Deck 3: International Relations Theories

Question 1

Neoliberal institutionalists believe that the likelihood of reciprocity in repeated interactions can foster cooperation among states.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Constructivists believe that identities can change as a result of cooperative behavior and learning.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The idea that the international system is "anarchic," as posited by realists, means that

A) the international system is chaotic.
B) states in the international system are not rational actors.
C) there is an absence of an overarching authority in the international system.
D) states in the international system do not cooperate.
E) the international system does not have organized international institutions.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Realism has an optimistic view of human nature, viewing people as basically good, while liberalism views humans as selfish and power seeking.

Question 5

There are different realist arguments, some of which offer very different prescriptions for appropriate foreign policy.

Question 6

Which of the following is True of general theories like liberalism, realism, and radicalism?

A) They can predict any event in international relations.
B) They incorporate all the different levels of analysis.
C) They are embraced by all scholars of international relations.
D) They provide complete explanations of international phenomena relying on only one level of analysis.
E) They have been proven True.

Question 7

Viewing individuals as primarily selfish and power seeking is characteristic of a ________ perspective.

A) liberal
B) constructivist
C) bureaucratic
D) realist
E) radical

Question 8

Despite their many differences, both realism and liberalism view people as rational actors.

Question 9

What are hypotheses?

A) specific statements positing a particular relationship between two or more variables
B) general statements positing many possible relationships between two or more variables
C) specific statements regarding a single variable
D) general statements regarding a single variable
E) statements of fact unrelated to a particular theory

Question 10

Neorealists believe that states are unlikely to cooperate because they are concerned with relative gains and the potential for cheating.

Question 11

A set of propositions and concepts that combine to explain phenomena by specifying the relationships among the propositions is

A) a hypothesis.
B) a theory.
C) a level of analysis.
D) a variable.
E) a deduction.

Question 12

Which of the following factors could be an explanation for state behavior that uses the international system level of analysis?

A) whether a state has a democratic or authoritarian government
B) whether a state has a capitalist or socialist economic system
C) a state's national interest
D) the distribution of power between states in the United Nations
E) the competing interests of government bureaucracies within a state

Question 13

Radical theorists emphasize the fact that the meanings of objects and concepts are constructed through social interaction.

Question 14

Realists argue that states act in a unitary way in pursuit of their national interest, which is defined in terms of

A) a desire to create international institutions to prevent war.
B) a desire to spread democracy.
C) a desire to cooperate with other states.
D) a desire to spread capitalism.
E) a desire to gain power.

Question 15

Constructivists like Alexander Wendt argue that knowing the distribution of material capabilities in the international system is enough to predict whether two states will be friends or foes.

Question 16

The various theories of international relations have conflicting views of the international system. Which of the following are correct portrayals of the theories' views?

A) Liberals believe the international system is less stable if the balance of power system is used.
B) Realists believe the international system is highly interdependent.
C) Radicals believe the international system is highly egalitarian.
D) Constructivists believe the international system is the most important level of analysis.
E) Realists believe that the international system has no authoritative leader.

Question 17

Theories are sets of propositions that prove the existence of particular relationships between variables.

Question 18

Dependency theorists believe that less developed countries will rise quickly now that colonialism has ended.

Question 19

Which of the following is an essential assumption of realism?

A) States are unitary actors; there are no subnational actors trying to overturn the decision of the government.
B) State leaders are driven by a desire to conform to international norms.
C) There is a clear hierarchy in the international system.
D) Decision makers are not rational actors.
E) Economic issues are states' primary concern.

Question 20

Which of the following is a state-level explanation of the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq?

A) George W. Bush had sought to remove Saddam Hussein from office since the late 1990s.
B) There was a shifting balance of power in the Middle East.
C) It is in the U.S. national interest to build a progressive Arab regime in the Middle East.
D) President Bush had advisers favoring war.
E) The U.S. invasion was a manifestation of the unique capability of a unipolar international system to respond to perceived threats to the stability of the system.

Question 21

When the United States supported China and Pakistan to exert leverage over the Soviet Union and to offset India's growing power, respectively, this was an example of carrying out a policy based on the idea of ________.

