Deck 16: Foreign and Defense Policy: Protecting American Interests in the World

Question 1

Since the end of the Cold War,

A)the United States and Russia have attempted to weaken each other through a series of "proxy wars."
B)Russia has ceased to hold significant power on the world stage.
C)the international community has meekly acquiesced to American international supremacy.
D)NATO has expanded to include a number of nations that formerly belonged to the Soviet bloc.
E)the United States has encouraged the restoration of the Russian military and the expansion of Russian territory in order to restore a bipolar world system.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The central tenet of the Truman Doctrine was that the United States would

A)make no attempt to increase its own territorial holdings, and would prevent any other country from trying to seize new land.
B)welcome European military intervention in the internal affairs of American countries that had proven themselves incapable of self-government.
C)work closely with European powers to extend the blessings of republican government throughout the Americas.
D)intervene in the affairs of American nations whose internal disorder threatened regional stability.
E)intervene on behalf of people who were struggling to prevent their liberties from being taken away by internal factions or outside threats.

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Which of the following initiatives would be MOST appropriate to a policy of détente?

A)forming new alliances to isolate one's chief rival
B)vilifying one's chief rival with alarmist rhetoric
C)reaching an agreement with one's chief rival to decrease each side's military arsenal
D)using all means short of outright war to decrease the influence and standing of one's chief rival
E)hurting one's chief rival by waging proxy wars against its weaker allies or satellites

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following statements about American involvement in World War I is MOST accurate?

A)The United States never ratified the Treaty of Versailles that Wilson had helped to negotiate to end World War I.
B)Recognizing the need for an international peacekeeping organization, the United States became a charter member of the League of Nations at the end of World War I.
C)Despite the heavy demands of fighting the war, the United States refused to implement a draft, choosing instead to rely on an all-volunteer army.
D)American involvement in World War I was part of a long tradition of American intervention in European wars.
E)American involvement in World War I ushered in a new era in which American citizens had little stake in and took little interest in foreign affairs.

Question 5

The Roosevelt Corollary was used to justify American intervention in

A)China.
B)India.
C)Africa.
D)Cuba.
E)Japan.

Question 6

During which conflict did the United States abandon the draft in favor of an all-volunteer military force?

A)World War I
B)World War II
C)Korean War
D)Vietnam War
E)First Gulf War

Question 7

The central tenet of the Roosevelt Corollary was that the United States would

A)make no attempt to increase its own territorial holdings, and would prevent any other country from trying to seize new land.
B)welcome European military intervention in the internal affairs of American countries that had proven themselves incapable of self-government.
C)work closely with European powers to extend the blessings of republican government throughout the Americas.
D)intervene in the affairs of American nations if they proved unable to maintain order and national sovereignty on their own.
E)intervene on behalf of people who were struggling to prevent their liberties from being taken away by internal factions or outside threats.

Question 8

The Roosevelt Corollary was used primarily to justify American military interventions in

A)the Mediterranean.
B)Southeast Asia.
C)the South Pacific.
D)the Caribbean.
E)Eastern Europe.

Question 9

The central tenet of the Monroe Doctrine was that the United States would

A)make no attempt to increase its own territorial holdings, and would prevent any other country from trying to seize new land.
B)regard new European imperial activities in the Americas as a threat to American security.
C)work closely with European powers to extend the blessings of republican government throughout the Americas.
D)intervene in the affairs of any American nation whose internal disorder threatened regional stability.
E)intervene on behalf of people who were struggling to prevent their liberties from being taken away by internal factions or outside threats.

Question 10

The first federal peacetime draft in U.S.history was established

A)immediately after the end of World War I.
B)immediately after the end of World War II.
C)shortly after the ratification of the Constitution.
D)at the end of the nineteenth century.
E)shortly before the United States entered World War II.

Question 11

According to the Bush Doctrine, which of the following would be considered the MOST effective means for ending the threat posed by international terrorism?

A)Establish democratic governments in every country.
B)Convert all the world's peoples to Christianity.
C)Create a multipolar world in which no single nation wields overwhelming military force.
D)Negotiate with hostile regimes in order to strike a favorable balance of power.
E)Insist that no country should resort to the use of military force except in response to the armed aggression of another country.

Question 12

Which of the following conflicts has had the GREATEST military cost?

