Deck 5: International Institutions and War

Question 1

Which of the following best describes an alliance?

A)An institution that promotes peace among its members
B)An institution that helps states cooperate militarily to achieve their common security goals
C)An agreement between two countries to collectively monitor their elections
D)An organization that helps promote members' common interest in ensuring peace

Answer 1

B

Question 2

What are collective security organizations?

A)Organizations that help states accumulate the weapons they need to increase their security
B)Organizations that help collect dues to support states' combined armed forces
C)Institutions that provide group responses to acts of aggression
D)Institutions that help states cooperate economically to achieve their goals

Answer 2

C

Question 3

In which of the following is there a balance of power?

A)When the United States was the sole superpower in the 1990s
B)After World War II,when the Allies defeated the Axis powers
C)When Germany and the Soviet Union agreed to invade and divide Poland between them
D)When the United States and the Soviet Union had roughly equal military strength

Answer 3

D

Question 4

What is true about alliances and collective security agreements?

A)Collective security agreements historically predate alliances.
B)All alliances are a form of collective security.
C)States enter into alliances while individuals enter into collective security agreements.
D)Alliances historically predate collective security.

Question 5

Which of the following would be an asymmetric alliance?

A)The de facto agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union not to use nuclear weapons
B)The Cold War weapons agreements that allowed the Soviet Union to keep more nuclear missiles than the United States
C)The United States pledging to defend Costa Rica if that country is attacked
D)The agreement between France and Russia before World War II to come to each other's aid

Question 6

What is true of alliances and their impact on World War II?

A)Alliances did not affect World War II.
B)Many states participated in World War II due to alliance commitments.
C)No country was willing to ally with Germany.
D)If there had been no alliance system,the war would not have happened.

Question 7

Which of the following would be considered a collective security organization?

A)The "Pact of Steel" between Germany and Italy
B)The League of Nations
C)The European Union
D)The North American Free Trade Agreement

Question 8

Why would states risk being dragged into another war by joining an alliance?

A)Since they are in an alliance together,states can trust their allies not to risk a war.
B)A state can easily leave an alliance if its partners needlessly go to war.
C)Allies can control what the alliance does,and the alliance will not be dragged into a war without the whole alliance's approval.
D)States can clearly signal whether they will support their allies if a war begins and will be able to deter enemies from attacking.

Question 9

In 2017,the former Serbian Army military commander,Ratko Mladić,was convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia for his role in the expulsion and extermination of non-Serbian Bosnians in order to create a Greater Serbian republic.Which of the following terms describes the crimes he was found guilty of?

A)Terrorism
B)Genocide
C)Entrapment
D)Collateral damage

Question 10

Which of the following statements about Tibet is true?

A)The Soviet Union invaded Tibet after the Chinese Revolution.
B)China has no historical claim to Tibet.
C)China invaded Tibet,and the United Nations took no action to repel the attack.
D)China invaded Tibet,and the United Nations sent troops in an attempt to repel the attack.

Question 11

Which of the following is an alliance?

A)The United Nations
B)The League of Nations
C)The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
D)The European Union

Question 12

When do alliances form?

A)When states seek to balance threats
B)When all states agree that they want to prevent war
C)When two states agree to end a war
D)When states have incompatible interests

Question 13

In which of the following ways is an alliance likely to affect conflict?

A)Alliances increase the likelihood that democracies go to war with other democracies.
B)Alliances can decrease the cost of fighting.
C)Alliances can solve conflicts over distribution.
D)Alliances can help states commit to ceasefire agreements.

Question 14

What kind of alliance commitments were made most frequently between 1815 and 2003?

A)Offensive alliances
B)Defensive alliances
C)Hybrid offensive-defensive alliances
D)Neutrality alliances

Question 15

In which of the following ways might states attempt to create a balance of power in the international system?

A)States might use their offensive capabilities to crush a stronger opponent.
B)States might use their offensive capabilities to crush an opponent of equal strength.
C)States might form alliances with other states to match the capabilities of a stronger state.
D)States might pass the buck and wait for other states to balance threats.

Question 16

Why do alliances form?

A)Powerful countries force weaker countries to join their organizations.
B)The citizens of member states push for closer relations with other similar states.
C)An alliance makes members less likely to attack each other.
D)Two or more states have a common security goal and need more military support than one of them has alone.

Question 17

Which of the following best summarizes the series of events that led to the outbreak of World War II?

A)The Soviet Union attacked Poland,prompting numerous countries,including Germany and France,to declare war on the Soviet Union.
B)Germany invaded France,attempting to defeat it quickly,before Russia could fully mobilize its troops.
C)Britain invaded Germany and its ally,Austria,came to its aid.
D)Germany invaded Poland,Britain and France declared war on Germany,and Germany invaded France.

