of the world.
D) set of policies to be enforced by the military.
E) way a government responds to immediate threats.

Answer 3

set of programs and principles directing the government's interactions with the rest of the world.

Question 4

What might be a national security rationale for advancing democracy, economic freedom, and human rights abroad?

A) Countries that enjoy economic freedom are too busy making money to attack the United States.
B) Democracies are subject to the foreign policy directives of the United States.
C) Each new democracy in the world adds more wealth to the United States treasury.
D) Free countries are less likely than tyrannies to threaten the United States.
E) The United States is able to bring more territories under its flag.

Question 5

According to Tocqueville, what is one reason democracies are inferior to other governments in controlling their foreign affairs?

A) Democracies are seldom recognized by other governments.
B) Democracies are too self-interested to be concerned with foreign affairs.
C) Democracies have little capacity for operating with secrecy.
D) The economic climate of democracies does not lend itself to giving attention to the rest of the world.
E) There is no procedure for defining and implementing a foreign policy in democracies.

Question 6

What is one advantage the United States has in conducting foreign affairs?

A) It has a relatively small military.
B) Its economic strength enables it to undertake tasks no other country would try.
C) The continual change of members of Congress allows foreign policy to remain stable.
D) The judiciary serves to check and influence foreign policy.
E) There is no standing army.

Question 7

What advantage do the U.S. armed forces have that has enabled them to rebound from setbacks?

A) It is relatively small in size.
B) Congress has never cut its funding, allowing military leaders to maintain a constant level of preparedness.
C) The armed forces are able to offer soldiers excellent benefits to entice a large number of people to join.
D) American traditions of individualism and adaptability give them an edge over less flexible societies.
E) There is no standing army.

Question 8

The Declaration of Independence was a foreign policy document because it

A) established the fundamental laws by which the government would design its foreign policy.
B) outlined the plan for a new government.
C) specifically requested military and financial support from other nations.
D) addressed a national government.
E) was intended to justify rebellion and gain the support of other nations.

Question 9

After the Revolution, security concerns led American leaders to replace the

A) standing foreign policy toward Britain with an anti-France policy.
B) original members of Congress with new leaders.
C) Constitution with the Declaration of Independence.
D) Articles of Confederation with the Constitution.
E) Bill of Rights with a series of unrelated amendments.

Question 10

Isolationism is the policy of

A) preventing further expansion of communism.
B) avoiding involvement in international affairs.
C) coordinating foreign policy with other countries.
D) insulating smaller nations from the spread of communism.
E) interacting with the rest of the world without consulting other nations' foreign policy.

Question 11

One aspect of the Monroe doctrine declared that it was U.S. policy to

A) keep European powers from interfering in the Western Hemisphere.
B) protect all fledging democracies in Europe.
C) refuse all international treaties and pacts.
D) remain a major player in European affairs.
E) stay out of all international affairs.

Question 12

The Louisiana Purchase is one example of American territorial expansion through

A) divine right.
B) isolationism.
C) multilateralism.
D) peaceful diplomacy.
E) the use of force.

Question 13

After the Civil War, the United States tended to

A) shun the use of force.
B) stay out of European affairs while expanding activities in Latin America and Asia.
C) cling fiercely to a strictly isolationist policy.
D) rely on its military to mediate world affairs.
E) leave Latin America to develop its own policies while becoming intricately involved in European affairs.

Question 14

After World War I, many senators favored international engagement but opposed the League of Nations for fear that it would

A) give the president too much power by granting him a vote in the League without congressional input.
B) give the United States too low of a profile on the international stage.
C) require an economic commitment to restructuring nations in which the United States had no interest.
D) subject American citizens to a European despot.
E) threaten congressional war powers by committing them in advance to defend other nations in the League.

Question 15

Although Franklin Roosevelt pledged to remain neutral, why did the United States eventually enter World War II?