A)World War I
B)World War II
C)Korea
D)Vietnam
E)Post 9/11: Iraq, Afghanistan, Other

Question 13

The Soviet empire collapsed in the early 1990s partly as a result of

A)the Soviets' failure to keep pace with America.
B)a massive loss of Soviet credibility internationally.
C)both the Soviets' failure to keep pace with America and a massive loss of their credibility internationally.
D)the refusal of Soviet leadership to attempt a thawing of relations with the United States.
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 14

Which of the following conflicts has had the second-greatest military cost?

A)World War I
B)World War II
C)Korea
D)Vietnam
E)Post 9/11: Iraq, Afghanistan, Other

Question 15

The official military policy adopted by the George W.Bush administration that permits the use of force to prevent hostile acts by our enemies even if we are uncertain about the time and place of the enemy attack is called

A)deterrence.
B)preemption.
C)plausible deniability.
D)containment.
E)counter-balance.

Question 16

Around the turn of the twentieth century, John Hay proposed the Open Door Policy to guarantee American access to trade with

A)China.
B)India.
C)Africa.
D)Cuba.
E)Japan.

Question 17

Two key strategic doctrines that guided U.S.military power during the Cold War period were

A)isolationism and praetorianism.
B)brinkmanship and neo-nationalism.
C)containment and mutually assured destruction (MAD).
D)neoconservatism and containment.
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 18

The chief distinction between defense policy specifically and foreign policy generally is that the former centers on

A)all measures for protecting America's vital interests.
B)measures intended to protect American life and property within the country's own borders.
C)strategic decisions about the scale and use of military force in national security.
D)maintaining peace through foreign economic aid programs.
E)the need for active diplomacy to prevent armed conflict.

Question 19

Throughout much of the Cold War, the United States expressed a commitment to preventing Communists from seizing control of free countries, a policy that was known as

A)containment.
B)rollback.
C)blowback.
D)isolationism.
E)détente.

Question 20

Alexis de Tocqueville, writing in the early nineteenth century about America, noted that America's prosperity rests on its

A)geographic isolation only.
B)defensible borders only.
C)absence of passion for war only.
D)geographic isolation, defensible borders, and absence of passion for war.
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 21

Foreign policy is generally guided by the assumption that nation-states act in a world that is somewhat

A)anarchic.
B)controlled.
C)peaceful.
D)idealistic.
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 22

George W.Bush's foreign policy aligns BEST with this school of foreign policy:

A)realism.
B)neoconservatism.
C)liberalism.
D)idealism.
E)cooperationism.

Question 23

The goal of invading Iraq to overthrow Saddam Hussein's regime and establish a democratic government in its place fits MOST squarely with the foreign policy principles of

A)realists.
B)neoconservatives.
C)liberals.
D)idealists.
E)isolationists.

Question 24

The establishment of the United Nations and the Marshall Plan are both MOST fully aligned with the principles of which school of foreign policy?

A)realism
B)neoconservatism
C)liberalism
D)idealism
E)cooperationism

Question 25

Which of the following persons does NOT traditionally hold a seat on the National Security Council?

A)Speaker of the House
B)Secretary of the Treasury
C)chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
D)Director of National Intelligence
E)the vice president

Question 26

________ emphasizes the need for a strong military to act as a deterrent.

A)Internationalism
B)Liberalism
C)Realism
D)Interdependence
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 27

Presidents Wilson and Carter are primarily associated with which school of foreign policy?

A)realism
B)neoconservatism
C)liberalism
D)idealism
E)cooperationism

Question 28

Which school of foreign policy is concerned with protecting national interests through military force, but demonstrates little explicit interest in using force or diplomacy to spread American values abroad?

A)realism
B)neoconservatism
C)liberalism
D)idealism
E)cooperationism

Question 29

The constellation of military, economic, and ideological concerns about security constitutes what policymakers refer to as a country's

A)legacy.
B)dilemma.
C)promise.
D)national interests.
E)foreign policy.

Question 30

________________ served as Secretary of State during President Obama's second term.

A)John Kerry
B)Condoleezza Rice
C)Susan Rice
D)Chuck Hagel
E)Leon Panetta

Question 31

The State Department is responsible for all of the following EXCEPT

A)acting as the chief diplomatic arm of the U.S.government.
B)leading and coordinating U.S.representation abroad.
C)conveying U.S.foreign policy to foreign governments and international organizations.
D)managing U.S.military forces on foreign soil.
E)negotiating agreements and treaties with other nations.