A) bandwagoning
B) rollback
C) collective security
D) preemptive war
E) power balancing

Question 22

Iraq's forced retreat and surrender to the U.S.-led coalition after invading Kuwait is an illustration of

A) defensive realists' argument that few wars benefit the states that start them.
B) defensive realists' argument that wars can enhance a state's reputation in the long run.
C) defensive realists' argument that states should bandwagon.
D) offensive realists' argument that states will inevitably balance against aggressors.
E) offensive realists' argument that states should follow a policy of containment.

Question 23

Which of the following do liberals think aids peace?

A) the spread of capitalism
B) aristocratic governments
C) international institutions
D) bandwagoning
E) power balancing

Question 24

The radical perspective places emphasis on which of the following?

A) the balance of power in the international system
B) international institutions
C) sovereignty
D) economic class conflict
E) normative structures

Question 25

Which theory argues that the amount of peace and war in the international system depends on the distribution of power in the system?

A) neorealism
B) liberalism
C) dependency theory
D) radicalism
E) constructivism

Question 26

International institutions are important to neoliberal institutionalists in that they

A) are relevant to human rights, the liberals' main interest.
B) reinforce strong alliances such as those that preceded World War I.
C) effectively sidestep disagreements caused by economic competition.
D) provide a framework for ongoing interactions between states.
E) overthrow governments that refuse to cooperate.

Question 27

That human nature is basically good and that people can cooperate to affect social progress are basic tenets of

A) Marxism.
B) radicalism.
C) liberalism.
D) nationalism.
E) realism.

Question 28

Realists argue that states' concern with relative gains will undermine international cooperation. What do they mean by this?

A) States will not cooperate since they have relatively little to gain from doing so.
B) States cannot be sure they will gain anything from cooperation so they have little incentive to try.
C) States are reluctant to cooperate because they fear their partners will cheat and no one will gain from cooperation.
D) Because it is relatively costly to form international institutions, realists believe it is a waste of resources to contribute to cooperative endeavors.
E) States will be reluctant to cooperate even for mutual gain, because their partners may benefit more, gaining additional power to use against them in the future.

Question 29

What lesson do neoliberal institutionalists learn from the prisoner's dilemma?

A) If states confront each other repeatedly, they find it is in their self-interest to cooperate.
B) Self-interested actors will never cooperate, so states should work to obtain as much power as they can to protect themselves from other states.
C) States will never be able to cooperate on security issues.
D) Because of the goodness of human nature, less than optimal outcomes rarely occur when states interact.
E) The prisoner's dilemma can never accurately model international politics.

Question 30

Which of the following is associated most closely with realist thinking?

A) cooperation
B) free trade
C) balance of power
D) international institutions
E) class conflict

Question 31

Democratic peace theory argues that

A) democracies are less likely to go to war than other states.
B) democracies are unlikely to go to war with other democracies.
C) democracies are inherently peaceful-type states.
D) democracies are unlikely to go to war with autocracies.
E) democracies are more likely to go to war than autocracies.

Question 32

Neoliberal institutionalists argue that international actors cooperate with each other not because they are innately good, but rather because

A) cooperating helps them overcome self-interest.
B) cooperating complicates the prisoner's dilemma.
C) failing to cooperate will lead to nuclear war.
D) it is in the self-interest of each to cooperate.
E) cooperation is mandated by international law.

Question 33

According to radical thinking, history is

A) unimportant to understanding today's events.
B) central to understanding today's events.
C) shaped by cultural forces.
D) random events without patterns.
E) only important beginning with events of the Russian Communist Revolution.

Question 34

According to neorealists, which two factors make cooperation among states difficult?

A) a concern over absolute gains and the potential for cheating
B) a concern over relative gains and the potential for cheating
C) a concern over absolute gains and the lack of international institutions
D) a concern over relative gains and the lack of international institutions
E) neorealists do not argue that cooperation is difficult

Question 35

The idea that aggression by one state would be countered by automatic and joint reaction by other states is known as

A) bandwagoning.
B) balancing power.
C) collective security.
D) anarchy.
E) rollback.

Question 36

The idea that institutions such as the League of Nations and the United Nations will significantly change international politics is a product of ________ thinking.

