Deck 3: Realism, Liberalism, and Critical Theories

Question 1

The academic perspective called _______ realism is focused on the abilities of individual leaders and human nature.

A) neo-idealistic
B) classical
C) neoclassical
D) structural

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The academic realism that emerged after the end of World War I was based on an interpretation of the works of which writers?

A) Marx, Hobbes, and Lenin
B) Machiavelli and Hobbes
C) Smith, Hawken, and Rousseau
D) Engels, Locke, and Plato

Answer 2

B

Question 3

_______ proposes that the structure of the international system compels states to maximize their relative power position.

A) Liberal institutionalism
B) Neoclassical realism
C) Offensive realism
D) World-system theory

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Structural realists like Waltz argue that interstate conflict is due to _______ and _______.

A) violent human nature; nationalism
B) the security dilemma; resource abundance
C) uneven military power; leaders seeking conquest
D) a lack of authority; relative power

Question 5

The lineage of classical realism is said to have begun with

A) Niccolò Machiavelli.
B) Thucydides.
C) Hans Morgenthau.
D) Kenneth Waltz.

Question 6

According to the book, realist theory is

A) solely concerned with the structure of military alliances.
B) focused on ideational reasons states go to war.
C) criticized for its lack of social scientific rigor.
D) based on the principle of self-help.

Question 7

The condition which lacks an overarching central authority above a collection of sovereign states within the international system is known as

A) anarchy.
B) political community.
C) international system.
D) sovereignty.

Question 8

Morgenthau would support which of the following positions?

A) A strong military is all a state requires to achieve its security goals.
B) Morality is inherently absent in politics.
C) Political realism should be objective and rational.
D) The morals of a nation may be universally applied.

Question 9

Defensive realism proposes that states are generally more concerned with

A) security.
B) zero-sum game.
C) absolute gains.
D) relative gains.

Question 10

Waltz, in describing the causal logic of neoclassical realism, believes that the influence of _______ is absent from structural accounts of realism.

A) economic interdependence
B) domestic politics
C) democratic diffusion
D) Marxist accounts of materialism

Question 11

According to the text, Kenneth Waltz tries to overcome the problem of realism's weak definition of the meaning of power by shifting the focus from power to

A) capabilities.
B) relative gains.
C) sovereignty.
D) cooperation.

Question 12

Which of the following is a pillar of what the book calls essential realism?

A) International institutions
B) Ideational prospects
C) Survival
D) Normative justice

Question 13

A(n) _______ system is sometimes called a(n) _______.

A) dependency; benevolent
B) liberal economic; autarchy
C) mercantilist; neoimperialist order
D) unipolar; hegemony

Question 14

Kenneth Waltz argues that the key difference between domestic and international orders lies in their

A) wealth distribution.
B) ideology.
C) structures.
D) security.

Question 15

During the inter-war period of 1919-1939 the academic perspective called _______ criticized the _______ perspective, which believed in the effectiveness of the League of Nations.

A) liberal; realist
B) realist; liberal
C) moderate; Benthamite
D) Wilsonian; Hobbesian

Question 16

Immanuel Kant was an early claimant that liberal states are _______ in their international relations with other liberal states.

A) peaceful
B) aggressive
C) reticent
D) militaristic

Question 17

The Gulf War 1990-1991 has been used as an example of

A) liberal institutionalism.
B) collective security.
C) advocacy networks.
D) Wilsonian positivism.

Question 18

_______ is an academic school of thought that advocates for reform of the current order.

A) Defensive realism
B) Radical liberalism
C) Benthamite realism
D) Neoliberal reformism

Question 19

Which of the following is considered a key liberal value?

A) State security
B) Conservatism
C) Constitutionalism
D) Anarchy

Question 20

Some liberals see the causes of war located in _______, among other factors.

A) anarchy
B) human nature
C) self-determination
D) imperialism

Question 21

Which of the following writers is most closely associated with the liberal tradition in political thought?

A) John Locke
B) Thomas Hobbes
C) Hans Morgenthau
D) E. H. Carr

Question 22

The theory of liberalism holds that free trade, democracy, and the rule of law must

A) result from an especially horrific war.
B) begin within a state.
C) move past material concerns for security.
D) develop throughout the international system before it can be consolidated within states.

