Deck 2: Realist Theories

Question 1

Thomas Hobbes belongs to the __________ school of thought.

A)Marxist
B)neoconservative
C)realist
D)objectivist

Answer 1

C

Question 2

A security dilemma occurs when __________.

A)budget constraints do not allow for proper domestic security measures
B)the actions taken by a state to ensure its own security threaten the security of other states
C)governments are unable to decide on a comprehensive security strategy
D)a state does not want to cooperate with another state but it is obliged to

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The idea that the largest wars will result from challenges to the top position in the status hierarchy is referred to as the __________.

A)security dilemma
B)power transition theory
C)hegemonic stability theory
D)strategy of deterrence

Answer 3

B

Question 4

A short-term element of power includes __________.

A)the reputation of a state for keeping its word
B)the ability of a state to shape other states' perceptions
C)the capacity to produce weapons quickly
D)the strength of a state's scientific and technological base

Question 5

Working through international institutions to achieve foreign policy goals is the preference of __________.

A)isolationists
B)unilateralists
C)multilateralists
D)realists

Question 6

Which factor is a long-term power resource?

A)preparedness of a state's military forces
B)loyalty of a state's politicians to their leader
C)quality of a state's bureaucracy
D)credibility of a state's commitments

Question 7

__________ are those who favor U.S.leadership and activism in world affairs.

A)Moralists
B)Internationalists
C)Realists
D)Unilateralists

Question 8

The most important feature of international relations according to a realist is __________.

A)international law
B)power
C)absolute gains
D)morality

Question 9

__________ is/are an element of power on which an actor can draw over the long term,whereas __________ is an element of power that allows an actor to exercise influence in the short term.

A)Economic capacity,geography
B)Technology,reputation
C)Natural resources,military force
D)Government,population

Question 10

Modern realist theory developed in reaction to __________.

A)the Cold War
B)idealism
C)Marxism
D)constructivism

Question 11

Realists believe __________.

A)states are the least important actors in international relations
B)states act in an international system characterized by anarchy
C)absolute gains are more important than relative gains
D)humans,by their very nature,are altruistic

Question 12

Anarchy in the international system refers to __________.

A)complete chaos in which every actor is on its own
B)the absence of structure and rules influencing state behavior
C)the presence of disruptive states triggering interstate conflicts
D)the absence of a central government that can enforce rules

Question 13

The ability to get another actor to do what it would not otherwise have done,or not to do what it would have done,is the definition of __________.

A)power
B)anarchy
C)rationality
D)realism

Question 14

With respect to power,__________.

A)it is not difficult to measure the power of another state accurately
B)the relative power of a state is more important to realists than the absolute power of a state
C)more powerful states will always defeat weaker states in a war
D)if a state's own values become widely shared among other states,it is harder to exercise power over them

Question 15

In 2011,Libyan revolutionaries fought dictator Muammar Gaddafi,eventually receiving support from NATO and the United States,leading to a rebel victory.This is an example in the altering of what?

A)state equality
B)asymmetric warfare
C)global influence
D)power estimation

Question 16

Conflicts between middle powers and smaller states can be resolved or contained by __________.

A)state leaders
B)economics
C)hegemons
D)diplomats

Question 17

The theory that focuses on the importance of the structure of the international system,rather than on the internal makeup of individual states,is known as __________.

A)neoliberal institutionalism
B)the English school
C)constructivism
D)neorealism

Question 18

What is a less tangible long-term element of power?

A)national borders
B)education
C)public support for government policies
D)mobility of the state's military

Question 19

What treaty is commonly thought of as the start of the modern international system?

A)Treaty of Versailles
B)Treaty of Paris
C)Treaty of Rome
D)Treaty of Westphalia

Question 20

According to the text,the best single indicator of a state's power may be the size of its __________.

A)army
B)air force
C)population
D)total GDP

Question 21

Plans actors use to develop and deploy capabilities to achieve their goals are known as __________.

A)foreign policy decisions
B)power strategies
C)bargaining decisions
D)negotiating decisions

Question 22

How does the great power system of the twentieth century compare with that of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries?

A)The great power system in the twentieth century was global,whereas the great power system in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries was European.
B)The United States dominated the great power system of the twentieth century,whereas France dominated the great power system of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
C)The Concert of Europe was a feature of the great power system of the twentieth century,whereas the great power system of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries saw constant conflict in Europe.
D)World Wars I and II were major conflicts in the great power system of the twentieth century,whereas the great power system of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries saw no major conflicts as Britain served as an effective balancer.

