Deck 8: Soldiers and Politics

Question 1

The military often takes power during periods of political instability (including violence by radical groups),promising to restore stability.How successful have they been?

A) In a number of counties they crushed strong subversive groups and restored order, but often at a tremendous cost in civil liberties and human life
B) They restore stability in the short run but don't stay in power long enough for it to last
C) Because of the public backlash against military repression, instability escalates quickly
D) In general, the armed forces has restored order while only slightly violating human rights
E) Usually, as instability gets worse, the military is forced to step down rather quickly

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Many of the early modernization theorists believed that military involvement in Third World politics would be a positive factor.Which one of the following was NOT a reason why they felt positive about the role of the military in the politics of developing nations?

A) They felt that the armed forces were one of society's best organized institutions
B) They felt that the military was particularly disciplined and committed to modern values
C) Some felt the military was the vanguard of nationalism and social change
D) They believed that military officers had considerable expertise in conflict management
E) They felt that the military was above narrow tribal, class, or regional interests

Answer 2

D

Question 3

In recent years,international organizations such as the UN,the Organization of American States,and the African Union

A) have taken a stronger stance against military takeovers.
B) have become more tolerant of military takeovers.
C) in several instances have sent troops to topple military regimes after a coup.
D) have always cut off all foreign aid to countries that have experienced a military takeover.
E) have been critical of military coups except for those that have taken place in Asia.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Institutional military regimes

A) are most common in the least developed countries.
B) are often led by junior officers.
C) usually rule for a very brief time.
D) are more likely to have a coherent political ideology.
E) are more corrupt than personalistic regimes.

Question 5

Following years of military interference in politics,the leaders of contesting political parties,signed the Pact of Punto Fijo,increasing party cooperation and keeping the military out of national politics for decades.That pact became a model of civilian political consensus designed to keep the military from interfering in politics elsewhere.In which country was the Pact of Punto Fijo signed?

A) Venezuela
B) Mexico
C) Spain
D) India
E) Nigeria

Question 6

Third World military officers are most likely to come out of

A) the middle class.
B) the rich landowning class.
C) families of industrialists.
D) peasant families.
E) the working class.

Question 7

"Personalistic" military regimes (built around one strongman)have been least common in

A) South Asia.
B) East Asia.
C) Latin America.
D) The Middle East.
E) Sub-Saharan Africa.

Question 8

Which of the following has NOT been an important reason why various military regimes have stepped down during the past 50 years?

A) The military had accomplished its major goals and saw no reason to stay on
B) Prospects for the economy looked bleak and the armed forces did not want to take the blame
C) Military rule has brought internal conflicts that had undermined military cohesion
D) Unpopular decisions by the military government had undermined the military's legitimacy as an institution
E) Disgruntled military officers had begun to defect and join opposition political parties

Question 9

In what way have frequent military coups in some countries made civilian governments more corrupt?

A) Civilian officials feel they must have enough money to pay their own bail if the military ousts and arrests them
B) Fearing that they may soon be ousted, civilian government officials grab what they can
C) Civilian officials feel they have to stockpile cash for getting into the United States or France after the military ousts them
D) Civilian officials want to avert trial if they are ousted and want to have enough money to bribe any future military rulers
E) Civilian government officials want to have enough cash to send their children to universities abroad

Question 10

What type of society and economy is most likely to have radical (leftist)military coups?

A) Countries with comparatively developed and modern economies
B) Less developed countries that have been ruled by the traditional oligarchy
C) Countries where industrialists are heavily involved in politics
D) Countries where the middle class has been a powerful political class
E) Countries in which the workers and the peasants are in conflict with one another

Question 11

What effect did the decline in military governments in the 1980s and 1990s have on military spending in the less developed countries?

A) As civilian governments replaced many military regimes, military expenditures went down somewhat
B) As many military regimes were replaced by civilian governments, the absolute amount of military expenditures actually went up overall
C) Military expenditures as a percentage of GDP almost always went up
D) Military expenditures were usually covered by foreign aid from either the United States, Germany, China, or Russia
E) The absolute level of military spending declined sharply

Question 12

In the past 20 years or so,military coups have virtually ended in an area that used to have them quite frequently.Where was that?

A) Africa
B) Asia
C) Latin America
D) The Middle East
E) Sub-Saharan Africa

Question 13

Often military governments claim their take-over was necessary to save the national economy.How successful have they been in improving the economy?

A) Successful in most cases
B) Fairly universally unsuccessful
C) Very successful in the Middle East but unsuccessful in Asia and Africa
D) Very successful in some countries like Chile, Indonesia, and South Korea, but unsuccessful in most cases such as Burma and Argentina
E) Generally, in the Third World, military governments have been far less successful than civilian governments

Question 14

What part of the Third World has had the largest numbers of Marxist military regimes?

A) Latin America
B) Asia
C) Africa
D) The Middle East
E) South Asia

Question 15

During the last 20-25 years the number of successful military takeovers

A) has fallen most sharply in Africa.
B) has risen most dramatically in Asia.
C) remained fairly constant.
D) has increased somewhat in the developing world.
E) has declined sharply in the developing world.

Question 16

Which of the following factors is the worst predictor of whether or not a country will have a military coup that topples a civilian government?

