Question 1

Which explanation of war holds that conflict occurs when two parties are unable to reach an agreement that they prefer to violence?&#10;A) Social-biological imperatives&#10;B) Misperception, misunderstanding, and miscalculation&#10;C) The bargaining model&#10;D) Group explanations

Accepted Answer

The bargaining model

Question 2

Which of the following arguments supports the contention that 'grievance' is a more important cause of civil war than 'greed'?&#10;A) Civil wars are caused by economic forces, rather than by ancient ethnic hatreds.&#10;B) Civil wars occur because those involved in armed conflicts seek to improve their own financial situation.&#10;C) Civil wars occur when there are lootable resources, such as diamonds or drugs.&#10;D) Civil wars most often result from factors related to identity and to oppression, inequality, or discrimination.

Accepted Answer

Option D argues that civil wars result from factors related to identity and oppression, inequality, or discrimination. Grievance is often a significant cause of such oppression and discrimination, whereas greed is not necessarily related to identity or discrimination. Therefore, option D supports the contention that grievance is a more important cause of civil war than greed. Options A, B, and C emphasize the role of economic factors, whereas the question is focused on whether grievance or greed is the more significant factor.

Question 3

Which two men agreed that mankind had an instinct for aggression and violence?&#10;A) Freud and Lorenz&#10;B) Einstein and Freud&#10;C) Lorenz and Wilson&#10;D) Wilson and Dawkins

Accepted Answer

B

Question 4

Some social psychologists argue that there is a link between this psychological factor and aggression towards a secondary group. Individuals experiencing this may 'displace' their anger, blaming the outside group for their feelings. However, it may be possible to channel the resulting aggressive feelings to benign activities, such as sports, and thus dispel them. What is this psychological factor?

A) Aggravation
B) Disappointment
C) Frustration
D) Resentment

Accepted Answer

The psychological factor is frustration, according to the description provided.

Question 5

Many believe that wars are caused by human frailty-misperception and misunderstanding-rather than by actual malice.

Accepted Answer

Many experts and scholars argue that wars are often the result of miscommunication, misperception, and misunderstanding between nations or groups, rather than deliberate acts of malice or evil intent. This view is supported by research and case studies that have identified how misinterpretation of signals, cultural differences, and cognitive biases can lead to conflict escalation and war.

Question 6

Knowledgeable observers almost universally agree that the division of human beings into groups-tribes, nations, and so forth-moderates violent behaviour towards outsiders because peaceful behaviour is more socially desirable.

Accepted Answer

Knowledgeable observers often argue that the division of human beings into distinct groups such as tribes and nations can actually exacerbate violent behavior towards outsiders, as it fosters an "us vs. them" mentality, leading to conflict and aggression rather than moderation of violence.

Question 7

The prevalence of ______ has decreased in recent decades. Only a small percentage of the many recent conflicts worldwide are of this kind.&#10;A) inter-state war&#10;B) terrorism and counter-terrorism&#10;C) guerrilla war&#10;D) sub-state conflict

Accepted Answer

The passage states that the prevalence of this type of conflict has decreased in recent decades, indicating that it is less common than it used to be. Additionally, only a small percentage of recent conflicts worldwide are of this kind, further supporting the idea that inter-state war is not as prevalent as it once was.

Question 8

Historical evidence suggests that modern democracies may fight as often as authoritarian states do, but that they rarely, if ever, fight each other.

Accepted Answer

This statement is supported by research on democratic peace theory, which suggests that democracies are less likely to engage in war with each other due to shared values, norms, and institutions. However, they may still engage in conflicts with non-democratic states.

Question 9

The frequency of civil conflict has waned in recent decades, and ethnic conflicts in particular have decreased in frequency and intensity.

Accepted Answer

While some regions have seen a decrease in civil conflicts, globally, the frequency and intensity of ethnic conflicts have not consistently waned in recent decades. In some areas, such conflicts have persisted or even increased.

Question 10

The literature on the causes of civil war is predominantly different from that on the causes of (interstate) war.

Accepted Answer

The literature on civil war tends to focus on internal factors such as ethnic and religious divisions, while the literature on interstate war focuses more on external factors such as power-balancing and rivalry dynamics between states.

Deck 4: The Causes of War, John Garnett and John Baylis