Deck 17: Foreign Policy

Question 1

What foreign policy philosophy contends that the motivating factor of a nation's international decision-making process is (or should be) that nation's own interests?

A) internationalism
B) realism
C) idealism
D) isolationism
E) nationalism

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Idealists might favor action against the Syrian government because they believe the United States is morally obligated to protect innocent civilians from violence and to uphold human rights.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The U.S. policy of containment during the Cold War represented the United States' attempt to enforce the Monroe Doctrine.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

U.S. antiterror actions that are not coordinated with other nations are an example of:

A) unilateral action.
B) multilateral action.
C) isolationism.
D) containment.
E) détente.

Question 5

The United Kingdom, China, France, Russia, and the United States serve on the United Nations Security Council.

Question 6

What foreign policy philosophy contends that the United States' best interests are served by avoiding formal agreements and activity with other nations?

A) internationalism
B) realism
C) idealism
D) isolationism
E) nationalism

Question 7

The efforts of the "Six Powers" to negotiate limits with Iran on its nuclear program is an example of a unilateral action.

Question 8

The rise of internationalism as a guiding principle in U.S. foreign policy can be seen in U.S. efforts to create the United Nations in 1945.

Question 9

Invading Afghanistan in response to the 9/11 attacks is an example of the Bush Doctrine.

Question 10

The United States' operating on its own to target and kill Osama bin Laden is an example of a unilateral action.

Question 11

What foreign policy philosophy contends that it is in the United States' best interests to pursue foreign relations with other nations out of both self-interest and a moral obligation to intervene during international crises?

A) internationalism
B) realism
C) idealism
D) isolationism
E) nationalism

Question 12

The difference between the foreign policies of President George W. Bush and President Obama is that Bush acted as a realist while Obama acted as an idealist.

Question 13

Interest groups play a very small role in foreign policy because foreign governments are prohibited from lobbying.

Question 14

The National Security Council primarily assists the U.S. Congress by keeping the legislative branch informed of national security threats.

Question 15

Foreign policy includes issues that concern human rights.

Question 16

Isolationists favored the war in Iraq because the United States was attempting to maximize its own economic and national security interests.

Question 17

An internationalist would support U.S. efforts to provide humanitarian aid to people in a foreign nation engulfed in a civil war, even if other nations were unwilling to help.

Question 18

Numerous nations have coordinated their efforts to deter pirate attacks against civilian shipping. This is an example of:

A) unilateral action.
B) multilateral action.
C) isolationism.
D) containment.
E) détente.

Question 19

An example of how trade policy can influence foreign policy occurred in the 1990s when the Clinton administration bestowed "most-favored-nation" status on China in exchange for China's willingness to moderate its human rights policies.

Question 20

Between 1945 and the Vietnam War, architects of U.S. foreign policy primarily had an isolationist viewpoint.

Question 21

The 1972 Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty, which limited the growth of U.S. and Soviet missile forces, was a consequence of:

A) perestroika.
B) unilateralism.
C) containment.
D) détente.
E) multilateralism.

Question 22

Following World War II, some American politicians and scholars argued that the United States would need to be more involved in world affairs to deter future international conflicts. This argument is an example of:

A) constructivism.
B) détente.
C) internationalism.
D) nation building.
E) containment.

Question 23

What alliance, organized by the Soviet Union, was formed in 1949 to provide military security to all of its members?

A) the Warsaw Pact
B) NATO
C) the Collective Security Treaty Organization
D) the Central Treaty Organization
E) the Treaty of Versailles

Question 24

What foreign policy philosophy contends that the United States' self-interest is not (or should not be) its only motivating factor in its international decision-making process but that larger moralistic goals such as democratic principles are also to be (or should also be) pursued?

A) internationalism
B) realism
C) idealism
D) isolationism
E) nationalism

Question 25

What did The Truman Doctrine accomplish?

A) the end of colonialism in North and South America
B) redrawn European borders and the establishment of a Soviet Union-East European bloc
C) It outlined a containment policy against communism.
D) It officially brought the United States into the United Nations.
E) It established a unilateral approach for decisions concerning U.S. foreign policy.

