Deck 11: Transnational Issues: the Environment, World Health, and Crime

Question 1

________ involves simultaneously advancing our survival and welfare without doing lasting damage to the environment.

A) Viability
B) Functionalism
C) Regimes
D) Sustainability
E) Collectivity

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Accelerated demand for natural resources is occurring only in the developing world.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

How have the issues of health, the environment, and crime changed over time?

A) They have moved from the global arena to the domestic arena.
B) They have assumed global dimensions.
C) They have become less important with the rise of technology.
D) They only came to be political issues in the twenty-first century.
E) They have replaced security and economic issues in the focus they receive from the international community.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Radicals believe that natural resources are not in infinite supply and therefore conflicts over access to key natural resources are likely to emerge.

Question 5

While states have been relatively effective in stopping ________, they have been less successful at stopping ________.

A) the depletion of the ozone layer; global climate change
B) the negative externalities of agricultural and industrial processes; the depletion of the ozone layer
C) the negative externalities of agricultural and industrial processes; global climate change
D) global climate change; the negative externalities of agricultural and industrial processes
E) global climate change; the depletion of the ozone layer

Question 6

The case of ozone depletion is

A) characteristic of contemporary environmental politics.
B) a testament to the effectiveness of the United Nations.
C) one of many examples of great power leadership.
D) a success story of international cooperation.
E) a good example of collective security.

Question 7

Epistemic communities are transnational communities of experts from IGOs, NGOs, and state agencies organized around solving a particular problem, such as fighting AIDS.

Question 8

Which of the following is True of international treaties on the environment?

A) They deal only with issues related to pollution.
B) They set standards for state behavior but do not specify monitoring mechanisms.
C) They do not affect economic interests.
D) They do not affect human rights interests.
E) They are controversial.

Question 9

The international community has been increasingly affected by ________, the costly unintended consequences of economic development in agriculture and industry.

A) resource degradation
B) negative externalities
C) sustainable development
D) unproductive growth
E) inescapable forces

Question 10

The notion of ________ is used as an aid in conceptualizing how to achieve shared benefits that depend on overcoming conflicting interests.

A) collective goods
B) functionalism
C) collective security
D) regimes
E) cultural revolution

Question 11

Globalizing issues affect international relations theory and practice by shaping international bargaining, serving as a source of international conflict, eroding state sovereignty, and challenging international relations scholars' theoretical frameworks.

Question 12

In addition to positive effects, economic developments in industry and agriculture also have negative effects.

Question 13

The principle of sustainable development links economics and the environment.

Question 14

The problems of world population growth and decline within states have international consequences.

Question 15

Liberals, realists, and radicals all agree on how to address health issues. They argue that individual states are responsible for dealing with health issues when they threaten state security.

Question 16

Northern countries argue that environmental problems are mainly their fault because pollution stems from industrialization, while southern states focus on unchecked population growth as the source.

Question 17

The ability of transnational criminal organizations to harm people has increased over time as the costs of communication between places has decreased.

Question 18

The Kyoto Protocol, an agreement designed to restrict states' greenhouse gas emissions, was ratified by over 150 states, including Russia, China, and the United States.

Question 19

Which of the following characteristics do ozone depletion and global warming have in common?

A) They are not a source of disagreement between states.
B) They have not been the subject of international negotiations.
C) They are not issues that stem from negative externalities of economic development.
D) They are not issues confined to a single state.
E) They do not have key characteristics in common.

Question 20

The "precautionary principle" specifies that

A) a state cannot initiate policies that cause significant environmental damages to another state.
B) states should take action in their own jurisdictions.
C) action should be taken on the basis of scientific warning before there is irreversible harm.
D) that polluters should pay for the damage they cause.
E) states should pursue sustainable development.

Question 21

Realists see which threat emerging from current demographic trends?

A) The developed world is likely to outpace the developing world in terms of population growth, leading to conflict between these two sets of states.
B) Rich capitalist states will exploit poorer states to acquire their population as labor.
C) States with growing populations and insufficient food might seek to expand their territory and acquire food by means of war.
D) The faster population growth in developed states will lead them to be better able to go to war with developing states.
E) Realists do not see threats emerging from current demographic trends.

Question 22

Which two schools of thought point out that controversies over natural resources may lead to conflict?

A) liberalism and realism
B) liberalism and radicalism
C) liberalism and constructivism
D) realism and radicalism
E) realism and constructivism

Question 23

Which of the following is True of the Kyoto Protocol?