Question 23

According to power transition theorists,who argue that the most dangerous time for major war is when power is relatively equally distributed,a war between __________ and __________ would be an example of this dynamic in action.

A)China,the United States
B)Bosnia,Serbia
C)Russia,the Ukraine
D)Mexico,the United States

Question 24

Which conclusion can be derived from the data presented in Figure 2.2?

A)The decrease in global opinion about the United States was not correlated to the Bush administration.
B)The U.S.war on terror has led to an increase in favorability ratings among virtually all countries surveyed.
C)Global public opinion of the United States varies widely based on region.
D)Favorability ratings of the United States have continued to increase throughout the Obama administration.

Question 25

The fluidity of alliances is underscored by __________.

A)liberals
B)anarchists
C)realists
D)idealists

Question 26

Realists believe that hegemony __________.

A)causes instability in the international system
B)reduces anarchy and deters aggression in the international system
C)enhances the sovereignty of less-powerful states
D)tends to allow conflicts among middle powers or small states

Question 27

Which factors can explain why the United States is ambiguous about the use of multilateralism in its foreign policy?

A)America's superpower status
B)the cost of dues to multilateral organizations such as the UN
C)skepticism about the abilities and goals of national organizations
D)lack of the ability to disband international organizations

Question 28

Which is possibly a realist explanation for why states engage in balancing behavior?

A)They do not trust each other due to the anarchic nature of the international system.
B)They believe that a balance of power provides perpetual peace.
C)They are trying to maintain instability in the international system.
D)They believe that a balance of power ensures interstate cooperation.

Question 29

According to international relations research,a unipolar power distribution appears to be best at maintaining __________.

A)anarchy
B)conflict
C)peace
D)diplomacy

Question 30

The current constellation of power in the international system could best be described as a __________ system.

A)unipolar
B)bipolar
C)tripolar
D)multipolar

Question 31

After the Cold War ended,NATO forces were __________.

A)cut
B)expanded
C)kept stable
D)attacked

Question 32

A recent example of the principle of state sovereignty is __________.

A)rebel strikes in Somalia
B)Iraq's invasion of Kuwait
C)North Korea's violation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty
D)China's withdrawal from the international system

Question 33

Based on the logic of the balance of power,which of the following is a good example of an alliance that can be said to be currently balancing the United States?

A)North Atlantic Treaty Organization
B)European Union
C)North American Free Trade Agreement
D)United Nations

Question 34

The principle of sovereignty suggests states not meddle in the __________ and decision processes of other states.

A)alliances
B)maritime regimes
C)internal affairs
D)altruistic tendencies

Question 35

At the turn of the century,the Organization of African Unity re-formed as the __________,a stronger organization with a continent-wide parliament,central bank,and court.

A)African Community
B)African Union
C)Organization of African States
D)Africans United

Question 36

Most modern alliances __________.

A)are formalized in written treaties
B)concern military and economic issues
C)exist for one issue at one time
D)are often broken without consequences

Question 37

Article V of the North Atlantic Treaty calls for NATO members to come to the defense of a fellow member under attack.It was invoked for the first time when __________.

A)the Soviet Union and East Germany constructed the Berlin Wall
B)Ethiopia attacked Somalia
C)Serbs attacked Bosnia in 1994
D)the United States came under terrorist attack in 2001

Question 38

How is a middle power distinguished from a great power?

A)Middle powers can be large geographically but not highly industrialized,whereas great powers have the world's strongest economies to pay for military forces and other power capabilities.
B)Middle powers can be small geographically but not highly industrialized,whereas great powers cannot be small geographically.
C)Middle powers operate in a balance-of-power system,whereas great powers operate in a hegemonic system.
D)Middle powers do not have nuclear weapons,whereas great powers possess large nuclear arsenals.

Question 39

The general idea that one or more states' power is being used to counter that of another state or group of states is called __________.

A)bandwagoning
B)balance of power
C)dominance
D)containment

Question 40

Which is a factor that likely explains the choice of the United States to be isolationist or internationalist in its foreign policy in the twentieth century?

A)regional economic considerations
B)international hegemony considerations
C)American security concerns
D)international law and organizations

Question 41

The wealth of trust between the two prisoners is the most likely explanation of the Prisoner's Dilemma.

Question 42

Realists believe that states are the least important actors in international relations.

Question 43

Which type of state is most likely to face a danger of being dragged into wars over relatively unimportant issues as a result of extended deterrence in an alliance?

