Deck 18: Foreign Policy and Democracy

Question 1

Which president made prevention the centerpiece of his foreign policy?

A)George W.Bush
B)Richard Nixon
C)Bill Clinton
D)Barack Obama

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The policy of striking a nation that might be contemplating hostile actions is called

A)diplomacy.
B)appeasement.
C)détente.
D)preventive war.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which event effectively discredited isolationism as a security policy?

A)the Japanese attack of the U.S.Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor
B)the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks
C)the Cuban missile crisis
D)the War of 1812

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The final collapse of the Soviet Union occurred in

A)1985.
B)1989.
C)1991.
D)1999.

Question 5

When two sides of an international conflict possess such enormous arsenals of nuclear missiles that each has the ability to destroy the other in the event of war, it is called

A)"bilateralism."
B)"détente."
C)"simultaneous guaranteed annihilation."
D)"mutually assured destruction."

Question 6

The world's wealthiest nation is

A)China.
B)Sweden.
C)the United States.
D)Switzerland.

Question 7

Which of the following would have been a violation of the Monroe Doctrine in the nineteenth century?

A)the Spanish navy attacking a French cargo ship in the Indian Ocean
B)France attempting to establish colonial governments in various parts of Southeast Asia
C)Britain sending military forces to Canada and Cuba in an attempt to overthrow those countries' existing regimes
D)Russia staging a military invasion of Poland

Question 8

The nineteenth-century policy of ________ was based on the geographic distance of the United States from other countries.

A)idealism
B)isolationism
C)internationalism
D)sovereign dominance

Question 9

A ________ nation is one with unstable leadership, whose policies are driven by ideology rather than by economic or human costs and benefits.

A)rational
B)rogue
C)sovereign
D)nonsovereign

Question 10

________ warned Americans to avoid permanent alliances with foreign powers.

A)George Washington
B)Thomas Jefferson
C)John Adams
D)James Madison

Question 11

A policy of deterrence may fail against terrorist groups because

A)history has shown that only democratic nation-states respond well to deterrence.
B)deterrence has been made illegal under international law.
C)terrorist groups are nonstate actors who may believe that their lack of a fixed geographic location prevents their targets from retaliating militarily.
D)terrorist groups do not yet have access to nuclear weapons.

Question 12

Between 2000 and 2010, U.S.spending on national defense

A)increased steadily.
B)decreased steadily.
C)remained constant.
D)fluctuated dramatically, with large increases in some years and large decreases in other years.

Question 13

The North American Free Trade Agreement is a(n)

A)trade treaty between Mexico, Canada, and the United States designed to lower and eliminate tariffs.
B)executive agreement between the United States and the other nations of North and Central America, giving one another most-favored-nation trade status.
C)treaty between the United States, Canada, and Mexico pledging a unified strategy regarding trade with Asia and Europe.
D)executive agreement reducing trade and immigration barriers throughout North America.

Question 14

The policy of deterrence and containment pursued by the United States during the Cold War can be viewed as

A)an early version of the Bush Doctrine.
B)no different than a policy of isolationism.
C)no different than a policy of appeasement.
D)midway between preventive war and appeasement.

Question 15

The Axis alliance during World War II consisted of

A)the United States, France, and Britain.
B)Russia, China, and Japan.
C)Germany, Japan, and Italy.
D)Germany, China, and Russia.

Question 16

The two primary goals of American foreign policy are

A)equality and democracy.
B)security and prosperity.
C)opportunity and diversity.
D)order and cohesion.

Question 17

Since World War II, the ________ has brought together a wide range of nations for regular negotiations designed to reduce barriers to trade.

A)North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
B)North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
C)General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
D)International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Question 18

The United States' decisions to fight wars in Korea and Vietnam can be understood as part of its policy of

A)isolationism.
B)deterrence.
C)détente.
D)appeasement.

Question 19

What was the key to American security during the nineteenth century?