A) Marxist
B) realist
C) constructivist
D) radical
E) liberal

Question 37

The basic proposition of idealism is that

A) war is not preventable.
B) war is likely to occur when the international system is unipolar in nature.
C) war is preventable through credible threats from the most powerful state in the system.
D) war is preventable through the collective action of states.
E) peace can be achieved by a balance of power among states.

Question 38

The analysis of the production process and the social relationships it produces are fundamentally important to which of the following theoretical perspectives?

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

Question 39

What differentiates liberalism and neoliberal institutionalism?

A) beliefs about what causes states to cooperate
B) beliefs about the national interest
C) beliefs about the Cold War
D) beliefs about capitalism
E) beliefs about war

Question 40

Following the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, Libya's choice to abandon its efforts to acquire nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons in order to hedge against potential aggression from the United States is an example of

A) defensive realists' argument that states should balance against aggressors.
B) defensive realists' argument that defense postures can limit the levels of mistrust among states.
C) offensive realists' argument that smaller states are likely to form a balancing coalition against an aggressor.
D) offensive realists' argument that states should follow policies of restraint.
E) offensive realists' argument that periodically fighting a war can intimidate potential rivals into bandwagoning with it.

Question 41

Which of the following statements is True of theories' approach to the role that power plays in international relations?

A) Realists, neoliberal institutionalists, and constructivists all see power as important.
B) Realists and neoliberal institutionalists see power as important, while constructivists do not.
C) Realists see power as important, while neoliberal institutionalists and constructivists do not.
D) Neoliberal institutionalists see power as important, but realists and constructivists do not.
E) Constructivists see power as important, but realists and neoliberal institutionalists do not.

Question 42

Liberals focusing on the state level would explain the 2003 Iraq War by arguing that the war was a result of

A) a capitalist state's imperialism.
B) Iraq's authoritarian, antidemocratic government.
C) Iraq's anarchic government.
D) George Bush's dislike of Saddam Hussein.
E) a shift in global power distribution.

Question 43

Constructivism's major theoretical proposition is that

A) cooperation between states is guided by international structures.
B) state behavior is shaped by elite beliefs, identities, and social norms.
C) international relations are based solely on economic power.
D) states are more important actors than individuals.
E) foreign policies are more important than domestic policies.

Question 44

For constructivists, a key source of power is

A) military capabilities.
B) ideas.
C) economic interdependence.
D) economic prowess.
E) a state's geographical positioning.

Question 45

Constructivist theory has

A) ended discussion of the foundational questions of sovereignty and citizenship.
B) focused its attention primarily on social norms, ideas, and practices.
C) focused attention on the fixed, inherent meaning of material structures.
D) produced a unified, substantive theory.
E) overlooked the issue of change in the international system.

Question 46

Which of the following is True of feminist theory?

A) Feminist theorists all argue that women have been absent from international politics.
B) Feminist theorists argue that human nature is fixed and unalterable.
C) Some feminist theorists argue that women have been absent from international politics while others argue they have been key participants.
D) Feminist theorists argue that classical realism is the best theory to explain international relations.
E) Like other radical theorists, feminist theorists argue that the structure of the economic system is the key determinant of international relations.

Question 47

Radicals such as John A. Hobson believe that capitalism necessarily leads to imperial expansion because

A) developed states seek new markets because of the underconsumption by the lower classes brought about by their low wages.
B) developing states want to export their goods and services to developed states.
C) developed states want to prevent developing countries from becoming new markets for their goods and services.
D) developed states need to address the issue of oversavings by the lower classes.
E) developing states want to invest in developed states.

Question 48

Which of the following theories would focus on the way that the rhetoric of threat used to frame discussions of Saddam Hussein as an explanation for the 2003 Iraq War?

A) classical realism
B) neorealism
C) liberalism
D) radicalism
E) constructivism

Question 49

The different theories disagree on the role and importance of economic factors in international relations. Which of the following are correct portrayals of the theories' views?

A) Only radicals think economics is important.
B) Realists think economic factors are behind most international conflict.
C) Liberals think economic interdependence is the sole cause of international cooperation.
D) Radicals think economic factors assume primary importance in shaping actions.
E) Realists think economics is completely unimportant.

Question 50

How would radicals explain the 2003 Iraq War?

