Deck 4: The International System

Question 1

Stratification in the international system refers to the uneven distribution of resources among different groups of states.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

For realists, the basic ordering principle of the international system is

A) capitalism.
B) interdependence.
C) anarchy.
D) cooperation.
E) international society.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Scholars began to conceptualize international politics as a system with the behavioral revolution and the idea

A) that there are patterns to international interactions.
B) that the international system has a clear hierarchy.
C) that examining individual cases is key to understanding international politics.
D) of the New International Economic Order (NIEO).
E) of multilateralism.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

To what does the term "polarity" refer?

A) the gravitational pull of core states
B) the distribution of capabilities among states in the international system
C) the hierarchy of issues in the international system
D) a clash among identities in the international system
E) differences between economic and military interests in the international system

Question 5

A "multipolar" system exists when

A) the distribution of power to conquer is concentrated in more than two states.
B) military and economic power are not held by the same states.
C) the North is pitted against the South.
D) there is no stability in the system.
E) states are sovereign.

Question 6

For realists, the international system has been anarchic during some periods of history but not during others.

Question 7

Because of the nature of the international system, realists argue that states must

A) create international institutions to organize their interactions.
B) seek power.
C) work to create order.
D) move away from having a socialist economic system.
E) become democracies.

Question 8

Who do realists believe are the primary actors in international relations?

A) substate actors and international organizations
B) states
C) social classes and multinational corporations
D) cultures and identities
E) individuals

Question 9

The advantage of system-level theory is that it is a holistic approach that allows scholars to make plausible generalizations even if it can't provide descriptions of events at the micro level.

Question 10

Conceptualizing international relations as a "system" suggests that

A) actors involved in international relations interact with each other in regularized ways.
B) states and other relevant actors are automatons that lack the capacity to change.
C) there are no regular patterns to international affairs.
D) international politics is very similar to cell systems.
E) you can only study the whole of international politics at once and not focus on individual actions.

Question 11

Both neoliberal institutionalists and realists view the international system as anarchic and filled with self-interested states, but neoliberals are more optimistic than realists that the interactions among such states can yield positive outcomes.

Question 12

Liberals view the international system as being made up of numerous actors, including multinational corporations, nongovernmental organizations, and substate entities.

Question 13

The opening up of unexplored territory and unnavigable waterways created by global warning and the receding Arctic ice gap has changed the boundaries of the international political system by creating new strategic interests in the area.

Question 14

Which two theories consider the structure of the system vital to their analyses?

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

Question 15

"An assemblage of units, objects, or parts united by some form of regular interaction" is known as a(n) ________.

A) machine
B) weapon
C) system
D) organization
E) construct

Question 16

According to constructivists, norms cannot be changed through processes of coercion.

Question 17

Bipolar systems can be "balance of power" systems, but multipolar systems cannot.

Question 18

In bipolar systems, alliances are long-term relationships based on interests, whereas in multipolar balance-of-power systems alliances are short-term relationships formed for a specific purpose.

Question 19

The international system is more consequential as an explanatory level of analysis for liberals than for realists.

Question 20

For realists, a key feature of the international system is that

A) capitalist and socialist economic systems will always conflict.
B) the United Nations has organized interactions among states.
C) some states can legitimately intervene in other states' internal affairs.
D) there is a clear hierarchy among states.
E) states are all sovereign.

Question 21

According to realists, what is most often responsible for fundamental changes in power relationships among states?

A) unipolarity
B) détente
C) multilateralism
D) cooperation
E) war

Question 22

Realists attribute changes in the international system to

A) changes in the power relationship among the main actors in the system.
B) changes in the social norms of the system.
C) changes in the leading states' types of government.
D) nothing, because they feel no real change is possible.
E) changes in the cultures of the world.