Question 32

Which school of foreign policy is MOST closely associated with the goal of spreading American values through peaceful means?

A)realism
B)neoconservatism
C)liberalism
D)idealism
E)cooperationism

Question 33

Which of the following branches does NOT have a representative within the Joint Chiefs of Staff?

A)Air Force
B)Coast Guard
C)Army
D)Marines
E)Navy

Question 34

President Obama's foreign policy has been marked by all of the following, EXCEPT

A)an increased emphasis on global cooperation to deal with crises and problems.
B)a focus on stopping the spread of weapons of mass destruction.
C)an inability to end extensive American combat in Iraq.
D)stressing the threat posed by global warming.
E)promoting universal human rights.

Question 35

What prompted the most recent full-scale reappraisal of U.S.intelligence gathering?

A)the failure of U.S.intelligence gathering in Somalia
B)the failure of U.S.intelligence to locate Osama bin Laden during the invasion of Afghanistan
C)the failure of U.S.intelligence gathering in China
D)the failure of U.S.intelligence gathering in Iraq
E)the failure of U.S.intelligence to predict the fall of the Soviet Union

Question 36

The National Security Council was created

A)by the Washington administration.
B)during the Civil War.
C)in the months before the U.S.entered World War I.
D)shortly after the end of World War II.
E)after the intelligence failures that resulted in the attacks of September 11, 2001.

Question 37

President Bush, in introducing his new national security policy, indicated that the peace and security of free nations rests on which of the following?

A)working together to build strong and effective international institutions
B)restraining aggression and evil by force
C)a commitment to the global expansion of democracy
D)all of these: working together to build strong and effective international institutions; restraining aggression and evil by force; and a commitment to the global expansion of democracy
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 38

In 2011 President Obama stated that America's foreign and military policy was "pivoting" to place a much greater emphasis on this country/region:

A)Asia-Pacific.
B)Russia.
C)Central and South America.
D)Africa.
E)Europe.

Question 39

Which of the following statements about the handling of foreign policy in American history is LEAST accurate?

A)The Constitution places sole responsibility for foreign policy in the hands of the president.
B)The executive branch has the most, but not the sole, influence in shaping foreign policy.
C)Overseeing the operations of agencies dealing with foreign and defense policies has been a feature of executive branch power since President Washington.
D)The power of the executive branch over foreign policy has generally increased since the founding of the republic.
E)Public opinion and the pressure of special interest groups can place significant constraints on the executive branch's foreign policy options.

Question 40

Which theoretical perspective has the Obama administration used to define its national security and foreign policies?

A)realism
B)neoconservatism
C)foreign policy idealism
D)foreign policy liberalism
E)The Obama administration does not seem tied to any one theoretical perspective.

Question 41

Approximately __ percent of the 2014 federal budget is devoted to national defense.

A)3
B)6
C)17
D)28
E)36

Question 42

Diplomacy is primarily the responsibility of

A)the State Department.
B)the Defense Department.
C)Congress.
D)the vice president.
E)the armed forces.

Question 43

Which of the following statements about the U.S.intelligence community is LEAST accurate?

A)The failure of different sections of the community to communicate effectively with each other is at least partly to blame for the attacks of September 11, 2001.
B)Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, the president authorized the NSA to eavesdrop on the communications of American citizens.
C)The primary activity of CIA agents is engaging in covert operations designed to undermine hostile regimes.
D)A secret court appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was established in 1978 to authorize certain acts of covert surveillance within American borders.
E)There are more than a dozen separate agencies directly involved in collecting and analyzing intelligence for the U.S.government.

Question 44

The country with the second-highest military budget is

A)Russia.
B)France.
C)China.
D)Great Britain.
E)India.

Question 45

The country that has the highest military spending (by a large margin) is

A)France.
B)China.
C)Russia.
D)the United States.
E)the United Kingdom.

Question 46

Congress has all of the following powers EXCEPT

A)authority to declare war.
B)authority to conduct war.
C)authority to cut off funding for military operations.
D)authority to investigate the rules regulating military conduct.
E)authority to reject treaties with other nations.