Question 18

How does an alliance affect the bargaining model of war?

A)An alliance is superfluous to the bargaining model.
B)An alliance moves the bargaining range closer to the nonallied states' ideal point.
C)An alliance moves the bargaining range closer to the allied states' ideal points.
D)An alliance expands the range of possible bargains.

Question 19

How did the Korean War start?

A)North Korea invaded South Korea,and the United Nations authorized troops to repel the attack.
B)South Korea invaded North Korea,and the United Nations sent troops to help North Korea.
C)North Korean soldiers infiltrated South Korea and began a long insurgency to overthrow the government.
D)China invaded Korea,and the United Nations authorized troops to reverse the attack.

Question 20

Which of the following is a reason an alliance commitment might not be reliable?

A)Alliances are legal obligations.
B)Allies rarely agree on when to act.
C)The lack of an ironclad agreement (in order to avoid entrapment)could cause a state not to act.
D)Incomplete information might prevent states from knowing when they are supposed to act.

Question 21

Which of the following describes a situation where a state might fail to honor their commitments to an alliance?

A)When the alliance does not include major powers
B)When states do not have similar cultures
C)When alliances take the shape of an entente
D)When a state has recently experienced a regime transition

Question 22

Why does NATO still exist?

A)NATO members still have common interests such as protection from terrorism.
B)Western European countries believe that NATO is the only reason the United States would help defend them if they were attacked.
C)The Warsaw Pact has increased its military spending,and NATO has expanded in response.
D)Western European countries want NATO to protect them from a reunified and stronger Germany.

Question 23

The permanent five,or P5,is an important group in which organization?

A)The Security Council
B)The North Atlantic Treaty Organization
C)The General Assembly
D)The League of Nations

Question 24

Before World War I,which countries were in the Triple Alliance?

A)Germany,Austria-Hungary,Italy
B)France,the Soviet Union,Britain
C)Germany,Austria,Russia
D)Prussia,Russia,France

Question 25

Which measures can be taken to increase the chance that states honor their commitments to defensive alliances?

A)Alliances can require a financial security deposit.
B)States can commit to an alliance by issuing public statements that generate abandonment costs.
C)States can allow third parties to enforce their alliance commitments.
D)States can use issue linkages to strengthen commitments.

Question 26

What type of organization can the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)be characterized as?

A)A bandwagoning alliance
B)An offensive alliance
C)A peacekeeping organization
D)A collective defense alliance

Question 27

How did European states "pass the buck" before World War II?

A)France created alliances with Poland,Czechoslovakia,Yugoslavia,and Romania.
B)France and Poland adopted defensive postures on the German border.
C)Britain pledged to defend Poland and France if they were attacked by Germany.
D)France,Britain,and the Soviet Union each hoped one of the others would prevent Germany from becoming too powerful.

Question 28

Gondor invades the neighboring kingdom of Mordor.After many years of war the two sides call a cease-fire.They ask the United Nations (UN)to send in troops to help maintain the cease-fire.This is an example of:

A)an alliance.
B)peacemaking.
C)collective security.
D)genocide.

Question 29

Why was the alliance system before World War I considered dangerous?

A)The alliance system created the Cold War.
B)The large number of allies increased uncertainty about what others would do.
C)Great powers failed to establish alliances to protect their security.
D)Great powers could not be trusted to deliver on their promises to defend their allies.

Question 30

In which of the following ways can institutions help strengthen alliances?

A)Institutions can enable states to signal their commitment to allies.
B)Institutions can eliminate bandwagoning during war.
C)Institutions can force allies to honor their commitments.
D)Institutions can lessen the risk of honoring an alliance commitment.

Question 31

When are alliances most likely to be successful?

A)When democratic states create alliances
B)When a large number of states join the alliance
C)When powerful states are interested in the outcome of a dispute
D)When states are able to credibly signal their strong mutual interests

Question 32

Which of the following statements about alliances is true?

A)Alliances are actors in their own right.
B)Alliances are institutions.
C)Alliances never act as a cohesive group.
D)Alliances are permanent.

Question 33

Why was Great Britain's role important in the beginning of World War I?

A)Britain's intentions were unclear,which made some leaders think it might join Germany's alliance.
B)Britain clearly signaled its intention to enter the war if Germany attacked France.
C)Britain clearly signaled its intention to enter the war if Germany attacked Poland.
D)Britain's intentions were unclear,which made German leaders doubt whether Britain would enter the war.

Question 34

Why did the Warsaw Pact form?

A)The Soviet Union and Germany wanted to invade Poland and divide it between them.
B)West Germany and France decided to form a common alliance against the Soviet Union.
C)The Soviet Union became more fearful after West Germany joined NATO.
D)The United States had pledged to restore Poland after World War II and wanted to ensure its security.