Question 26

Following World War II, some American politicians and scholars argued that the United States would need to be more involved in world affairs specifically because the United States had a moral obligation to preserve world peace. This argument is an example of:

A) constructivism.
B) idealism.
C) realism.
D) nation building.
E) containment.

Question 27

The Fourteen Points was a plan developed by ________ to prevent future conflict in Europe by establishing secure borderlines and promoting democratic principles, among other provisions.

A) Harry Truman
B) Franklin Roosevelt
C) Theodore Roosevelt
D) Dwight Eisenhower
E) Woodrow Wilson

Question 28

Which of the following would be an isolationist objection to the United States intervening in Syria?

A) U.S. action would be unlikely to end the human rights violations in Syria.
B) The United States should not be interfering in the affairs of other nations.
C) U.S. action needs to be coordinated with the United Nations.
D) Syria has weapons of mass destruction that it might use on its own people.
E) U.S. action would provoke a response from a Syrian ally such as Iran.

Question 29

A reason that realists opposed the invasion of Iraq is that they believed:

A) it would violate the sovereignty of Iraq.
B) it would harm U.S. relations with other Middle Eastern countries.
C) it might make it difficult to establish a democracy in Iraq.
D) it would set a precedent that countries could use to invade the United States.
E) the United States should not be involved in other countries' affairs.

Question 30

The authors of the textbook argue that America's early foreign policy was never completely isolationist. All of the following examples support this contention EXCEPT:

A) the United States engaged in the Civil War in the 1860s.
B) the United States had several colonies beyond its borders.
C) the U.S. Navy often protected U.S. ships beyond U.S. borders.
D) the United States built the Panama Canal and leased land from Panama.
E) the United States had significant trading relationships with various European nations.

Question 31

During the Cold War, the United States' shift toward a foreign policy rooted in the principle of internationalism was evident in actions that included all of the following EXCEPT:

A) U.S. efforts to form the United Nations.
B) U.S. efforts to form the World Bank.
C) U.S. efforts to follow and enforce the Monroe Doctrine.
D) U.S. trade agreements such as the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.
E) U.S. aid and economic development programs for European nations through the Marshall Plan.

Question 32

What alliance, organized by the United States, was formed in 1949 to provide military security to all of its members?

A) the Warsaw Pact
B) NATO
C) the Collective Security Treaty Organization
D) the Central Treaty Organization
E) the Treaty of Versailles

Question 33

An idealist reason for supporting U.S. action against Syria for human rights violations might be:

A) neither major party would object to intervention.
B) it would be popular with the American public.
C) it is consistent with U.S. moral principles to defend human rights.
D) it would benefit American business interests in Syria.
E) it would keep the price of oil from increasing.

Question 34

The notion that the United States should use military, diplomatic, and economic means to stop the spread of communism is called:

A) containment.
B) isolationism.
C) mutually assured destruction.
D) perestroika.
E) détente.

Question 35

The Monroe Doctrine followed the foreign policy principle of:

A) isolationism.
B) internationalism.
C) realism.
D) constructivism.
E) idealism.

Question 36

Isolationism was a dominant foreign policy principle in the United States before World War I for all of the following reasons EXCEPT:

A) the United States' distance from Europe.
B) the United States' limited economic interactions with foreign nations.
C) reduced levels of military threat.
D) the United States' ability to expand without conflict with European nations.
E) the U.S. Constitution originally stipulated that the United States remain neutral in foreign affairs.

Question 37

During the Cold War, what doctrine of military strategy and national security toward the Soviet Union involved the United States maintaining a strong military presence and building a stockpile of nuclear weapons?

A) unilateralism
B) détente
C) shuttle diplomacy
D) mutually assured destruction
E) the domino theory

Question 38

Although the League of Nations was not successful, it led to the creation of:

A) the World Trade Organization.
B) the World Bank.
C) the Hague.
D) the United Nations.
E) the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Question 39

Largely associated with the Vietnam War, the ________ theory argued that if South Vietnam fell under communist control, then other nations in Southeast Asia would also fall under communist control.

A) unilateralist
B) realist
C) domino
D) mutually assured destruction
E) conflict

Question 40

Under President Richard Nixon, the United States and the Soviet Union opened relations with each other. This process was called:

A) perestroika.
B) unilateralism.
C) containment.
D) détente.
E) multilateralism.