Question 47

The U.S.intelligence community consists of approximately how many different intelligence agencies?

A)1
B)3
C)6
D)8
E)16

Question 48

Tools of foreign policy include

A)military power.
B)the presidential will to act.
C)powers granted under the Fourteenth Amendment.
D)the supremacy clause of the U.S.Constitution.
E)All of these answers are correct.

Question 49

The Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists law

A)was passed by Congress during the Clinton administration.
B)was intended solely to deal with the perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks.
C)was repealed by Congress in 2008.
D)is still in force and has underpinned actions of the Obama administration.
E)requires Congressional authorization before any drone strike against a terrorist target.

Question 50

In the wake of intelligence failures regarding the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Congress created the position of ________ as part of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004.

A)Director of National Intelligence
B)Intelligence Czar
C)Secretary of Defense
D)NSC Director
E)Director of Counter-Terrorism Operations

Question 51

The DEA and the FBI are both arms of which government agency?

A)Justice Department
B)State Department
C)Defense Department
D)Treasury Department
E)Congress

Question 52

The United States currently has approximately ________ active military personnel.

A)300,000
B)850,000
C)1.3 million
D)3 million
E)5 million

Question 53

Which of the following statements about the U.S.relationship with international organizations is LEAST accurate?

A)The U.S.is one of five countries with a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
B)During the 1990s, the U.S.successfully courted UN support for several major foreign policy initiatives, including the First Gulf War.
C)The U.S.has consistently refused to engage in military actions without the expressed consent of the UN's Security Council.
D)By tradition, the U.S.gets to select the president of the World Bank.
E)The U.S.works closely with international organizations such as WHO to address actual and potential health threats throughout the world.

Question 54

Which of the following statements about the U.S.and the threat of terrorism is LEAST accurate?

A)During the 1990s, the United States generally responded to terrorist acts with criminal proceedings rather than military engagements.
B)Among the groups that attacked U.S.soldiers in Iraq were foreign jihadists from places like Syria and Saudi Arabia.
C)The United States failed to gain broad international support for either its invasion of Afghanistan or its invasion of Iraq.
D)In the decade leading up to September 11, 2001, Islamic terrorists launched a number of attacks on American targets in the U.S.and abroad.
E)Although the U.S.and its allies succeeded in toppling the Taliban regime, they failed to establish lasting internal peace within Afghanistan.

Question 55

Vice President Joe Biden did all of the following in regards to foreign policy and national security, EXCEPT

A)attend White House foreign policy discussions.
B)serve as a member of the National Security Council.
C)help garner support in Congress for President Obama's foreign policy goals.
D)run working groups that review intelligence and make recommendations to President Obama.
E)travel around the world giving speeches that supported President Obama's foreign policy objectives.

Question 56

Congress is not powerless in opposing presidential powers related to defense and security.Congress can

A)cut off funding for war.
B)reject presidential requests for authority to commence hostile activities.
C)expand or reject presidential requests for foreign aid.
D)reject treaties with other nations.
E)All of these answers are correct.

Question 57

Which of the following countries is NOT a permanent member of the UN Security Council?

A)France
B)China
C)Russia
D)Germany
E)the United Kingdom

Question 58

Foreign aid constitutes ________ of the national budget of the U.S.

A)about 1 percent
B)3 percent
C)5 percent
D)nearly 10 percent
E)about 15 percent

Question 59

Which of the following statements about U.S.foreign aid is LEAST accurate?

A)To promote peace and stability, the U.S.government insists that the money that it sends abroad not be used for military purposes.
B)In many instances, the U.S.government sends money to foreign countries with the understanding that those countries will use the money to buy weaponry from American companies.
C)The U.S.government sometimes provides money to foreign governments with the expectation that those governments will advance U.S.interests by fighting terrorism or drug-trafficking.
D)Based on the percentage of national income, no major donor nation provides less foreign aid than does the United States.
E)Some of the financial aid the U.S.government provides to foreign countries is intended to be used to develop the domestic economies of those nations.

Question 60

The world today, in terms of power and domination, is best described as a(n)

A)bipolar world.
B)tripolar world.
C)non-polar world.
D)unipolar world.
E)multipolar world.

Question 61

Which of the following factors is NOT frequently cited as a source of the terrorist threat the United States faces today?