A)the largest naval fleet in the world
B)troops stationed on the borders
C)geographical isolation
D)the largest nuclear arsenal in the world

Question 20

The Monroe Doctrine refers to the

A)economic recovery package of aid from the United States to Western Europe after World War II.
B)policy that the United States will launch a preemptive attack on any country harboring nonstate actors that threaten its national security.
C)idea that foreign powers should not meddle in the Western Hemisphere.
D)theory that the United States needed to have twice as many nuclear weapons as the Soviet Union in order to remain secure.

Question 21

The Bush administration's so-called Global War on Terror and the war in Iraq were expressions of

A)isolationism.
B)deterrence.
C)preventive war.
D)appeasement.

Question 22

American trade policies tend to

A)benefit most Americans by reducing the cost of consumer goods but hurt workers in some industries by creating incentives for companies to relocate jobs to foreign countries.
B)hurt most Americans by increasing the costs of consumer goods but benefit workers in some industries by creating incentives for companies to pay higher wages.
C)hurt most Americans by increasing the costs of consumer goods and by creating incentives for companies to relocate jobs to foreign countries.
D)have very little impact on the price of consumer goods or the incentives companies face to relocate jobs to foreign countries.

Question 23

American embassies, consulates, and diplomatic missions are managed by the

A)Central Intelligence Agency.
B)Department of Homeland Security.
C)State Department.
D)Department of Defense.

Question 24

Most American presidents have had

A)extensive experience in both foreign and domestic policy before taking office.
B)extensive experience in foreign policy but very little background in domestic policy before taking office.
C)extensive experience in domestic policy but very little background in foreign policy before taking office.
D)very little experience in either foreign or domestic policy before taking office.

Question 25

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) stipulated that

A)the government could not undertake electronic surveillance of Americans for any reason.
B)the government would be required to apply for a warrant from a special court in order to undertake electronic surveillance of Americans.
C)the government could collect and analyze all electronic data produced by American citizens.
D)any attempt by a foreign government to collect data on American citizens would be considered an act of war.

Question 26

The United States chose to fight a war in Korea because

A)the Monroe Doctrine was violated by Soviet military actions near Seoul.
B)a Korean military vessel attacked an American naval ship in the Gulf of Tonkin.
C)policy makers believed that if the United States did not fight, it would embolden the Soviet Union to pursue an expansionist policy elsewhere.
D)American obligations under NATO required military intervention.

Question 27

Deterrence assumes the ________ of the U.S.response and the ________ of an adversary.

A)rationality; certainty
B)certainty; rationality
C)weakness; power
D)timeliness; delay

Question 28

In foreign policy, the Bush Doctrine refers to

A)managing the war on terrorism through multination diplomacy.
B)the tactic of relying on the United Nations to help achieve U.S.objectives.
C)increasing the size and scope of NATO forces.
D)preemptive war.

Question 29

The National Security Council includes all of the following actors EXCEPT the

A)vice president.
B)head of the CIA.
C)secretary of state.
D)chairperson of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Question 30

The fact that the United States remains silent in the face of human rights violations by a number of countries illustrates that

A)the United States has been pursuing a policy of isolationism since the end of World War II.
B)protecting human rights is less important to American foreign policy than security concerns and economic interests.
C)the president has only limited power in determining American foreign policy.
D)Congress has only limited power in determining American foreign policy.

Question 31

If the United States formally recognizes a country, it means that the United States will

A)not impose tariffs on goods imported from that country.
B)engage in routine trade and diplomatic exchanges with that country and will allow that country's citizens to travel to America.
C)go to war on behalf of that country if that country is attacked.
D)provide foreign aid to that country.

Question 32

The main job of the director of national intelligence is to

A)head the National Intelligence Agency.
B)act as the primary adviser to the president on foreign policy matters.
C)serve as a mediator between the CIA, FBI, and National Security Council.
D)collate and coordinate intelligence coming in from multiple sources and to report this information to the president.

Question 33

In a crisis, which of the following has the greatest foreign policy influence?