A) Churchill acknowledged that Britain was going to be forced to surrender, and Russia was unable to win the war alone.
B) Congress strongly disagreed with the way Britain and France handled the Munich Conference.
C) France fell to the Nazi army.
D) Hitler invaded Poland.
E) Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and Germany declared war on the United States.

Question 16

Containment was the policy of

A) preventing further expansion of the Soviet Union's influence in the hope of fostering its eventual downfall.
B) preserving U.S. autonomy in foreign policy decisions.
C) retaining American resources at home.
D) preventing European interference in the Western Hemisphere.
E) establishing democracy around the world.

Question 17

By thwarting Soviet expansion, the United States hoped to

A) bolster international support for the communist regime.
B) defeat Hitler's army.
C) force political change.
D) improve relations with China.
E) expand its standing army.

Question 18

Throughout the Cold War, a major goal of the United States was to

A) carve new American territories from the Soviet empire.
B) contain Soviet expansion.
C) isolate itself from international affairs.
D) liberate China.
E) win the nuclear war.

Question 19

The National Security Act of 1947 was designed to

A) contain Soviet expansion by creating an alliance with China.
B) improve relations and communication among the several intelligence agencies.
C) boost the stature of the United States in the international arena.
D) prevent the president from acquiring too much power at the expense of Congress.
E) reorganize the American foreign policy and military establishments after the Second World War.

Question 20

Which of the following was not created by the National Security Act of 1947?

A) Central Intelligence Agency
B) Department of Homeland Security
C) National Security Council
D) Office of the Secretary of Defense
E) United States Air Force

Question 21

The committee in the executive branch that advises the president on defense and foreign policy and coordinates government agencies on national security is called the

A) Central Intelligence Committee.
B) National Security Council.
C) Foreign Policy Advisory Committee.
D) Homeland Security Council.
E) Department of Defense.

Question 22

Which of the following was a military intervention waged by the United States in the name of containment?

A) Mexican-American War
B) Civil War
C) Russo-Japanese War
D) World War II
E) Korean War

Question 23

The Cold War ended when

A) the Vietnam War came to a close.
B) Soviet leaders opened the gates of the Berlin Wall.
C) the Soviet Union officially dissolved.
D) Poland gained its freedom.
E) Karl Marx died.

Question 24

The Gulf War aimed to

A) eliminate communism.
B) establish democracy in Iraq.
C) gain control of Middle Eastern oil reserves.
D) liberate Cuba.
E) reverse Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.

Question 25

The war on terror replaced containment as the guiding principle of American foreign policy once

A) the United States assisted Afghanistan against a Russian invasion.
B) Saddam Hussein claimed to have weapons of mass destruction.
C) Soviet leaders acquiesced to American demands.
D) the Cold War ended.
E) the attacks of September 11, 2001 occurred.

Question 26

President George W. Bush's policy of taking military action against hostile regimes or groups to forestall attacks against the United States or its interests is called

A) containment.
B) covert operations.
C) preemption.
D) threat elimination.
E) war on terror.

Question 27

Public opinion turned against the war in Iraq in 2003 because

A) Iraq was not making progress towards democracy.
B) intelligence had been wrong in suggesting that Saddam Hussein was on the verge of acquiring weapons of mass destruction.
C) the situation in Iraq appeared peaceful and did not seem to require further peace-keeping measures by the American military.
D) other nations were offering to take over, relieving the United States of its military burden in the Middle East.
E) the collapse of the American economy eclipsed foreign concerns.

Question 28

American exceptionalism is the idea that the United States

A) is fundamentally different from other nations, and that it places higher value on morality in its foreign relations.
B) takes exception to forms of government that are different from its own.
C) possesses an above-average military.
D) is an idealistic "city on a hill" to which immigrants flock.
E) enjoys greater freedoms and liberties than any other nation.

Question 29

A strain of American exceptionalism that emerged in the late nineteenth century involves the desire to

A) contain the expansionist tendencies of the Soviet Union.
B) establish an international economic forum.
C) prevent the dominance of other nations.
D) remain independent of all international affairs.
E) remake the world.