A)the emergence of radical Islamic fundamentalism
B)Islamic opposition to the creation and expansion of Israel
C)feelings of powerlessness in Islamic countries
D)limited economic opportunities in Islamic countries
E)the Middle East's lack of valuable natural resources

Question 62

Explain how the U.S.government shapes its foreign policy.Describe the roles given to both civilian organizations and the military.Which branch of the government wields the most influence over foreign policy?

Question 63

In 2011, the United States and NATO were involved militarily in this Arab Spring country:

A)Egypt.
B)Tunisia.
C)Algeria.
D)Yemen.
E)Libya.

Question 64

Which of the following is NOT a nongovernmental organization?

A)United Nations
B)Greenpeace
C)International Red Cross
D)Save the Children
E)Doctors without Borders

Question 65

Of the following Islamic countries, which one possesses nuclear weapons?

A)Saudi Arabia
B)Pakistan
C)Egypt
D)Iraq
E)Libya

Question 66

The Arab Spring began in

A)2005 in the Gaza Strip.
B)2007 in Saudi Arabia.
C)2010 in Tunisia.
D)2011 in Libya.
E)2013 in Egypt.

Question 67

What were the major orientations toward foreign and defense policy of President George W.Bush? And what about those of President Obama? In what ways has President Obama acted in ways similar to his predecessor? In what ways has he acted differently?

Question 68

Although the roots of tensions in the Middle East are numerous, complex, and not easily resolved, ________ would be MOST likely to go a long way toward diffusing tension in the region.

A)blocking further Jewish immigration
B)a solution to the continuing dispute over the establishment of a permanent Palestinian state
C)regime change in Iran
D)a sharp reduction in Middle Eastern oil exports
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 69

Current members of the "nuclear club" include all of the following EXCEPT

A)France.
B)Iran.
C)China.
D)Pakistan.
E)India.

Question 70

One of the most important powers of the presidency is its influence over foreign policy.Discuss the major presidential initiatives that have had a major or lasting impact on American history.Which presidential initiatives have proven most successful? Why have those policies been more effective than the failed initiatives of other presidents?

Question 71

By 2020, the world's second largest economy will belong to

A)Japan.
B)Britain.
C)China.
D)the United States.
E)India.

Question 72

According to the text, China

A)will play an increasingly important role in world affairs.
B)is now the second-largest military spender behind the U.S.
C)is now the second-largest foreign holder of U.S.securities.
D)is now the second-largest military spender behind the U.S.and the second-largest foreign holder of U.S.securities, and will play an increasingly important role in world affairs.
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 73

Which of the following statements about nuclear weaponry is MOST accurate?

A)No nation has ever dismantled its entire nuclear arsenal.
B)The United States maintains the largest nuclear arsenal in the world.
C)Since the ratification of the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, there have been no new additions to the group of nations that constitute the "nuclear club."
D)Pakistan is attempting to acquire nuclear weapons technology to improve its security standing against India, which is already armed with nuclear weapons.
E)The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty between the United States and Russia was ratified by the Senate in December 2010.

Question 74

In 2014, the United States was MOST concerned that these two countries could develop nuclear capabilities:

A)Germany and Italy.
B)Brazil and Argentina.
C)Iran and North Korea.
D)Israel and Syria.
E)Ukraine and Iraq.

Question 75

At the time of his killing by U.S.troops, Osama bin Laden was living in a mansion near a military school in this country:

A)Saudi Arabia.
B)Syria.
C)Iran.
D)Afghanistan.
E)Pakistan.

Question 76

Discuss the threats that confront American interests and international stability more generally.Which ones are the most threatening? Which ones, if any, can the United States safely ignore? What would be the best means with which to confront these threats?

Question 77

Describe the major schools of thought that have shaped American foreign policy for the past 100 years.Explain the preferred goals and tactics of each one.Which should be used to address the threats faced by the United States today?

Question 78

Describe the means by which the U.S.government and the American people can influence foreign affairs.What are the relative advantages and disadvantages of each of these means? Which of these means has been used most successfully in the past?

Question 79

In 2014, a major Ebola outbreak began in

A)Africa.
B)South America.
C)North America.
D)Asia.
E)Europe.

Question 80

What role does public opinion play in shaping foreign policy? Should the American people have more or less of a say in the handling of foreign affairs?