A) a failure of international institutions
B) the United States acting in its national interest to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction
C) the United States acting in its economic interest to stabilize and control its oil supply
D) a clash of Christian and Islamic identities
E) a tragic result of elite misperceptions

Question 51

Which theory of international relations predicted the most significant change in the twentieth century, the fall of the Soviet Union?

A) realism
B) liberalism
C) radicalism
D) constructivism
E) No major theory accurately predicted the events.

Question 52

One realist interpretation of the 2003 Iraq War is that

A) the war was a result of cooperation in the international system.
B) the war was justified because it was in the U.S. national interest to achieve security and a stable oil supply.
C) the war was necessary because spreading democracy assures peace.
D) the United States could have been defeated by Iraq.
E) the main U.S. goal was to convert Muslims to Western culture.

Question 53

Constructivists argue that

A) systemic anarchy requires states to be aggressive.
B) material capabilities shape all power and action.
C) identities can change through cooperative behavior and learning.
D) modern states all cooperate.
E) states must construct modern defense systems.

Question 54

According to Marxist thinking, the structure of the global system is largely the byproduct of

A) power balancing by states.
B) international cooperation.
C) international institutions.
D) collective security.
E) the expansion of certain economic forms into other areas of the world.

Question 55

Contemporary radicals include dependency theorists, who

A) believe that MNCs and international banks exert control over the economic development of developing states.
B) believe that the options open to developing states are increasing, making it more likely that they will grow economically.
C) are relatively unconcerned about dependent trade relationships.
D) optimistically predict the elimination of dependency in the international system.
E) disagree strongly with constructivism's objective approach to interdependence.

Question 56

For constructivists, what is a common source of change in the international system?

A) The leading power is defeated in war.
B) There is a major economic decline.
C) The workers of the world unite and lead a revolution.
D) A natural disaster forces cooperation among the major states.
E) New norms and ideas diffuse through the system.

Question 57

Marxists and radicals view ________ as the main means of power in the world.

A) military might
B) international cooperation
C) economic techniques
D) state bureaucracies
E) social norms

Question 58

The various theories of international relations have conflicting views of the state. Which of the following are correct portrayals of the theories' views?

A) Liberals believe the state always pursues cooperation.
B) Realists believe the state has many interests.
C) Constructivists believe state behavior is shaped by elite beliefs.
D) Marxists believe the workers shape the state's actions.
E) Realists believe democratic states behave differently from other states.

Question 59

According to constructivists, what explains the considerable effort put forth by the United States to try to obtain UN Security Council approval for the 2003 Iraq War?

A) the socialization that international institutions like the United Nations play a key legitimizing role in international relations
B) to obtain military support from other states for its invasion
C) the belief that collective security is the only way military efforts can be successful in the international system today
D) to mask its imperial capitalist intentions
E) to avoid economic sanctions from the United Nations for violating international law by invading Iraq

Question 60

Constructivists believe that state behavior is shaped by

A) the distribution of power in the international system.
B) the national self-interest.
C) the interests of the bourgeoisie class.
D) social norms.
E) multinational corporations.

Question 61

"Realism is not realistic." Construct an argument that either defends or criticizes this statement. In your response, include a review of realism's basic assumptions, and offer an interpretation of a current international event that supports your position.

Question 62

What does constructivism bring to the study of international relations that other theoretical approaches do not? Given your answer, do you think constructivism can contribute significantly to our understanding of international relations? If so, support your answer by using constructivism to explain a particular international issue or event. If not, support your answer by demonstrating how constructivism fails to explain a particular international issue or event.

Question 63

With recent changes in the global economy, should we regard radicalism as a less legitimate or still useful theoretical perspective? Why or why not? Explain how your opinion on this issue affects your thinking about radical beliefs and approaches in general.

Question 64

Which of the key theories (realism, liberalism, radicalism, or constructivism) do you think best explains international relations today, and why? In your response, highlight the key assumptions and predictions of each theory, and connect them to contemporary real-world events, discussing how they do/do not help us understand the world today.

Question 65

Neorealism and neoliberal institutionalism have differing views on the possibility for international cooperation. Which do you think is more accurate in explaining cooperation among states today? In your response, be sure to highlight what each theory predicts about the potential for cooperation and cite real-world examples to back up your argument.