Question 30

During World War II, the United States worked with Stalin, the Soviet dictator whose principles were contrary to liberal democracy. This is an example of

A) containment.
B) exceptionalism.
C) isolationism.
D) pragmatism.
E) unilateralism.

Question 31

American pragmatism often tempers the force of

A) containment.
B) idealism.
C) isolationism.
D) multilateralism.
E) capitalism.

Question 32

In comparison to most other developed countries, the United States spends _____________on foreign aid.

A) virtually nothing
B) the majority of its defense funds
C) about the same percentage of its national income
D) a smaller percentage of its national income
E) a greater percentage of its national income

Question 33

Secret attempts to influence political, military, or economic situations abroad are called

A) activism.
B) covert operations.
C) intelligence operations.
D) national security affairs.
E) preemptions.

Question 34

What limitations did the Constitution place on the army?

A) A standing army was specifically prohibited.
B) Army appropriations could not exceed two years.
C) The army could only be called into action by state legislatures.
D) The army should be entirely made up of volunteers.
E) The size of the army was to be directly proportional to the size of the civilian population.

Question 35

The military is subject to civilian control through

A) a civilian commander appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
B) The Senate's power to advise and consent to high-ranking military officers.
C) the joint chiefs of staff.
D) the president's constitutional authority as commander in chief.
E) the war powers resolution of 1972.

Question 36

The "Munich syndrome" resulted from a desire to avoid

A) appeasement.
B) isolationism.
C) pragmatism.
D) exceptionalism.
E) democratization.

Question 37

The "Vietnam syndrome" refers to the fear that

A) an international concern would bring about domestic unrest.
B) America should not act alone, lest its international reputation be diminished.
C) appeasement would backfire, resulting in a further international setback.
D) communism would take hold in small, undeveloped countries.
E) new conflicts could become long, bloody, and futile.

Question 38

Multilateralism is the practice of

A) establishing foreign policy at the direction of an international council.
B) coordinating foreign policy with other countries on a long-term basis.
C) avoiding international intervention.
D) regarding America as an exceptional nation.
E) waging multi-front wars.

Question 39

American foreign policies in the early twentieth century were largely characterized by

A) exceptionalism.
B) isolationism.
C) multilateralism.
D) preemption.
E) unilateralism.

Question 40

Foreign policy after World War II was largely characterized by

A) exceptionalism.
B) isolationism.
C) multilateralism.
D) preemption.
E) unilateralism.

Question 41

The growth of presidential power in the twentieth century was largely caused by

A) a rise in ethics concerns in the Senate resulting in a loss of public confidence in Congress.
B) an increasingly activist judiciary.
C) economic panic.
D) the decrease in the size of Congress.
E) the increasing prominence of international affairs.

Question 42

The War Powers Resolution requires the president to

A) defer to the Joint Chiefs on all military matters.
B) present war proposals for a public vote.
C) attempt diplomatic solutions before resorting to hostilities.
D) forego the use of all military deployments without congressional approval.
E) notify Congress before starting hostilities.

Question 43

Since the passage of the War Powers Resolution, Congress has specifically authorized the use of force

A) only when there has not been a divided government.
B) against European nations.
C) three times.
D) only once.
E) in three separate decades.

Question 44

The president's constitutional authority to receive ambassadors implies that the president

A) can accept a treaty without Senate approval.
B) decides whether to recognize a foreign government after a rebellion or regime change.
C) has the power to declare war.
D) is more powerful than Congress.
E) is limited to merely ceremonial control of diplomatic negotiations.

Question 45

The president's role in negotiating treaties suggests that the president has

A) more power than either Congress or the courts.
B) only symbolic power.
C) the power to accept treaties without Senate approval.
D) the power to declare war.
E) the power to shape U.S. foreign policy.