Question 41

The House and Senate Intelligence Committees are in charge of:

A) overseeing the CIA and the NSA.
B) providing the president with top-secret intelligence information.
C) directing and advising on military actions against terrorist targets.
D) writing legislation that deals with foreign policy.
E) overseeing disaster response from a terrorist attack.

Question 42

What is the National Security Council responsible for?

A) carrying out military actions
B) coordinating intelligence gathering
C) delivering humanitarian aid to people in areas of conflict
D) serving as the principal foreign policy committee in the legislative branch
E) developing foreign policy options and presenting them to the president

Question 43

An interest group that lobbies Congress to provide more military aid to Israel and to strengthen sanctions against Iran is:

A) National Rifle Association.
B) American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
C) Citizens for a Free Middle East.
D) Realists Concerned About Israel.
E) Lords Resistance Army.

Question 44

One issue that started in 1973 with an embargo and was exacerbated by OPEC in 1979 was:

A) the rapidly deteriorating global climate.
B) relations with Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union.
C) Chinese violations of human rights.
D) the price and security of the world's oil supply.
E) North Korea's possession of nuclear weapons.

Question 45

Congress has various powers at its disposal to force the president to compromise with the legislative branch when their policy goals are in conflict. These powers include all of the following EXCEPT:

A) Congress's power to declare war.
B) the Senate's power to approve treaties.
C) Congress's power of the purse to prevent expenditures on activities that Congress opposes.
D) Congress's power to send military forces into combat without presidential approval through the War Powers Resolution Act.
E) the Senate's power to confirm the appointments of senior members of the president's foreign policy team.

Question 46

Who prepares the president's annual budget proposals for federal agencies and departments with foreign policy responsibilities?

A) National Security Council
B) State Department
C) Department of Defense
D) Office of Management and Budget
E) Central Intelligence Agency

Question 47

The president is considered the dominant actor in American foreign policy for all of the following reasons EXCEPT:

A) the president can change foreign policy through executive orders.
B) the president can appoint people to agencies and departments to carry forward the president's foreign policy agenda.
C) the president can declare wars against foreign nations.
D) the president can mobilize public opinion on a foreign policy issue, which in turn can prompt action by Congress.
E) the president and the president's staff can negotiate treaties and executive agreements with other nations.

Question 48

What are the responsibilities of the Department of Homeland Security?

A) to provide cooperative services such as fingerprint identification and police training for local law enforcement
B) to order the deployment of military personnel when there is a terrorist threat to the homeland
C) to maintain peacekeeping efforts at home and abroad
D) to coordinate intelligence gathering, secure U.S. borders, and prevent terrorist attacks
E) to serve as the lead agency for gathering intelligence on foreign communications

Question 49

Even though presidents have significant powers over foreign policy, President Clinton opted not to submit the Kyoto Protocol to Congress in the 1990s because:

A) public opinion staunchly opposed the Kyoto Protocol, illustrating how the public can check presidential power.
B) President Clinton had concerns that the deal would harm U.S. global business interests, illustrating how globalization can check presidential power.
C) the U.S. Supreme Court had already ruled the Kyoto Protocol to be unconstitutional, illustrating how the courts can check presidential power.
D) the U.S. Senate was unlikely to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, illustrating how the legislative branch can check presidential power.
E) President Clinton feared the Kyoto Protocol would harm the world's poorest nations, illustrating how internationalism can check presidential power.

Question 50

The federal courts influence foreign policy by:

A) ruling that certain laws or presidential actions are unconstitutional.
B) impeaching and removing members of the president's foreign policy staff.
C) reinstating military officers that the court decides were unjustly fired by the president.
D) halting funds to the military if the Supreme Court rules that the president has entered the nation into an unjust or unconstitutional war.
E) issuing subpoenas to members of the executive branch if the court has reason to believe that the president has violated the Constitution.

Question 51

Some scholars argue that presidents dominate foreign policy as a result of unilateral presidential power. This theory rests on the fact that:

A) the president both is the commander in chief and can declare war.
B) the president is able to set and then control the military budget.
C) the Constitution does not set explicit limits on what the president can do.
D) Congress cannot check the power of the president on matters of foreign policy.
E) the president can appoint Supreme Court justices.