A)the president
B)Congress
C)the Senate
D)the public

Question 34

The Department of Defense was created in

A)1790.
B)1865.
C)1947.
D)2002.

Question 35

Which of the following statements about foreign policy is MOST accurate?

A)The Constitution gives the president no role to play whatsoever in determining American foreign policy.
B)The Constitution gives Congress no role to play whatsoever in determining American foreign policy.
C)The institutional powers of the presidency give presidents an advantage over political forces based in Congress when determining American foreign policy.
D)The institutional powers of Congress give members of Congress an advantage over presidents when determining American foreign policy.

Question 36

America's international economic and monetary policies are coordinated and implemented by the

A)State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Council of Economic Advisers.
B)Treasury Department, the Commerce Department, and the Office of the U.S.Trade Representative.
C)Council on Foreign Relations, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and the Office of Management and Budget.
D)International Monetary Fund, Amnesty International, and the World Economic Forum.

Question 37

The growing use of executive agreements by presidents over time has had the effect of ________ the importance of the ________'s constitutional treaty power.

A)enhancing; Senate
B)diminishing; Senate
C)enhancing; House of Representative
D)diminishing; House of Representative

Question 38

If the United States were to provide millions of dollars in grants to pay the medical and legal expenses incurred by individuals who have been the victims of political retaliation in their own
Countries, doing so would

A)increase the United States' "hard power."
B)increase the United States' "soft power."
C)lead to "détente."
D)lead to "appeasement."

Question 39

The Cold War began in the

A)late 1940s, soon after World War II.
B)early 1950s, with the Korean War.
C)late 1950s, with American involvement in Vietnam.
D)early 1960s, with the Cuban missile crisis.

Question 40

The Department of Homeland Security was established in

A)1790.
B)1865.
C)1942.
D)2002.

Question 41

Much of the power of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee stems from its

A)unilateral control over the National Security Council.
B)ability to rescind any executive agreement.
C)constitutional authority to declare war.
D)responsibility to consider presidential nominees for important foreign policy posts.

Question 42

Larger economic interest groups are less successful in influencing foreign policy than smaller groups because larger groups

A)are less likely to have allies in the executive branch and in Congress.
B)fall victim to collective action problems.
C)find it difficult to maintain tight enough control of their many members to speak with a single voice.
D)typically have fewer resources to use in their lobbying efforts.

Question 43

Dispute arbitration occurs when a(n)

A)dispute turns into a military conflict, but it is not officially declared a war by the legislative branch.
B)international disagreement is referred to a neutral third party for resolution.
C)treaty is made between two or more nations.
D)agreement is made between the presidents of two countries, but the terms are not legally binding.

Question 44

The headquarters of the United Nations is located in

A)London.
B)Paris.
C)New York City.
D)a different member country's capital city every 10 years.

Question 45

The UN General Assembly

A)never casts formal votes.
B)allocates one vote to each member country, regardless of population size.
C)allocates votes according to population, with more-populous countries receiving more votes.
D)provides votes only to countries that have a democratic form of government.

Question 46

Foreign aid is an economic ________; sanctions are an economic ________.

A)liability; asset
B)asset; liability
C)carrot; stick
D)policy; regulation

Question 47

An agreement between the president and another country that has the force of a treaty but does not require the Senate's "advice and consent" is called a(n)

A)international protocol.
B)executive agreement.
C)presidential-congressional agreement.
D)executive order.

Question 48

The International Monetary Fund

A)provides loans and facilitates a short-term flow of money to countries in need.
B)sets a single monetary instrument that governs international monetary exchange.
C)is limited in its ability to loan money to developing countries.
D)was set up to provide for long-term money flow to developing countries.

Question 49

In Federalist 69, Alexander Hamilton argues that the ultimate check on the president's power as commander in chief is

A)Congress's power to declare war.
B)Congress's power of the purse.
C)the judiciary's power of judicial review.
D)Congress's power of impeachment.