Question 23

Like realists, neoliberal institutionalists see the international system as anarchic. Unlike realists, however, they

A) divide the system into developed core and less developed periphery regions.
B) conceptualize it as a multipolar system based on economic power.
C) consider power to be the ultimate goal of the state.
D) focus exclusively on social and cultural exchanges between states.
E) see the product of interactions between actors as a potentially positive one.

Question 24

Liberals believe that the international system is defined by

A) security interests.
B) economic interests.
C) social issues.
D) varying issues depending on circumstance.
E) environmental issues.

Question 25

Realists like Gilpin argue that states may respond differently to political, economic, and technological developments. How do they believe this can influence the international system?

A) The capitalist system may be overturned in favor of a more equitable one.
B) International institutions can be strengthened to prevent cheating.
C) The international system will be changed for the better.
D) Unipolarity will result, with the country best able to innovate becoming the hegemon.
E) Countries can change their relative positions in terms of power.

Question 26

A tight bipolar system differs from a looser one in that

A) states have alliances in a tight system, but not in a loose one.
B) states have alliances in a loose system, but not a tight one.
C) a unipolar system always arises from a loose system, but not a tight one.
D) international organizations are likely to be used by states in a tight system, but ineffective in a looser one.
E) international organizations are likely to be ineffective in a tight system, but more likely to be used by states in a looser one.

Question 27

Many liberals see the international system as a(n) ________ rather than a(n) ________, a view that sets them apart from realists and radicals.

A) international society; international institution
B) structure; interdependent and evolving system
C) international institution; international society
D) interdependent and evolving system; structure
E) anarchic one; peaceful one

Question 28

Which of the following is a norm of the balance-of-power (multipolar) system?

A) Any actor or coalition trying to assume dominance must be constrained.
B) Fighting is better than negotiating.
C) Alliances should be fixed.
D) States should align together based on their economic system.
E) Certain states are ruled out as potential allies.

Question 29

Following World War II, which of the following major changes occurred in the international system?

A) Germany, with its significant economic and military capabilities, became an even more powerful actor in the international system.
B) Japan, with its significant economic and military capabilities, became an even more powerful actor in the international system.
C) The United Kingdom and France declined in power, while the United States and Soviet Union rose to dominant power positions.
D) The United States rose to a position as the hegemon of the system.
E) The Soviet Union rose to a position as the hegemon of the system.

Question 30

At the end of the Gulf War, given the power and position of the United States, many states became worried that the international system had become

A) bipolar.
B) multilateral.
C) unipolar.
D) multipolar.
E) bilateral.

Question 31

Advocates of unipolarity attribute the stability of such a system to the

A) hegemon's willingness to enforce norms to ensure the continuation of the system.
B) hegemon's willingness to refrain from wielding its military and economic power against other states.
C) balancing effect of the two superpowers.
D) economic relationships spawned by free trade and democracy.
E) increased transnational strength of economic classes.

Question 32

Alliances in a bipolar international system tend to be

A) long-term, based on relatively permanent interests.
B) seldom established, given the overarching stability of the system.
C) specific in nature and short in duration.
D) consistently undermined by international organizations.
E) based on the ideology of states.

Question 33

According to realists, peace in the international system will prove elusive because

A) states have an interest in creating a unipolar system.
B) most states prefer independence and some risk of war over a unipolar system.
C) states do not have an interest in creating a bipolar system.
D) most states prefer to bandwagon rather than balance.
E) most states prefer to balance rather than bandwagon.

Question 34

How can alliances in the balance-of-power (multipolar) system be characterized?

A) They have a long duration.
B) They are based on advantage, not ideology.
C) They are based on ideology, not advantage.
D) They center around two strong states.
E) They rarely occur.

Question 35

Neorealist scholars argue that bipolar international systems are

A) less stable than multipolar systems.
B) more stable than multipolar systems.
C) just as stable as multipolar systems.
D) only stable if the primary states are superpowers.
E) neither inherently stable nor inherently unstable; it depends on social norms.

