Deck 2: IR Theories

Question 1

A theory is a device used to order data, ask questions, and make sense out of a complex world.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Gathering enough facts is sufficient to understand reality.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Realism is a pessimistic philosophy.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

The neoconservatives in the Bush administration were actually Wilsonian liberals.

Question 5

The views of classic liberalism (i.e., Adam Smith) later became U.S. conservatism and are opposite to modern liberalism.

Question 6

Constructivism argues that objective reality rather than subjective understanding is what influences policy.

Question 7

According to Lenin, countries that were just industrializing were capitalism's weakest link.

Question 8

According to critics, constructivism can grow into solipsism, a theory that teaches nothing outside of one's mind exists.

Question 9

Of all theories, realism is the most satisfactory as it closely matches with reality.

Question 10

Christian theories of IR differ much from liberalism.

Question 11

According to Immanuel Kant, ________.

A) gathering of facts is the basis of understanding of reality
B) merely gathering facts will leave one with a jumble of unrelated information
C) a theory is not essential for understanding an idea
D) understanding facts is sufficient for understanding reality
E) it's easy to distinguish meaningless from meaningful facts

Question 12

Paradigms are ________.

A) widely accepted programs of how to study things
B) the bases of political science
C) devices used to order data, ask questions, and make sense out of a complex world
D) simple statements of fact
E) the fundamental realities underlying all knowledge

Question 13

Which of the following is a theory?

A) Water exists.
B) Power is measured one way by CINC scores.
C) Power matters for international relations.
D) Political scientists sometimes measure distribution of power by the number of major powers in the international system.
E) The freezing point for water is 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

Question 14

A good theory tells you ________.

A) what happened (the dependent variable)
B) when something happened
C) the independent variable that caused the event
D) why something happened
E) what will happen 100 years from now

Question 15

An empirical theory ________.

A) is one that has been proven wrong
B) is one that has been proven absolutely right
C) is supported by observable evidence
D) has little observable evidence to support it
E) is one that is tested less often than any other theory

Question 16

National interest is ________.

A) what is good for the country in terms of domestic politics
B) what the country is interested in obtaining through trade only
C) what the country is interested in obtaining through force only
D) what is good for the country as a whole in international relations
E) the sum total of every individual's interests

Question 17

According to realists, a crusade is ________.

A) an ideological war related to national interest
B) an ideological war unrelated to national interest
C) a religious war
D) an ethnic conflict
E) an unjust war

Question 18

Liberals tend to be ________.

A) pessimistic
B) optimistic
C) jealous
D) unrealistic
E) uncompromising

Question 19

Which of the following theories argues that subjective understandings rather than objective reality are what influence policy?

A) constructivism
B) realism
C) liberalism
D) Marxism
E) Christian theory

Question 20

A good realist would tend to encourage ________.

A) trade above all else
B) leaders to make decisions that are moral and just
C) leaders to pursue installing democracies abroad
D) leaders to make decisions without concern for what is moral and just
E) respect for human rights because it is the right thing to do

Question 21

Which theory urges that the government keep its hands off the market?

A) classic liberalism
B) Christian theory
C) realism
D) constructivism
E) Marxism

Question 22

Followers of which theory are easily influenced by the phenomenon of groupthink?

A) Marxism
B) Christian theory
C) realism
D) constructivism
E) liberalism

Question 23

Marxism claims that all motivations in IR are for the ________ advantage of the ruling classes.

A) moral
B) religious
C) economic
D) psychological
E) social

Question 24

Which of the following is a Marxist principle?

A) This is not a material world.
B) Capitalist countries are on the wane in much of the globe.
C) Capitalist countries try to remake the world in their image.
D) The world economy is stable.
E) Governments serve the proletariat.

Question 25

Liberal internationalists believe ________.

A) that human rights should be handled quietly
B) in the power of voluntary trade negotiations
C) that democracy doesn't lead to peace
D) that war is sometimes necessary to install democracy
E) that the international environment is dangerous

Question 26

Liberals argue that international organizations promote cooperation and peace while realists argue that international organizations ________.

A)serve only the interests of the major powers
B) need more support from international law
C) disproportionately aid developing countries
D) generate resentment over unfair trade
E) cause more war than peace

Question 27

Marxism argues that all societies are divided into which two groups?

A) the bourgeoisie and revolutionaries
B) the middle class and the bourgeoisie
C) the proletariat and the middle class
D) the proletariat and revolutionaries
E) the bourgeoisie and the proletariat

Question 28

What is the difference between a theory and a paradigm? How are they related? How does theory explain the dynamics of power in IR?

Question 29

What are the four major theories of international relations? What general assumptions do each of these theories make about the international system? On what issues are these theories in disagreement?

Question 30

Which of the four major theories of international relations do you find most convincing given contemporary international relations? Do you think that this theory applies to all periods of American history just as well as it does today? Reference the specific assumptions and tenets of realism in your answers and provide and explain relevant examples to support your arguments.

Question 31

Do you think that Marxism is completely wrong as a theory of IR? Explain the primary tenets of Marxism and support your answer with examples from history and/or the contemporary period.

Question 32

Do you think the theories you have learned are satisfactory? What alternatives do you suggest to the theories you have in your text? Evaluate the possibilities of a Christian theory or a feminist theory.