Question 52

What do the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the House and the Foreign Relations committee in the Senate do?

A) oversee the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the National Security Agency (NSA)
B) provide the president with top-secret intelligence information
C) direct and advise on military actions against terrorist targets
D) write legislation that deals with foreign policy
E) oversee disaster response from a terrorist attack

Question 53

After the Cold War, how did U.S. involvement in foreign affairs change?

A) It shifted increasingly toward realism and away from idealistic concerns.
B) It mostly retreated back to a policy of neutrality and isolationism.
C) It became more centered on human rights and nation-building efforts.
D) It involved large increases in the amount of foreign aid as a percentage of the U.S. budget.
E) It primarily came through the United Nations Security Council.

Question 54

Because the president, senior leaders in the Defense Department, and Congress formulate military policy, the U.S. military is said to be under:

A) military personnel control.
B) bureaucratic control.
C) multilateral control.
D) republican control.
E) civilian control.

Question 55

What is the principal foreign policy department in the executive branch?

A) the Department of State
B) the Department of Defense
C) the Department of Homeland Security
D) the Federal Bureau of Investigation
E) the Central Intelligence Agency

Question 56

What is the Bush Doctrine?

A) an approach of fighting terrorism primarily with humanitarian efforts and with the assistance of the United Nations
B) a policy that supports fighting terrorism with military force in all areas of the world
C) a policy that dictates preemptively striking a nation that threatens the security of the United States
D) a commitment to extend American values throughout the world by any means necessary
E) an unyielding commitment to multilateralism and multilateral international efforts

Question 57

What does the "clash of civilizations" hypothesis suggest?

A) War is inevitable between nations that have nuclear capabilities.
B) Democracies do not go to war with each other but almost always initiate war with nondemocracies.
C) Terrorism is motivated by hatred of the Western world.
D) Communism is a time-bound governmental system that will inevitably fall when up against democracies with free-market economic systems.
E) War is inevitable when there is more than one superpower in the world.

Question 58

The National Security Agency:

A) reports directly to the United Nations Security Council.
B) is a foreign policy agency that gathers intelligence and advises the president.
C) is a foreign policy agency that works exclusively with senators on the Select Committee on Intelligence.
D) is a branch of the armed forces.
E) was a vital part of intelligence gathering during the Cold War but was eliminated by President Clinton after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Question 59

One way that the United States helped to end the Cold War was by:

A) encouraging countries to trade with the Soviet Union.
B) allowing the Soviet Union a spot on the United Nations Security Council.
C) building up the U.S. military, which helped bankrupt the Soviet Union.
D) providing arms to rebels within the Soviet Union.
E) tearing down the Berlin Wall, allowing people to escape Soviet territory.

Question 60

When U.S. Navy ships were sent to monitor North Korea's attempt to launch a satellite into orbit or when the United States launches ongoing drone attacks against Al Qaeda, which foreign policy department is most actively involved in the military action?

A) the Department of State
B) the Department of Defense
C) the Department of Homeland Security
D) the National Security Council
E) the Central Intelligence Agency

Question 61

Gondor and Rohan sign a treaty saying that they will come to each other's aid if attacked. This is an example of what kind of agreement?

A) unilateral
B) bilateral
C) trilateral
D) multilateral
E) nonlateral

Question 62

Organizations such as Freedom House and Amnesty International seek to publicize human rights violations. The foreign policy positions of Freedom House and Amnesty International would likely be supported by a(n):

A) isolationist.
B) realist.
C) bilateralist.
D) dictator.
E) idealist.

Question 63

Shuttle diplomacy is negotiation:

A) that involves personal contact between national leaders and representatives.
B) between diplomats of different nations who negotiate deals while traveling.
C) between two countries that occurs in a neutral setting (i.e., in a country not directly involved in the negotiations).
D) between two countries that takes place in multiple locations.
E) between two countries who refuse to meet face-to-face.

Question 64

A ________ is an agreement between two nations to work together on economic or security issues, whereas a(n) ________ is an agreement that commits nations to security guarantees.

A) multilateral agreement; treaty
B) treaty; alliance
C) treaty; covenant
D) covenant; pact
E) pact; alliance

Question 65

Why does the United States provide foreign aid?