A) It was ratified by 156 states, including China, India, and the United States.
B) It came into force in 1997 when it was negotiated.
C) It was not ratified by Russia.
D) It focused on protection of the ozone layer.
E) It did not obligate rapidly developing economies like India and China to restrict their greenhouse gas emissions.

Question 24

What is the Kyoto Protocol?

A) an international agreement geared toward reducing the emission of greenhouse gases
B) a U.S. proposal for slowing the trend toward global warming
C) an EU agreement to create a common market for carbon sinks
D) Japan's declaration that it does not view the emission of greenhouse gasses as a major international problem
E) the U.S. Congress's statement of opposition to the UN's plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions

Question 25

Which of the following is True of liberals' and radicals' view of the development gap?

A) They think the gap is impossible to change.
B) They think closing the gap will occur automatically as a consequence of population growth.
C) They think capitalist countries will work to prevent the closing of the gap.
D) They think closing the gap will lead to a self-reinforcing spiral of economic improvement and demographic balance.
E) Liberals and radicals do not see a development gap.

Question 26

Given difficulties in negotiating a comprehensive, global agreement on global warming, new political attention has focused on which of the following?

A) the UN General Assembly mandating emissions levels
B) the UN Security Council mandating emissions levels
C) getting the top three emitters to come to an agreement among themselves
D) forcing Russia to join the Kyoto Protocol
E) State leaders are still focusing solely on negotiating a comprehensive agreement.

Question 27

Which of the following is True about the problem of global climate change?

A) It is only an issue related to industrial emissions.
B) The ozone layer cannot recover.
C) The costs of reducing greenhouse gas emissions are high, while the benefits are diffuse.
D) The Montreal Protocol has helped to stop greenhouse gas emissions.
E) Greenhouse gas emissions are only a problem caused by developed countries.

Question 28

The idea that it is economically rational for couples in the developing world to have children, but that it is not environmentally sustainable for the population as a whole shows that population growth is an example of

A) a collective goods problem.
B) a problem that is impossible to solve.
C) the demographic transition.
D) a negative externality of industrialization.
E) a negative externality of the natural resource problem.

Question 29

The developed countries often blame developing countries for environmental problems. How do the developing countries respond to these accusations?

A) They agree and have pledged to work to improve the environment.
B) They agree, but refuse to take responsibility for their contribution to environmental problems.
C) They disagree, arguing that the developed countries have been responsible for most environmental excess.
D) They disagree and blame the capitalist international system.
E) They disagree, arguing they have had no role in creating problems.

Question 30

Which of the following is True of the role of NGOs' role in environmental issues?

A) NGOs have only become active in environmental issues in the twenty-first century.
B) NGOs are separate in their work from IGOs.
C) NGOs can actually aid in the enforcement of environmental regulations.
D) NGOs work only at the national level to influence environmental policy.
E) NGOs do not play a role in environmental issues.

Question 31

The belief that environmental issues are ripe for international action in the twenty-first century is characteristic of

A) liberals.
B) realists.
C) radicals.
D) behavioralists.
E) Marxists.

Question 32

Freshwater is a highly politicized natural resource problem because

A) it is concentrated in the Middle East, an area characterized by significant conflict.
B) it is concentrated in Africa, an area characterized by significant conflict.
C) it is unequally distributed and unequally used.
D) human consumption counts for almost all water usage.
E) Freshwater is not a politicized issue.

Question 33

What is the Montreal Protocol?

A) a statement by Canada about the negative impact of pesticides on the environment
B) a statement by Canada about the negative impact of greenhouse gas emissions
C) an international agreement designed to limit greenhouse gas emissions
D) an international agreement designed to limit the emission of ozone-depleting substances
E) an international agreement designed to limit the burning of fossil fuels

Question 34

How do constructivists view environmental issues?

A) They are concerned that environmental problems will undermine their concept of sovereignty.
B) They are comfortable with environmental issues, arguing that they illustrate the salience of discourse.
C) They blame environmental problems on the capitalist system.
D) They argue that environmental problems show the importance of their concept of interdependence.
E) Constructivism has little to say about environmental issues.

Question 35

Which of the following is True of current conflicts over freshwater?

A) Palestinians are limiting Israel's access to freshwater.
B) Ethiopia is constructing a dam on the Nile River that will limit water flow to Egypt.
C) There are no conflicts over freshwater in the Middle East because it is plentiful in that region.
D) There are no conflicts over freshwater in Africa because it is plentiful in that region.
E) Desalination plants have solved the problem of freshwater conflict.