Question 46

The National Security Council was created by

A) the Constitution.
B) the 1947 National Security Act.
C) Lyndon Johnson.
D) the Twenty-third Amendment.
E) the Supreme Court.

Question 47

As a member of the National Security Council, the Secretary of Defense represents

A) Congress.
B) diplomats.
C) foreign interests.
D) the military.
E) the voters.

Question 48

The main job of the Secretary of State is to

A) act as the president's principal adviser on foreign affairs.
B) present a unified military approach to addressing international issues.
C) relay information from the intelligence community to the White House.
D) represent the governors' interests for the states.
E) speak for the president in addressing the media.

Question 49

The National Endowment for Democracy specializes in

A) identifying nations in need of democratization.
B) outlining the plan to liberate suppressed peoples.
C) properly administering foreign aid and humanitarian efforts.
D) supporting art and music that depicts democracy in a favorable light.
E) supplying advice to newly democratizing states.

Question 50

Which of the following is not a function of the Department of Defense?

A) Determining the terms of treaties
B) Maintaining a global system of bases and network of communications
C) Planning and carrying out American military operations
D) Supporting a network of intelligence systems
E) Training the nation's armed forces

Question 51

In the military, the Reserves are under the authority of

A) Congress.
B) state governors.
C) the president.
D) the Secretary of Defense.
E) the State Department.

Question 52

National Guard units normally serve under the command of

A) Congress.
B) state governors.
C) the president.
D) the Secretary of Defense.
E) the State Department.

Question 53

After the end of the Cold War, defense spending

A) remained steady.
B) increased.
C) decreased.
D) was diverted to payment of the national debt.
E) became focused on building up nuclear capabilities.

Question 54

Since 2004, all members of the intelligence community report to the

A) Director of National Intelligence.
B) National Security Adviser.
C) president.
D) Secretary of Defense.
E) Secretary of State.

Question 55

How can the president bypass the Senate's power over treaties?

A) The president can negotiate executive agreements instead of treaties.
B) The president can appeal to the Supreme Court to uphold a treaty without the consent of the Senate.
C) The president can obtain a writ of consensus from the Senate before negotiating the treaty.
D) The president can personally sign the treaty, in which case Senate approval is not necessary.
E) The Secretary of State can negotiate the treaty that would not then be subject to Senate approval.

Question 56

The president is required to report any executive agreements according to the

A) Constitution.
B) War Powers Resolution.
C) Executive Powers Regulations.
D) Case Act.
E) National Security Act.

Question 57

In foreign affairs, especially in wartime, the federal courts tend to

A) declare international treaties unconstitutional.
B) defer to the other political branches of government.
C) present the president with directives.
D) suppress intelligence information.
E) take an active role.

Question 58

The U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court is one of two special courts charged with evaluating applications for court orders to

A) authorize electronic surveillance of those suspected of threatening national security.
B) hold detainees in wartime prison camps.
C) permit the president to ratify a treaty without the approval of either the Senate or the House of Representatives.
D) provide intelligence information to Congress over the objections of the president and Director of National Intelligence.
E) suspend the writ of habeas corpus in cases involving national security.

Question 59

How did American foreign policy evolve from the time of the founding to the twenty-first century?

Question 60

How did the policy of containment affect American foreign policy decisions?

Question 61

How do both pragmatism and idealism motivate economic and humanitarian aid to foreign countries?

Question 62

What are some advantages of openness in foreign policy deliberations? What are the competing advantages of secrecy?

Question 63

How did the "Munich syndrome" and the "Vietnam syndrome" develop? How did they affect foreign policy in the years that followed?

Question 64

What is the dilemma in the debate between unilateralism and multilateralism?

Question 65

What role does Congress play in shaping foreign policy? What issues hamper foreign policy deliberation in Congress?

Question 66

What is the function of the National Security Council? How does it contribute to deliberation?

Question 67

How do interest groups and public opinion influence foreign policy?