Question 36

Liberal theorists like Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye argue that in an interdependent system

A) states are autonomous actors.
B) the United Nations is dominant.
C) states are sensitive and vulnerable to the actions of others.
D) states focus only on trade.
E) state power no longer matters.

Question 37

Which of the following exogenous changes led to shifts in the international system?

A) the rise of the Soviet Union
B) the emergence of democracy
C) the invention of nuclear weapons
D) the shift to bipolarity
E) the post-Cold War destruction of all nuclear weapons

Question 38

When was the international system bipolar?

A) during the Concert of Europe pre-World War I
B) during the Cold War
C) following the Gulf War in 1991
D) immediately after the Cold War
E) during the U.S. Civil War

Question 39

Multilateralist actions involve

A) pursuing multiple issues at once.
B) pursuing multiple policies to achieve the same goals.
C) coordination among many citizens.
D) a military alliance defending democracies.
E) coordination among several states.

Question 40

Efforts to test the relationship between polarity and stability

A) have surpassed even the highest expectations of scholars.
B) have never been undertaken due to data limitations.
C) have shown strong causal connections between the two.
D) are of concern only to liberals and radicals.
E) have been inconclusive.

Question 41

With regard to "power" in the international system, constructivists believe that

A) power does not play an important role in the international system.
B) changes in the distribution of power is the key factor explaining change in the international system.
C) only the ideas of powerful states matter.
D) power is defined by the distribution of material capabilities.
E) the meaning of "power" can change over time.

Question 42

According to Marxists and most other radicals, the international system is characterized by crippling stratification caused by

A) behavioralism.
B) capitalism.
C) liberalism.
D) realism.
E) constructivism.

Question 43

How do radicals view the likelihood of change in the international system?

A) Radicals agree that change is impossible.
B) Radicals agree that change is highly likely.
C) Radicals disagree on whether change is possible.
D) Radicals are united in their normative opposition to change in the international system.
E) Radicals expect the spread of communism to change the system.

Question 44

Most scholars' ideas about international systems come from studying

A) European history.
B) imperial China.
C) Muslim empires.
D) the Cold War.
E) colonialism.

Question 45

When analyzing the international system, both realists and radicals argue that

A) the system is defined by polarity.
B) the system is defined by stratification.
C) the international system constrains state behavior.
D) the system is fixed and cannot change.
E) the system is defined by the actions of capitalist states.

Question 46

Using the international system as a level of analysis

A) provides descriptions of behavior at the micro level.
B) allows comparisons and contrasts across systems.
C) shows international politics is just like domestic politics.
D) makes it easy to test theory because of existing historical data.
E) does not allow theorists to consider systemic change.

Question 47

Which of the following is True of radical theory's beliefs about stability in the international system?

A) Instability is created when dominant powers are challenged by those just beneath them as the latter try to gain access to the former's resources.
B) Instability exists because an equal distribution of resources means that all states can potentially challenge others.
C) Instability exists because international organizations are difficult to establish in a stratified system, making mediation of conflicts difficult.
D) Radicals do not believe instability will occur because stratification creates a unipolar system.
E) Radicals do not believe instability will occur because the distribution of resources is fixed.

Question 48

An international system with common rules and institutions is known by the "English school" theorists as

A) multipolar.
B) unipolar.
C) multilateral.
D) an international society.
E) interdependent.

Question 49

A focus on the international system is criticized as being

A) inconsistent with the post-Westphalian world.
B) unable to account for politics.
C) too concerned with norms and not enough with security issues.
D) too concerned with security issues and not enough with norms.
E) too concerned with liberal theory and not enough with realist and constructivist thinking.

Question 50

What was the New International Economic Order (NIEO)?