A) It can help facilitate international agreements.
B) That is the cost of a seat on the Security Council.
C) Isolationism is the dominant foreign policy paradigm in America.
D) The American public is strongly in favor of providing foreign aid.
E) By doing so, the U.S. government earns interest payments on its loans, which reduces the federal debt.

Question 66

A realist is likely to argue that the United States should avoid intervening in foreign nations to protect human rights for all of the following reasons EXCEPT:

A) the United States has a moral duty to ensure human rights for all.
B) protecting human rights strains American military forces.
C) opposing the government in power over human rights may bring about a new government that implements policies contrary to American military interests.
D) pressuring foreign governments on human rights can compromise the ability to work with that nation on other issues of concern and common interest.
E) human rights violations in other countries do not threaten the national security of the United States.

Question 67

What is a common reason that foreign policy making does not always mirror public opinion?

A) Political knowledge among the public on international affairs is low.
B) It is difficult to get news and information on foreign affairs.
C) Most administrations shift their foreign policy positions so frequently that the public simply cannot keep up with the changes.
D) Polling agencies rarely report their findings to politicians.
E) Elected officials rarely care or bother to listen to public opinion.

Question 68

As a percentage of gross national income (GNI), how much does the United States give in foreign aid as compared to the rest of the developed world?

A) more than others
B) about the same
C) less than others
D) The United States does not give foreign aid.
E) We do not have data on the amount of foreign aid the United States gives.

Question 69

When the United States places the lowest possible tariff on imported goods from a particular country, it bestows on that country:

A) best-trading conditions.
B) optimal-trade-nation status.
C) free-trade-provider status.
D) comparative advantage conditions.
E) most-favored-nation status.

Question 70

American critics of globalization contend that it has:

A) increased the price of U.S. goods.
B) slowed the pace of technological advancement.
C) led to significant losses in U.S. manufacturing jobs.
D) flooded the free market with goods that Americans do not want.
E) forced Americans to pay higher interest rates and businesses to pay higher taxes.

Question 71

NATO is an example of a:

A) free-trade agreement.
B) military treaty.
C) peace treaty.
D) bilateral agreement.
E) multilateral agreement.

Question 72

Globalization leads to increases in all of the following EXCEPT:

A) trade.
B) travel.
C) flow of ideas.
D) tariffs.
E) exchange of beliefs.

Question 73

Huawei's complaints to the United States demonstrate the trade-off between:

A) lobbying and lawmaking.
B) military secrecy and the rights of a free press.
C) human rights and globalization.
D) business interests and national security.
E) monetary reward and economic policy.

Question 74

Economic sanctions are often used for the purpose of:

A) facilitating a war.
B) increasing the value of domestic goods.
C) creating jobs in the United States.
D) pressuring a country's leaders to change their behavior.
E) raising government revenue to reduce a nation's trade deficit.

Question 75

North and South Atlantis refuse to negotiate directly with each other, so Quirm negotiates with each separately in an attempt to find an agreement that both North and South Atlantis can live with. This is an example of what?

A) a tariff
B) an alliance
C) sanctions
D) most-favored-nation status
E) shuttle diplomacy

Question 76

High tariffs raise the prices of ________, making ________ more attractive to the consumer.

A) imported goods; domestic products
B) exported goods; foreign products
C) imported goods; foreign products
D) exported goods; domestic products
E) all goods; neither foreign nor domestic products

Question 77

________ assists countries in managing budget deficits and currency values.

A) The World Bank
B) The World Trade Organization
C) The Federal Reserve
D) The International Monetary Fund
E) The United States Mint

Question 78

________ provides financial support for economic development projects in developing countries.

A) The World Bank
B) The World Trade Organization
C) The Federal Reserve
D) The International Monetary Fund
E) The United States Mint

Question 79

Outside of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, how many rotating nations serve on the council?

A) five
B) six
C) seven
D) nine
E) ten

Question 80

Groups such as the Stop Kony organization try to influence foreign policy:

A) by bringing increased public attention to a problem.
B) through donations to election campaigns.
C) by issuing press releases to shape media coverage of foreign events.
D) through their own academic research that is designed to educate and inform members of Congress and the president.
E) by hiring professional lobbyists to bring an international problem to the attention of government officials.