A) The strength of civil society
B) The size and strength of their armed forces
C) The size of the GNP per capita
D) The level of legitimacy of the civilian government
E) The performance of the economy, including the rate of inflation

Question 17

After seizing political power,military governments have

A) usually been almost impossible to dislodge.
B) generally lasted no more than seven years.
C) usually increased the level of unity between different military factions.
D) rarely been willing to step down no matter how many problems the country faces.
E) generally allow rigged elections within four years.

Question 18

Where have personalistic military governments been most common?

A) South America
B) South Asia
C) Sub-Saharan Africa
D) East Asia
E) The Caribbean

Question 19

Which of the following countries had bureaucratic-authoritarian military regimes?

A) Mexico
B) Libya
C) India
D) Brazil
E) Liberia

Question 20

Whose interests have Third World military governments been most likely to support?

A) The middle class
B) Rural landowners
C) Industrialists
D) Peasants
E) The working class

Question 21

What is the difference between "the old professionalism" and "the new professionalism" in the training of military officers?

A) The old professionalism stressed defending the honor of the armed forces, while the new professionalism stresses defending the country's honor
B) The old professionalism assigned little importance to defending democracy, while the new professionalism stresses the importance of democracy
C) The old professionalism was committed to training officers at home, while the new professionalization recognizes that the best way of training officers in modern military skills is to train many officers abroad
D) The old professionalism stressed training for external security against other nations who might fight a war against their country, while the new professionalism stresses training for internal security against possible domestic insurgencies
E) The old professionalism trained mostly officers who had risen up the ranks and had limited educations, while the new professionalism draws most of its officers from elite military colleges

Question 22

While the economic records of military governments have often been poor,in several countries,such as Chile,Indonesia,and South Korea,their economic policies were relatively successful.

Question 23

Latin America's Bureaucratic Authoritarian regimes (Argentina,Brazil,Chile,and Uruguay)had political ideologies and goals much like Sub-Saharan Africa's revolutionary regimes.

Question 24

Which of the following statements best describes the importance of the armed forces in the 2011 Arab Spring?

A) In most of the pro-democracy uprisings in the Arab world, the soldiers defected to side with the rebels
B) In most of the Arab world, a large portion of the soldiers in the standing army disobeyed their officers' commands to fire on the protesters
C) The military would have been unable to protect the old regime were it not for the large number of mercenary soldiers under their command who depended on the military for their livelihood
D) In almost all cases, the armed forces stayed neutral during these uprisings
E) The armed forces' willingness or reluctance to defend the old regime largely determined the likelihood that the regime would be toppled by the protesters

Question 25

Institutional military regimes frequently have a common set of objectives when the armed forces seize power.Which one of the following is NOT amongst them?

A) To clean up the corruption of the government that they have ousted
B) To advance the corporate interests of the military itself
C) To develop an independent foreign policy
D) To restore order and stability
E) To revive and stimulate the economy

Question 26

In total,the average military government lasts close to 10 years.

Question 27

Because they have been successful in reducing ethnic tensions in their own ranks,the armed forces in countries such as Nigeria have a strong record of reducing ethnic tensions in the population as a whole.

Question 28

In the Middle East,monarchies have been the most vulnerable to military coups.

Question 29

For the most part,military governments have been as corrupt as or more corrupt than the civilian governments that they ousted.

Question 30

One important means of protecting civilian government from military interference or takeovers is having a national constitution and legal system that gives the civilian president or prime minister final control over the armed forces.

Question 31

Some military governments have brought their country economic growth and development,but they almost always inhibit political development.

Question 32

Even when military regimes have given way to civilian rule,the armed forces often continue to wield considerable political power.

Question 33

Whether or not the armed forces seize power in a particular country is primarily a function of the military's internal cohesion and its own political skills.

Question 34

In which of the following countries did the leader of the old regime shell pro-democracy rebels?

A) Algeria
B) Tunisia
C) Libya
D) Jordan
E) Egypt

Question 35

Sub-Saharan Africa has been the region most likely to have attempted or successful military coups since the 1990s.

Question 36

Since military regimes are very reluctant to admit defeat,they rarely step down during economic crises or downturn,preferring instead to wait until the economy improves.

Question 37

In the Third World,attempted military coups are most likely to be successful in countries with a middle range per capita GNP and were most likely to fail in the poorest LDCs.

Question 38

Among the alternative roles that civilian governments have given the armed forces in countries such as Mexico,using the military to fight the war on drugs has been one of the most successful and satisfactory.

Question 39

Many developing countries have tried to find new roles for the armed forces that would justify their existence and keep them out of politics.Which one of the following has NOT usually been seen as a desirable new role for the military?

A) Joining peace-keeping forces for the UN or regional organizations
B) Establishing military-owned businesses
C) Building roads, schools, clinics and other work projects that meet a civilian need (civic action)
D) Combating truck trafficking in countries that have serious problems with such trafficking
E) All of the above

Question 40

In time,military rule generally causes a decline in the cohesion of the armed forces.

Question 41

At one time,many political scientists and others scholars of the LDCs thought that the armed forces had a number of positive qualities that made them particularly well suited for governing Third World countries.What were those qualities? How well did military governments actually perform?

Question 42

What are the differences between personalistic and institutional military regimes? In your Answer: make sure to include differences in each type's goals.

Question 43

In what regions have military regimes performed best and where have they performed worst?

Question 44

What is it about the nature of the armed forces and the nature of civil society and of the political system that has led to such frequent military intervention or takeovers in politics?

Question 45

What are the different goals of left-wing versus right-wing military regimes?