Question 23

The writings of Grotius, Kant, and Bentham contain the seeds of core liberal ideas, particularly that

A) nations can get along.
B) wealth is the best means to bring about justice.
C) justice breeds freedom.
D) reason can deliver freedom and justice in international relations.

Question 24

Kant is known for the essay

A) "The Civil Constitution of Every State."
B) "Perpetual Peace."
C) "The Right of Nations Shall Be Based on a Federation of Free States."
D) "Cosmopolitan Rights of Universal Hospitality."

Question 25

Richard Cobden's belief that _______ would create a more peaceful world order is a core idea of nineteenth-century liberalism.

A) freedom
B) justice
C) free trade
D) tolerance

Question 26

What was the primary expression of the Idealist order during the interwar period of 1919-1939?

A) League of Nations
B) United Nations
C) Concert of Europe
D) The hegemonic influence of the United States

Question 27

What concept supposes that liberal states will not go to war with one another?

A) Sovereign equality of states
B) Balance of power
C) Democratic peace thesis
D) Republican constitutionalism

Question 28

Liberals who place great importance on the civilizing capacity of global society are often known as

A) classical liberals.
B) neoliberals.
C) reform liberals.
D) radical liberals.

Question 29

Neoliberals agree with neorealists with regards to the condition of anarchy and the centrality of states, but neoliberals believe that cooperation is _______ if states pursue _______ gains.

A) possible; relative
B) possible; absolute
C) impossible; relative
D) impossible; absolute

Question 30

Some neoliberal and realist theorists use the _______ to explain international politics.

A) retro debate
B) convict's debate
C) notion of anarchy
D) parolee's dilemma

Question 31

According to the text, Marxism argues that _______ characterizes the global economy.

A) class solidarity
B) inequality
C) socialist ideals
D) nationalist populism

Question 32

Marx himself provided _______ in terms of a theoretical analysis of _______.

A) little; international relations
B) much; gender relations
C) much; the specifics of governing the communist state
D) a defined methodology; the Soviet system

Question 33

A key element of Marxist thought is the _______ conception of history.

A) gendered
B) immaterial
C) materialist
D) militaristic

Question 34

Marx described what is sometimes called a _______ model of society.

A) base-superstructure
B) basic suprastructure
C) beta-superstructure
D) superstructure

Question 35

According to the text, critical theorists have challenged assumptions of

A) liberalism, preferring instead a return to realism.
B) dominant paradigms, while rejecting the need for social transformation.
C) realism and constructivism in favor of neoliberalism.
D) the status quo, dominant paradigms, and the feasibility of reform.

Question 36

The vast bulk of Marx's theoretical efforts consisted of a painstaking analysis of capitalism as a

A) world economic system.
B) mode of production.
C) theory of hegemony.
D) tool of emancipation.

Question 37

Marx and Engels famously argued that history is the story of

A) war and peace.
B) class struggle.
C) survival.
D) ideas.

Question 38

What does the "stag hunt" metaphor demonstrate?

A) Environmental degradation under neoliberalism
B) The Tragedy of the Commons
C) The challenges in coordinating cooperative action
D) The multipolar model of the balance of power

Question 39

Neorealists believe states seek _______, while neoliberals believe _______ can explain cooperation under anarchy.

A) economic interconnectedness; human nature
B) absolute power; shared resource zones
C) offensive military capabilities; superior defensive technology
D) relative gains; absolute gains

Question 40

According to Marx, the central dynamic to be understood is the tension between the means of production and relations of production that together form

A) the economic base of a given society.
B) capitalism.
C) the mode of production.
D) the political system of a given society.

Question 41

Ironically, third world socialists tended to be

A) from the developed world.
B) residents of the Global North.
C) intense nationalists.
D) either proletariat or bourgeoisie.

Question 42

Which academic perspective might stress the importance of ideas in creating the mutually reinforcing and reciprocal relationships between the socioeconomic relations and political and cultural practices that together underpin and transform a given order?

A) Constructivism
B) Liberal feminism
C) Liberation theology
D) Realism

Question 43

Structural realists often debate whether the balance of power in the international system has shifted to a(n) _______ order.

A) unbalanced unipolar
B) balanced bipolar
C) simple bipolar
D) balanced nonpolar

Question 44

Constructivism studies _______ forces such as ideas, norms, and rules.

A) material
B) ideational
C) concrete
D) discrete

Question 45

The security dilemma stipulates that states may _______ if another state enhances its military capabilities.