A) the capitalist North's plan to keep the South in the periphery
B) a World Bank plan of foreign assistance for the South
C) a radical call in the 1970s to help improve the impoverished South
D) a radical call in the 1990s to stop the World Trade Organization from exploiting the countries of the South
E) a plan by the capitalist North to further entrench their power position through international organizations

Question 51

With regard to norms, constructivists argue that

A) all norm changes are transforming.
B) norms are fixed, and thus define the structure of the international system.
C) norms cannot be changed through coercion, only through processes of discourse.
D) norms can be changed by the collective, but not individuals.
E) norms are most likely to change through international institutions, law, and social movements.

Question 52

In radical thinking, stratification is

A) the inability of the international system to change.
B) the fact that a unipolar system is not possible.
C) the fact that a bipolar system is not possible.
D) the unequal division of resources among states.
E) the source of the potential for peace in the international system.

Question 53

Most radicals believe that

A) the capitalist system is not the problem causing stratification.
B) international institutions are the actors that can bring about change in the international system.
C) international institutions are designed by capitalist states to facilitate capitalist processes.
D) the capitalist system empowers the weak and should therefore be fostered.
E) multinational corporations are a problem because their activity does not take place in the "dependent" states.

Question 54

According to constructivists, what causes change in the international system?

A) changing norms
B) changes in military power
C) anticapitalist revolutions
D) control by international organizations
E) global corporations

Question 55

Which of the following is True of liberals' view of the possibility for peace in the international system?

A) Like realists, liberal theory thinks evolution toward perpetual peace is possible.
B) Like realists, liberal theory thinks evolution toward perpetual peace is not possible.
C) Liberal theory thinks security cooperation and peace can evolve from economic cooperation.
D) Liberal theory thinks security cooperation is possible, but not peace.
E) Liberal theory thinks peace is possible, but not security cooperation.

Question 56

According to constructivists

A) systems are set by material structures alone.
B) systems are unchanging over time.
C) anarchy can lead to different outcomes at different times.
D) polarity structures systems.
E) stratification structures systems.

Question 57

Which of the following is True of liberals' view of change in the international system?

A) Liberals see changes in the relative importance of issue areas as one source of change in the international system.
B) Liberals see change as stemming from the fact that participants in global civil society are decreasing in importance in the international system.
C) Unlike realists, liberals do not see change in the international system coming from changes in the overall power structure among states.
D) Liberals do not see change coming from changes in technological developments.
E) Unlike radicals, liberals advocate major changes in the international system.

Question 58

In examining the international system, radicals are concerned primarily with

A) stratification.
B) polarity.
C) interdependence.
D) alliances.
E) stability.

Question 59

Radicals believe that, within the international system, access to resources across states is

A) uneven.
B) fluid and constantly shifting.
C) consistent across geographic regions.
D) difficult to measure.
E) fair given which countries work the hardest.

Question 60

Neoliberals see international institutions as

A) insignificant in the international system.
B) having important and independent effects on state actions.
C) defining states' underlying interests and motivations.
D) the most powerful international actors.
E) useful only for weak states.

Question 61

In your opinion, what issues or events in world politics are best addressed by using the international system as a level of analysis? What issues or events cannot be sufficiently addressed at this level of analysis? Illustrate your answers with specific examples.

Question 62

Which theory do you think provides the most accurate analysis of the international system? In presenting your answer, be sure to describe the approach of realist, liberal, radical, and constructivist theory to the study of the international system and weigh the costs and benefits of each approach.

Question 63

Which theoretical perspective best explains the changes that have occurred in the international system since the end of the Cold War? Present your answer in a way that highlights the relative weaknesses of other theoretical perspectives in this regard.

Question 64

Despite the call for the New International Economic Order (NEIO) by many developing countries, radicals differ in their optimism regarding whether or not the stratification of the international system can change. Do you think the system can be changed to bring about the NEIO? Why or why not?

Question 65

Liberalism assigns relatively less theoretical importance to the international system than realism and radicalism. Given this, what are the most important contributions of liberal theory to our understanding of the international system? Do liberals really care about the international system, or do their primary analytical concerns lie elsewhere? Explain your answer.