Question 36

The notion of the demographic transition suggests that over time

A) populations will grow at a fixed rate in states with transitioning economies.
B) birth rates will drop as people's lives improve and women become more educated.
C) women will play a less important role than men in population debates.
D) the transition from high birth rates to low birth rates is uncontrollable.
E) populations will become increasingly male with industrialization.

Question 37

Which of the following observations makes current population growth rates more disturbing?

A) The developed world has much higher growth rates than the developing world.
B) Rapid rates of population growth lead to increased demand for natural resources.
C) Population growth globally has stopped, which raises concerns about finding future workers.
D) Globally, females now far exceed males.
E) The United Nations has placed limits on the allowable population growth of developing countries.

Question 38

The long-standing and widespread belief in the infinite supply of key economic resources was challenged by

A) Marxists.
B) realists.
C) liberals.
D) constructivists.
E) behavioralists.

Question 39

Certain predictions about population growth trends, put forth by Thomas Malthus and the Club of Rome, proved incorrect in part because they failed to account properly for

A) state power.
B) the precautionary principle.
C) technological change.
D) environmental security.
E) the rise in death rates.

Question 40

The 2015 Paris climate change talks

A) resulted in states agreeing to achieve a balance between greenhouse gas emissions and carbon-absorbing sinks.
B) resulted in legally binding emissions reduction requirements for developed states.
C) resulted in legally binding emissions reduction requirements for both developed and developing states.
D) resulted in India agreeing to take on legally binding emissions reductions.
E) did not result in an agreement.

Question 41

What are epistemic communities?

A) doctors who are trying to locate the source of infectious diseases and find cures
B) a network of NGOs trying to use technology to solve environmental problems
C) transnational communities of experts sharing expertise and a set of beliefs
D) the leading organizations in the fight against human rights abuses
E) groups of states that form a coalition to address a transnational issue

Question 42

Which theoretical perspective has shown how both material factors and ideas shape debates over transnational issues?

A) realism
B) liberalism
C) radicalism
D) constructivism
E) functionalism

Question 43

How do transnational issues complicate international bargaining?

A) These issues are interconnected, making a multiplicity of issues at stake whenever states come to the bargaining table.
B) Trade-offs are not possible between these issues.
C) These issues always put state security at the forefront of negotiations, and states are not willing to compromise on issues related to security.
D) These issues are not politically important issues, leading states to offer little resources to negotiations dealing with them.
E) Transnational issues do not affect international bargaining.

Question 44

In general, states pay the most attention to drug crimes when

A) the government has extra revenue for new programs.
B) poverty is leading to more drug use.
C) related violence leads to death.
D) there is a new government in power.
E) governments focus on health concerns related to addiction.

Question 45

A concern expressed over the potential move toward "global governance" and a "global civil society" is that it threatens

A) cultural diversity and democracy.
B) the role of IGOs in the international system.
C) the role of NGOs in the international system.
D) states' ability to control population growth.
E) the ability of autocratic states to remain in power.

Question 46

Constructivists argue which of the following about the issue of health?

A) While rhetoric can be important in some international issues, it does not play a role in state and international approaches to dealing with health issues.
B) There is only one way to frame international health issues-in terms of the importance of international cooperation.
C) States alone should be tasked with dealing with health issues because they are the only ones equipped to do so.
D) Men tend to focus more on long-term prevention than women, who focus more on quick responses to acute threats.
E) The ability of states to extract resources to deal with health issues depends on whether threat rhetoric is more effective than cooperation and prevention rhetoric.

Question 47

An essential component of a "global civil society" is

A) control of the society by states.
B) control of the society by IGOs.
C) powerful states' membership in the society.
D) membership of both powerful and weak states.
E) a denial of the primacy of states.

Question 48

Each of the theories of international relations has its own view of how public health problems can best be solved. Which of the following statements correctly represents the theoretical point of view mentioned?

A) Liberals do not focus on international responsibility for solving health problems, turning to individual states to lead actions.
B) Realists stress the importance of the individual state in responding to health issues, especially when state security is threatened.
C) Radicals praise multinational corporations for their role in developing pharmaceuticals to combat infectious diseases.
D) Realists would not focus on health issues until state security is assured.
E) Radicals feel diseases are often created by rich countries as a means of repressing the poor.

Question 49

Which actors have responded to the AIDS crisis?

A) only individual states
B) states and NGOs
C) states, NGOs, and intergovernmental organizations
D) states, NGOs, intergovernmental organizations, and individuals
E) There has been no widespread response, hence the prevalence of AIDS today.

Question 50

Through various structures and processes, international actors can coordinate their interests and needs, although there is no unifying political authority. This is the belief underlying

A) human rights.
B) environmental sustainability.
C) global governance.
D) epistemic communities.
E) anarchy.