A) pursue complex interdependence
B) seek to disarm
C) feel assured in its own security
D) engage in an arms race

Question 46

Scholars associated with Constructivism believe that _______ form(s) institutions.

A) patterns of rules and practices
B) only some societies
C) no human interaction
D) objective reality

Question 47

What is the "Beijing Consensus"?

A) The IMF's plan to create capitalism in China
B) The name constructivist theory applies to the evolving norms of global capitalism
C) The name realist theory applies to the growing global force projection capabilities of China's armed forces
D) China's economic policies for state control of the economy in which all capitalist activities serve the interests of the Chinese nation-state

Question 48

Most writers who call themselves constructivists argue that _______ make society-and society, in turn, shapes our actions and words.

A) our actions and words
B) Marx and socialism
C) capitalism and material items
D) technology and production

Question 49

In contrast to the rise of constructivism in the 1980s, neorealism and neoliberalism were still committed to

A) material explanations for state behavior.
B) discursive forces of power.
C) normative legitimacy.
D) materialism and structuration.

Question 50

According to constructivists, what shapes the identity and interests of actors such as states?

A) Normative structure
B) Anarchy
C) Level of capabilities (i.e., military)
D) International treaties and institutions

Question 51

A realist scholar might criticize the feminist theories as

A) being overly rational.
B) being objectively capitalist.
C) lacking social scientific rigor.
D) insufficiently misogynous.

Question 52

For the fourth wave of feminism, the combination of class, race, age, ability, sexuality, gender, and other attributes is known as

A) intersectionality.
B) attribution theory.
C) liberal feminist revision.
D) standpoint systems theory.

Question 53

The strand of feminism that focuses on how to alter women's subordinate political position in the current order is known as _______ feminism.

A) liberal
B) reformist
C) Marxist
D) subaltern

Question 54

Which writers are often associated with liberal feminism?

A) Reed, Thatcher, and Wendt
B) Morgenthau, Hobbes, and Sen
C) Doyle, Cardoso, and Wallerstein
D) Enloe, Elshtain, and Tickner

Question 55

_______ views of power are associated with the _______ school of thought.

A) Ideational; constructivist
B) Feminist; gendered
C) Masculine; nongendered
D) Ethical; reformist

Question 56

According to the text, _______ is determined by a mix of social and cultural norms, as well as one's own sense of identity.

A) postmodernism
B) gender
C) capitalism
D) political realism

Question 57

_______ feminism advocates equal rights for women but also supports a more progressive policy agenda that would include social justice, peace, economic well-being, and ecological balance.

A) Standpoint
B) Postmodern
C) Liberal
D) Marxist

Question 58

Mass mobilization, rejection of exploitation, and state ownership of core industries are features of which group?

A) Third world socialists
B) Neoclassical realists
C) Postmodern feminists
D) Constructivist anarcho-syndicalists

Question 59

Jane Addams was one of the founders of which group?

A) Standpoint feminism
B) Women's Peace Party
C) Third World Justice League
D) World Federalist Union

Question 60

Gender and power are both _______ concepts.

A) radical
B) relational
C) social
D) sexual

Question 61

What is the main difference between classical and structural realism?

Question 62

What is the significance of the Peloponnesian War for the study of international relations?

Question 63

What are the three pillars of essential realism?

Question 64

What makes neoclassical realism "neo" and "classical"?

Question 65

What are the four dimensions of liberalism?

Question 66

What is the democratic peace thesis?

Question 67

How has the increasing complexity of commercial connections affected international politics?

Question 68

What does "liberalism of privilege" mean?

Question 69

How is contemporary liberalism different from the liberalism of the Enlightenment?

Question 70

Briefly, what differentiates neorealism from classical realism?

Question 71

What was Hans Morgenthau's central point about power?

Question 72

Name two differences between neorealism and neoliberal institutionalism.

Question 73

What is the difference between cooperation and harmony in international relations? Can the international system ever be in harmony?

Question 74

What is the base-superstructure model?

Question 75

What do third world socialists see as a successor to colonialism?

Question 76

What is the core focus of constructivism?

Question 77

Briefly relate the metaphor of the "stag hunt" to cooperation among states in the international system.

Question 78

Discuss just war theory from a liberal feminist perspective.

Question 79

Define feminism and briefly relate it to feminist theory in international relations.

Question 80

Define gender in 40 words or fewer.