A)great powers
B)middle powers
C)small powers
D)client states

Question 44

A potential problem of forming an alliance is that great powers will be dragged into wars with each other if their respective client states go to war.

Question 45

A realist likely defines the national interest as maximizing material power.

Question 46

Which theory best describes China's policy toward Taiwan?

A)liberalism
B)idealism
C)realism
D)Marxism

Question 47

Prisoner's Dilemma-type situations occur frequently in international relations.One good example is the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

Question 48

Scholars have a difficult time understanding international alliances due to their immense fluidity.

Question 49

The argument that a dominant state can enforce international rules,avoid collective goods problems,and encourage peace is known as the democratic stability theory.

Question 50

Cohesion within an alliance tends to be highest in an alliance among states with divergent interests but a common enemy.

Question 51

The typical outcome in the Prisoner's Dilemma is that __________.

A)neither prisoner confesses,thereby assuring the best outcome for both
B)both prisoners confess,thereby assuring the best outcome for both
C)one prisoner decides not to confess,believing he can do so later
D)both prisoners confess,thereby assuring each is worse off than if they both did not confess

Question 52

Which statement is true about rationality?

A)Decision makers often lack information necessary to accurately estimate the costs of an action.
B)It is relatively easy to determine the national interest,because all states are interested in power.
C)All international relations scholars accept the assumption that states are rational actors.
D)It is easy to calculate intangible political benefits against the tangible costs of a war.

Question 53

Which is a concern connected to the recent expansion of NATO membership?

A)Consensus in decision making is becoming less difficult.
B)Enlargement may be seen by others as a threat.
C)Coordination and cooperation will become less difficult.
D)The costs of the organization will be larger for each individual member.

Question 54

Some liberalists have argued that introducing communication to the Prisoner's Dilemma in the form of a lawyer who can relay messages between both prisoners could change the payoff matrix in favor of cooperation.Applied to international relations,who or what could play the role of the "lawyer"?

A)a local neighborhood organization
B)a superpower such as the United States
C)a regional organization such as the South Asian Association
D)an individual such as a military officer

Question 55

How does a zero-sum game compare with a non-zero-sum game?

A)In a zero-sum game,one player's gain is by definition equal to the other's loss,whereas in a non-zero-sum game,players' gains and losses cancel each other out.
B)In a zero-sum game,one player's gain is by definition equal to the other's loss,whereas in a non-zero-sum game,it is possible for both players to gain or lose.
C)In a zero-sum game,both players win,whereas in a non-zero-sum game,both players lose.
D)Zero-sum games are more typical in international political economy,whereas non-zero-sum games are more typical in international security.

Question 56

__________ refers to a reciprocal process in which two (or more)states build up military capabilities in response to each other.

A)Compellence
B)Deterrence
C)An arms race
D)Escalation

Question 57

One implication of the assumption of rationality is that __________.

A)states are unitary actors that can think about their actions coherently and make choices
B)while a state can identify its interests,putting priorities on them is nearly impossible
C)states are very rarely capable of performing cost-benefit analysis on actions
D)states' decisions always have beneficial consequences

Question 58

India faces which of the following concerns with its neighbor China?

A)Both claim the region of Kashmir as part of their national territory.
B)China is blamed for Islamic militant attacks in India.
C)China is a major rival in the region attempting to exert strong leadership in the region.
D)India relies on Chinese pipelines to ship oil and gas into East Asia.

Question 59

Deterrence is defined as the threat to punish another actor if it takes a certain negative action.

Question 60

Logistical requirements of military forces often constitute a geopolitical concern for states.

Question 61

A(n)__________ refers to a situation in which what one player wins,the other loses.

Question 62

The foundation of realism is the principle of __________.

Question 63

The term __________ refers to the number of independent power centers in the system.

Question 64

A powerful state's utilization of threats to discourage attacks on weaker clients describes __________.

Question 65

The assumption that states are single entities that can think about their actions coherently and make choices when exercising power is known as the __________ assumption.

Question 66

According to the power transition theory,a superpower may initiate a(n)__________ war to ward off a potential challenger.

Question 67

The issue of __________ relates to the question of what country or countries bear the costs of an alliance.

Question 68

The importance of the Suez Canal as a strategic trade route is an example of __________.

Question 69

Traditionally,__________ has been the most important norm in international relations.

Question 70

Since the 1990s,the U.S.Congress has expressed skepticism of the UN and other international agencies,generally favoring a more __________ approach.