Question 35

What was the League of Nations?

A)An alliance created by democratic nations during World War I to oppose Germany and Austria-Hungary
B)A group of states that sought to remain neutral during the Cold War
C)A confederation of states created after World War I to act as a world government
D)A collective security organization created after World War I to prevent future wars

Question 36

Why did the "Long Peace" occur?

A)Germany reunited and created a balance of power with France until just before World War I.
B)The United States returned to its isolationist strategy and did not start new wars.
C)The Soviet Union recognized that the United States was much stronger and made significant concessions to the West.
D)The fact that just the United States and the Soviet Union dominated international relations meant miscalculations were less likely.

Question 37

In what country did NATO intervene during 2011?

A)Iraq
B)Syria
C)Lebanon
D)Libya

Question 38

The fictional Dalek nation decides to kill all of the members of a minority ethnic group living in its country.This is an example of what concept?

A)Bandwagoning
B)Genocide
C)A humanitarian intervention
D)Peacekeeping

Question 39

Which of the following is an example of the United States "tying its hands" to signal its commitment to its allies?

A)The United States stationed troops in South Korea.
B)The United States joined NATO.
C)The United States created several defense alliances after World War II.
D)The United States severed diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union.

Question 40

What is the trade-off between the credibility of alliances and keeping control of alliance partners?

A)The more control an ally has in forcing compliance,the less credible the alliance is.
B)The more discretion an ally has in honoring the alliance,the less credibility the alliance has.
C)The greater the integrity of the alliance partners,the less control the alliance has over those allies.
D)The more standing the alliance has internationally,the more control the alliance has.

Question 41

What is a humanitarian intervention?

A)When a third party joins a conflict to prevent its ally from losing
B)When a third party attempts to relieve a crisis involving human rights abuses
C)When a third party erects tariffs on imports to recoup losses from unfair trade practices
D)When a third party drafts a resolution of condemnation in the United Nations

Question 42

Which of the following are ways that collective security organizations can increase the prospects for peace?

A)They provide member states with the ability to veto other states' aggressive actions.
B)They offer foreign aid.
C)They provide mediators to help states reach compromise settlements.
D)They can offer weapons to the weaker side in a conflict.

Question 43

Why might states oppose humanitarian intervention?

A)Humanitarian interventions can undermine a state's sovereignty.
B)Humanitarian interventions are often biased toward a state's violent opposition.
C)States may fear entrapment.
D)States are concerned that protecting civilians will increase domestic dissent.

Question 44

Why is Srebrenica an example of the limitations of United Nations peacekeeping?

A)United Nations peacekeepers could not effectively monitor elections to ensure their fairness.
B)The United Nations could not convince any countries to contribute troops to a peacekeeping mission in Srebrenica.
C)United Nations safe havens proved to be breeding grounds for transnational terrorist groups.
D)United Nations peacekeepers could not prevent Serbian forces from massacring 7,000 Muslim men and boys.

Question 45

Why did the United Nations Security Council authorize its response to the Korean War?

A)The Soviet Union condemned the attack and took the lead in proposing the resolution.
B)The United States and the Soviet Union cooperated in the wake of the end of the Cold War to end aggressive actions by China.
C)The Soviet Union had been boycotting the Security Council meetings and missed the vote.
D)The Security Council members unanimously agreed that the attack violated international law and had to be condemned.

Question 46

Which of the following accurately describes how peacekeeping can promote a more peaceful world?

A)The presence of peacekeepers can reduce the possibility of a civil war resuming.
B)Peacekeepers have been able to stop genocides from occurring.
C)Peacekeepers are neutral actors who can negotiate bargains between two states and often avoid a war.
D)Peacekeepers usually achieve their goal of reducing domestic criminal conduct.

Question 47

Why did the United States' foreign policy after the terrorist attacks of September 11,2001,negatively affect the United Nations?

A)When the Security Council did not approve an invasion of Iraq,the United States ignored the United Nations and went to war anyway.
B)The United Nations opposed the war on Afghanistan,but the United States invaded the country anyway.
C)The United Nations did not approve of the invasion of Iraq but was discredited when it was learned that Iraq had sponsored acts of terrorism against the United States.
D)U.S.troops found Iraqi weapons of mass destruction that United Nations inspectors had not been able to find.

Question 48

Why do United Nations peacekeeping missions usually face limitations in what they can accomplish?

A)The countries where peacekeepers are stationed resent them because they have not given the United Nations permission to send troops.
B)United Nations peacekeepers are often seen as biased toward one side in a conflict.
C)United Nations peacekeepers are lightly armed.
D)Local populations often view United Nations peacekeepers suspiciously because they often fire upon suspected guerillas.

