Question 1

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. The global war on terror involved which two of the following types of states?

Accepted Answer

The answer of SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. The global war...

Question 2

Realists emphasize the struggle for power at the state level because states remain the most powerful actors in contemporary world affairs.

Accepted Answer

Realists view the international system as an anarchic structure in which states are the dominant actors vying for power and security. While non-state actors such as international organizations and multinational corporations have gained in significance in recent years, states remain the most powerful actors in international affairs. Therefore, realists emphasize the struggle for power among states.

Question 3

The term BRICS refers to countries that have benefitted from the enormous expansion of the global economy following the end of the Cold War and includes Brazil, Russia, Indonesia, China, and South Korea.

Accepted Answer

The term BRICS actually refers to Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, not Indonesia and South Korea.

Question 4

Terrorism and piracy are not examples of asymmetric threat or warfare.

Accepted Answer

Terrorism and piracy are often cited as examples of asymmetric threat or warfare because they involve non-state actors with limited resources attacking state actors with significantly greater resources.

Question 5

The U.S.-Japan Security Treaty, established in 1960, guarantees U.S. support for the defense of Japan but does not obligate Japan to support the United States militarily.

Accepted Answer

The U.S.-Japan Security Treaty only obligates the U.S. to defend Japan, not the other way around.

Question 6

From a realist perspective, the global war on terror involved only nonstate actors and could be handled through international police and courts.

Accepted Answer

From a realist perspective, the global war on terror involved both state and nonstate actors, and thus required a military response rather than simply relying on international police and courts.

Question 7

According to the realist perspective, alliances were no longer essential to the balance of power following the end of the Cold War.

Accepted Answer

According to the realist perspective, alliances remain essential to the balance of power even after the end of the Cold War. The competition for power and security concerns persist, and alliances serve as a means of deterrence and collective defense against potential threats.

Question 8

According to the realist perspective, smaller powers seek responsibility but contribute few capabilities, so they seek to restrain larger powers through multilateralism and international institutions.

Accepted Answer

From a realist perspective, smaller powers are seen as seeking to use multilateralism and international institutions to level the playing field with larger powers, as they cannot match the capabilities of larger powers on their own. This approach allows them to exert influence and restrain larger powers through collective action and rules-based international order.

Question 9

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. Which of the following countries were members of the coalition that invaded Iraq in 2003?

Accepted Answer

Italy and Great Britain were both members of the coalition that invaded Iraq in 2003. Russia and France were not part of the coalition.

Question 10

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. Which of the following are examples of interest groups?

Accepted Answer

Interest groups, such as corporate and other for-profit groups (B) and the military-industrial complex (C), are organizations that seek to influence public policy and government decisions but are not part of the government itself. Political parties and legislatures (A) are part of the political system, not interest groups, and domestic governmental agencies (D) are government entities, not external groups trying to influence policy.

Question 11

Power balancing realists anticipate the return of multipolarity and, therefore, focus on containing, not preempting or preventing, the rise of powers.

Accepted Answer

Power balancing realists believe that the international system will return to multipolarity, and as such, their approach focuses on containing rising powers rather than trying to prevent or preempt their rise to power.

Question 12

Soft balancing refers to counterbalancing a dominant power through rivalry, diplomatic disagreement, and economic challenges, rather than force.

Accepted Answer

Soft balancing is a strategy of countering a dominant power's influence through non-military means such as economic competition or diplomatic disagreement rather than military force.

Question 13

Power balancing realists view terrorism as a new global threat that cannot be dealt with through NATO.

Accepted Answer

Power balancing realists typically view terrorism within the context of traditional state-centric power politics, suggesting that even non-state threats like terrorism can be addressed through alliances like NATO and national security strategies.

Question 14

Many realists saw the expansion of NATO as necessary to back up democratic reforms in former communist countries and reassure these countries against domestic extremists who might try to destabilize the new democracies.

Accepted Answer

This statement accurately reflects the views of many realists, who argue that NATO expansion promotes stability and security in Europe by providing a security umbrella for new democracies and deterring potential aggressors. Some critics, however, argue that NATO expansion has fueled tensions with Russia and may have contributed to a more confrontational foreign policy posture in the post-Cold War era.

Question 15

According to the realist perspective, unless partition is accompanied by an effective balance of power, partition merely stimulates competitive armament and instability.

Accepted Answer

Realists believe that without an effective balance of power, partition can lead to increased competition and instability. This is because each newly created state will try to build up its military and power to maintain its sovereignty, potentially leading to conflict with neighboring states. Only with a balance of power can these states feel secure and prevent an arms race.

Question 16

The independence of Kosovo from Serbia is an example of partition.

Accepted Answer

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, resulting in a partition of the territory.

Question 17

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. Key assumptions of the simplified rational choice model include which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The simplified rational choice model assumes that the actor is unitary and makes decisions based on its preset goals and preferences. It also assumes that the actor selects the courses of action that maximize its goals and minimize costs, which is known as utility maximization. However, the model does not assume that the actor has access to complete information, so it may make decisions based on imperfect information.

Question 18

The simplified rational choice model does not assume that actors have access to complete information.

Accepted Answer

The simplified rational choice model assumes that actors have access to complete information, allowing them to make decisions that maximize their utility.

Question 19

Modern states emerged in the seventeenth century partly because they performed functions more efficiently than city-states or city-leagues.

Accepted Answer

Modern states emerged in large part because they were able to more efficiently provide services such as taxation, defense, and infrastructure than smaller city-states or leagues. This allowed them to build more stable and powerful societies, which in turn led to increased political centralization and the emergence of modern nation-states.

Question 20

If economic sanctions against Iran fail, power balancing realists prefer to let Iran acquire nuclear weapons and then contain it thereafter by deterrence, rather than launch a preemptive war against Iran.

Accepted Answer

The answer of If economic sanctions against Iran fail, power...

Quiz 6: Realist Perspectives on Todays World: Unipolarity, Rising Powers, Asymmetric Warfare, and Ethnic Conflicts