Question 51

Two types of states that do the best job of policing access to the Internet are

A) advanced industrial states with major e-commerce and authoritarian states.
B) developing economies and authoritarian states.
C) democracies and monarchies.
D) authoritarian states and democracies.
E) developing economies and communist states.

Question 52

In the face of globalizing issues and their implications, realists have

A) reformulated their theoretical approach to include liberal assertions about the nature of the state.
B) adopted a more nuanced theoretical argument that includes an expanded definition of security.
C) accepted that the primacy of the state is in jeopardy in the world today.
D) changed their view of human nature and emphasized the possibilities for international cooperation.
E) increasingly aligned themselves with radicals and their view of the international system.

Question 53

The country most associated as an origin of cyber attacks is

A) the United States.
B) Iran.
C) Russia.
D) India.
E) China.

Question 54

Which of the following is a key characteristic of narcotrafficking?

A) It is a purely domestic issue, and states must therefore deal with the problem individually.
B) The costs of shipping large quantities of product are high, which is why destroying the product at its source can be so effective.
C) The production, refinement, and shipment of narcotics contribute substantially to the economy of many countries.
D) It is an issue completely separate from terrorism, and therefore receives significantly less attention in the international community.
E) It is not an issue that has made it into important policy debates in the United States.

Question 55

Which of the following is True of health issues?

A) Health issues not only affect individuals, but also state economies.
B) NGOs are not involved in helping to deal with these issues.
C) Health issues are one of the last areas in which international cooperation has developed.
D) The WHO is the only IGO that deals with health issues.
E) Health issues are only a problem in developing countries.

Question 56

The approach of the United Kingdom to cyber security

A) is based on the approach of the United States.
B) is based on the view that cyber security cannot succeed without developing countries succeeding as well.
C) is based on cooperation with other states, but only developed states, with which it shares cyber security issues.
D) is based on cooperation with other states, but only developing states that are the source of cyber attacks.
E) is based on cooperation with individuals and businesses, not states.

Question 57

The World Health Organization (WHO)

A) provides technical information on diseases, but does not play a direct role in working to eradicate them.
B) has been unsuccessful in all its eradication campaigns.
C) is an IGO completely separate from the United Nations (UN).
D) has revised its regulations over time in response to various global health emergencies.
E) has successfully dealt with the recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

Question 58

Feminist international relations theory points out what about transnational issues?

A) Transnational issues are now the most important issue any country faces.
B) Women's rights and human trafficking issues should be the leading focus of all states.
C) Greater participation by women in policy processes might shift our understanding of threats.
D) Men tend to focus on gradual threats, while women focus more on crises.
E) We should focus more attention on issues that cause death and less on issues that simply affect quality of life.

Question 59

Overall, transnational issues have had what impact on states?

A) They have led to over half the world's states being considered weak or failed.
B) They have decreased state power and control.
C) They have led to a resurgence of state power and control.
D) They have affected weak states, but strong states have seen no impact.
E) They have led states to place many new barriers to trade and immigration.

Question 60

Health is a quintessential functionalist issue because

A) everyone desires good health, and this can be achieved by relying on technical experts' advice about how to stop the spread of disease.
B) the spread of disease can be stopped by reducing the size of the group.
C) the spread of disease can best be stopped through coercion and the pooling of sovereignty at a higher level.
D) the spread of disease can best be stopped by changing actors' preferences.
E) health is needed to function in society.

Question 61

Population growth and population decline are both problems felt in the world today. Why do you think these different problems exist? What challenges do politicians face seeking to deal with these population issues, and why do you think they face these challenges?

Question 62

What makes an issue "transnational"? Select a contemporary international issue, other than the environment, and explain what makes that particular issue a transnational issue.

Question 63

Economic and environmental issues are clearly intertwined. Discuss why these issues are so closely connected to each other, and how this creates problems for politicians trying to negotiate international agreements to address environmental issues-both in the developed and developing world?

Question 64

Discuss the interconnections between the various environmental issues discussed in the text. Which of these issues is most important and why? What are two specific steps that could be taken at the global level to constructively address environmental problems?

Question 65

Which two theoretical perspectives are uncomfortable with the idea of global governance?

A) realists and liberals
B) liberals and constructivists
C) liberals and radicals
D) realists and radicals
E) radicals and constructivists

Question 66

Which theoretical framework do you think faces the greatest challenge in its efforts to accommodate globalizing issues? For which theoretical perspective do you think this task will prove easiest? Justify your response to each of these questions and support your positions with illustrative examples.