Question 49

Which of the following is an example of increased collective security cooperation in the post-Cold War period?

A)An increase in the number of peacekeeping missions approved by the United Nations Security Council
B)Unanimous Security Council approval for an intervention into the conflict in Darfur
C)The international response to the Rwandan genocide in 1994
D)An increase in the rate of terrorism since 1990

Question 50

Which of the following is an example of a peacekeeping mission?

A)A powerful country invades another country to stop genocide.
B)An international organization sends troops to stop genocide.
C)A group of countries together intervene to stop a humanitarian disaster.
D)An international organization organizes a military force to enforce a cease-fire.

Question 51

Recent tensions in Syria and Ukraine have led which P5 country to use its veto more frequently?

A)The United States
B)China
C)France
D)Russia

Question 52

Why did the United Nations support the United States' intervention in Kuwait in 1990?

A)The United States had a responsibility to protect Kuwaiti civilians.
B)Iraq's invasion into Kuwait violated international law.
C)The United States is a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
D)The United Nations would gain revenues from the United States' exploitation of Kuwaiti oil.

Question 53

Which of the following statements about the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)is true?

A)The UNSC is a defensive alliance.
B)UNSC agreement signals that the UN actions are supported by the world's major powers.
C)The veto rule helps the UNSC make swift decisions.
D)The veto rule prevents the UNSC from agreeing on anything.

Question 54

Which of the following states is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council?

A)Japan
B)France
C)Germany
D)Brazil

Question 55

Which of the following is an example of genocide?

A)Darfur,where an estimated 400,000 ethnic Darfuris have been killed by government-sponsored militias
B)Argentina,where the military government from 1976 to 1983 murdered up to 30,000 alleged leftist sympathizers
C)The Bataan Death March,in which 6,000-11,000 soldiers died from brutal treatment and murder
D)The war during the 1998-2003 conflict in the Congo,which caused the deaths of over
5 million people

Question 56

In which of the following conflicts did the United Nations authorize member states to intervene to protect civilians?

A)Rwanda
B)Kuwait
C)Libya
D)Korea

Question 57

Which of the following is a way that a collective security organization,like the United Nations,could help resolve a commitment problem?

A)The organization can force states to agree to a cease-fire.
B)The organization can provide international mediators to help negotiate a bargain.
C)The organization can place peacekeepers between two warring states to reduce the possibility of a surprise attack.
D)The organization can provide a forum for a peace treaty to be discussed.

Question 58

In which of the following ways has the United Nations benefited world security?

A)It has prevented states from engaging in aggressive military actions toward other member states.
B)It has facilitated common interests between members of the Security Council.
C)It has provided legitimacy to military actions in Kuwait and Korea.
D)It has prevented genocides in places like Sudan and Cambodia.

Question 59

Which of the following is true of NATO alliance partners?

A)NATO members share the alliance's burden equally.
B)NATO alliance partners have always been reliable.
C)The alliance partners did not all agree on a common policy toward Iraq.
D)NATO members disagree on how much each state is actually contributing to the alliance.

Question 60

Which of the following are costs associated with United Nations peacekeeping missions?

A)Peacekeeping missions have cost around $100 billion since 1946.
B)Member states contribute 50 percent of their defense budgets to United Nations peacekeeping.
C)States must give up their sovereignty if they accept peacekeeping missions.
D)Peacekeeping missions have caused an increase in civilian victimization.

Question 61

How did alliances contribute to the "Long Peace" of the twentieth century?

Question 62

If you were the leader of a country,what factors would you consider when deciding whether to enter into an alliance with another country?

Question 63

What are some measures states can take to limit the chances that they will be entrapped in needless wars by reckless allies? What are the potential consequences for alliances where such precautions are taken?

Question 64

How is international peace a public good,and how does this affect the likelihood of peace?

Question 65

What is the difference between peace enforcement and peacekeeping? Which one is more likely to be successful and why?

Question 66

How do collective security organizations promote peace? When are these organizations likely to succeed or fail?

Question 67

What kinds of credibility and commitment problems do states have when they join alliances?

Question 68

Although states are thought to have a "responsibility to protect" civilians experiencing humanitarian crises,what might prevent states from engaging in humanitarian intervention?

Question 69

Why has NATO survived after the end of the Cold War?

Question 70

How does the presence of an alliance alter the bargaining model of war?

Question 71

How did the alliance system contribute to the beginning of World War I?

Question 72

How do collective security organizations reduce costs associated with joint decision making and commitment problems?

Question 73

Why do states join alliances? What are the risks and benefits for states joining an alliance?

Question 74

Has the United Nations made the world a safer place than it would have otherwise been if the organization had never been created? Explain.

Question 75

How can alliances influence what states aim to achieve through crisis bargaining?