Question 50

The two largest recipients of military assistance from the United States are Israel and

A)France.
B)Egypt.
C)Japan.
D)South Korea.

Question 51

The MOST important task of the Senate in foreign policy is

A)establishing embassies in foreign nations.
B)ratifying the military budget.
C)reviewing and approving treaties.
D)declaring war.

Question 52

Currently, the United Nations has ________ member states.

A)40
B)192
C)350
D)435

Question 53

Amnesty International is a(n)

A)research group formed in 2000 to expose the dangers of global climate change.
B)2011 agreement signed by the United States and 12 other countries that governs the treatment of refugees.
C)multinational corporation that lobbies for lower taxes and neoliberal economic reforms.
D)interest group that works to protect human rights.

Question 54

In 2013, it was revealed that the National Security Agency's PRISM program was

A)behind a 2004 coup d'état operation against the Iraqi government.
B)responsible for creating a malicious computer "worm" to disrupt Iran's nuclear facilities.
C)intercepting, examining, and storing the email, social network posts, internet searches, and local telephone calls of millions of Americans.
D)engaging in illegal use of unmanned drones to kill American citizens living in foreign countries with ties to terrorist organizations.

Question 55

The representation of a government to other foreign governments is called

A)multilateralism.
B)bilateralism.
C)a treaty.
D)diplomacy.

Question 56

In any given year, the United States provides approximately ________ in economic assistance to other countries.

A)$100 million
B)$800 million
C)$14 billion
D)$30 billion

Question 57

All important issues must receive ________ in order to pass through the UN General Assembly.

A)the support of at least one permanent member of the UN Security Council
B)a simple majority vote
C)a two-thirds majority vote
D)a three-fourths majority vote

Question 58

The World Bank's chief mission is to

A)provide development aid to poor countries.
B)set the exchange rate for transferring money from one country to another.
C)handle the finances of the United Nations.
D)store the official gold reserves that back up the world's financial system.

Question 59

The first time that Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty had to be invoked was in response to

A)Japan's 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.
B)a 1964 North Vietnamese attack on a U.S.naval vessel in the Gulf of Tonkin.
C)Saddam Hussein's 1990 invasion of Kuwait.
D)the September 11, 2001, attack on the United States.

Question 60

In the United States, ________ groups are more likely to depend on demonstrations and other nontraditional strategies of influence.

A)ethnic
B)economic
C)environmental
D)human rights

Question 61

The UN Security Council has ________ permanent members and ________ elected members.

A)5; 5
B)10; 10
C)5; 10
D)10; 25

Question 62

The term soft power refers to

A)any unsuccessful attempt by one nation to influence another.
B)military tactics and technologies that are designed to minimize civilian causalities.
C)efforts by one nation to influence the people and governments of other nations by persuasion rather than coercion.
D)any policy tool that has declined in influence over time.

Question 63

In 1979, the United States and Iran became adversaries because Iranians

A)entered into a security alliance with Iraq.
B)withdrew from the World Trade Organization (WTO).
C)rejected an American offer to join NATO.
D)overthrew an unpopular U.S.-backed leader.

Question 64

During the 1990s, the importance of the IMF increased due to

A)the United States choosing to join in 1989.
B)its success in producing massive economic growth in China.
C)the United States' victory in the Persian Gulf War.
D)its efforts to reform communist countries and bring them more fully into the global capitalist economy.

Question 65

The Kyoto Protocol was a(n)

A)statement issued by the United Nations on the importance of protecting endangered species.
B)peace treaty signed by the United States and Japan at the end of World War II.
C)treaty that created the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO).
D)agreement setting limits on emissions of greenhouse gases from industrial countries.

Question 66

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was a

A)military alliance formed between the United States and 11 Pacific Rim nations to limit China's military influence.
B)nuclear nonproliferation agreement between the United States and 11 Pacific Rim nations.
C)free trade agreement between the United States and 11 Pacific Rim nations.
D)law passed by the U.S.Congress to allow tariffs on goods imported from 11 Pacific Rim nations.

Question 67

The United States spends

A)less on its military each year than all of Europe.
B)nearly the same amount on its military each year as all of Europe.
C)less on its military each year than China.
D)about one-third of the world's total military expenditures.

Question 68

In 2015, the United States and Iran signed an agreement

A)in which the Iranians pledged not to build nuclear weapons in exchange for the United States lifting its economic sanctions against Iran.
B)that eliminated tariffs on agricultural imports between the two countries.
C)in which Iranians agreed to share intelligence information about the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in exchange for the United States lifting its economic sanctions against Iran.
D)that secured the release of a number of American hostages taken during the 1979 Iranian revolution.

Question 69

Which of the following describes the realist view of foreign policy?

A)The national interest should guide foreign policies, even if, from the outside, the leaders of the nation appear cold and ruthless.
B)The mutual interests of one nation with other nations should guide foreign policies.
C)Foreign policy should take a backseat to domestic policy since domestic policy affects most citizens more directly.
D)Foreign-policy makers should continually adapt their goals to meet changes in the real world rather than focusing their goals on broad, unchanging philosophies.

Question 70

The United States withdrew from the Kyoto Protocol because it

A)did not include any provisions to limit carbon emissions.
B)did not require other countries to protect basic human rights.
C)would threaten American national security.
D)would be too harmful to American national economic interests.

Question 71

ISIS stands for

A)"I Stand with the Islamic State."
B)the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
C)the Islamic State in India and Sri Lanka.
D)the Islamic State in Solidarity.

Question 72

Which of the following nations does NOT have a permanent seat on the UN Security Council?

A)the United States
B)Russia
C)Germany
D)the United Kingdom

Question 73

The wars in Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq are all examples of

A)conflicts initiated through congressional action while being opposed by the president.
B)short conflicts whose domestic political consequences reaped major benefits for the governments that initially decided to make use of military force.
C)protracted conflicts whose domestic political repercussions became serious liabilities for the governments that initially decided to make use of military force.
D)conflicts that invoked the War Powers Resolution.

Question 74

The five permanent members of the UN Security Council have more influence over the Security Council's decisions than other countries because

A)they are each given 10 additional votes on every substantive proposal.
B)they are each given a "veto" that is sufficient to reject any substantive proposal.
C)other countries have traditionally deferred to the permanent members' knowledge and expertise.
D)they are the only countries allowed to vote on issues before the Security Council.

Question 75

Which statement best describes Russian and American goals in the Syrian civil war?

A)While Russian forces entered the Syrian civil war to support the Assad regime, the United States was attempting to oust the Assad regime.
B)While Russian forces entered the Syrian civil war to oust the Assad regime, the United States was attempting to support the Assad regime.
C)Both Russia and the United States were attempting to oust the Assad regime.
D)Both Russia and the United States were attempting to support the Assad regime.

Question 76

________ is NOT a member of the NATO.

A)Canada
B)Mexico
C)Poland
D)The Czech Republic

Question 77

In 2014, Russia challenged the United States and its European allies by

A)supporting attempts to overthrow the government of Libya.
B)refusing to sell oil to any democratically governed country.
C)seizing control of the Crimean Peninsula and amassing troops along other portions of the Ukrainian border.
D)supplying nuclear warheads and intercontinental ballistic missiles to North Korea.

Question 78

When a country imports more goods and services from abroad than it exports, it has a

A)trade deficit.
B)trade surplus.
C)consumer deficit.
D)consumer surplus.

Question 79

What did Prussian military strategist Carl von Clausewitz mean when he called war "politics by other means"?

A)Nations should never use force because it is a violation of political norms.
B)Nations use force to achieve their foreign policy goals and not simply to demonstrate their capacity for violence.
C)Nations can only use force once they have widespread consensus in their domestic politics.
D)War inevitably causes strong political disagreements.

Question 80

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed in

A)1898.
B)1917.
C)1949.
D)1963.