Deck 15: Looking Ahead at Global Trends and Transformations

Question 1

Unlike many of the hard sciences (such as physics or chemistry) the study of world politics

A) is not recognized as scientific.
B) focuses on specification, never generalization.
C) has no set of uniform, deterministic laws to precisely predict actions.
D) can never be useful in predicting future actions.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Interstate conflict is a threat to world security about which the global community should be concerned now and in future decades.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Transnational threats include

A) contagious diseases.
B) human and drug trafficking.
C) climate change.
D) All of these are true.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The UN's report, A More Secure World (2004), suggests that which of the following weapons does not represent a threat to global security.

A) Nuclear
B) Biological
C) Chemical
D) Internet

Question 5

In constructing your own image of the future of world affairs, it is important to begin by

A) thinking about the key questions that are likely to dominate international relations.
B) following one political theory and discounting those that don't conform to your beliefs.
C) join an international organization.
D) distance yourself from political science as a way to understand the world.

Question 6

To preserve peace, one must prepare for peace.

Question 7

Human rights law in principle provides unprecedented protection for people everywhere to live in freedom without fear.

Question 8

Across the globe, "military and intelligence organizations are preparing the cyber battlefield with things called 'logic bombs' and 'trapdoors,' placing virtual explosives in other countries in peacetime".

Question 9

Political science theories make it easy to predict future trends and changes in the global community.

Question 10

Millions of citizens are threatened by genocide and terrorism sponsored by their own governments.

Question 11

_____ said: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

A) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
B) UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
C) Niccoló Machiavelli
D) President John F. Kennedy

Question 12

Genetically modified foods are often presented as a way to solve global famine, but critics are concerned with public health consequences.

Question 13

Which of the following best describes the general agreement of the scholarly community about the study of international politics?

A) History speaks with sufficient continuity to make the scientific study of international politics possible and meaningful.
B) All scholars are in agreement about the superiority of liberalism to Marxism or communism.
C) There are few causal mechanisms at work in world politics.
D) All of these are true.

Question 14

Hendrik Willem van Loon considered _____ to be the most precious possession of the masses.

A) money
B) time
C) ignorance
D) illusion

Question 15

Despite changes and chaos, behavior by transnational actors is not random.

Question 16

There is no support within the international community for a global responsibility to protect those who suffer from mass abuse at the hands of their state governments.

Question 17

Pessimists would argue that a large percentage of humanity faces all of the following except.

A) famine.
B) poverty.
C) denial of basic human rights.
D) a brighter future.

Question 18

Which is NOT one of the six clusters of threats identified by the UN Report, A More Secure World ?

A) Internal conflict
B) Terrorism
C) International organization
D) Transnational organized crime

Question 19

Both state and nonstate actors are turning to information technology and the Internet as unconventional weapons of war.

Question 20

Today the threat of being attacked by the military forces of another country has receded, particularly in the Global North. Instead, a _________ of warfare has emerged in which states are pitted against nonstate actors in hostilities that lack front lines and clear distinctions between soldiers and civilians.

A) third wave
B) third generation
C) fourth generation
D) fifth generation

Question 21

Which of the following is NOT a consequence of globalization?

A) Elimination of conflict
B) Constraints on foreign policy behavior for those who are "plugged" into the network of global transactions
C) Global interdependence
D) Difficulty maintaining political will to support global initiatives

Question 22

Some analysts argue that the triumph of liberalism over other ideologies, such as communism, signifies the "end of history." Why? What threats still exist that may make proclaiming the "end of history" premature? What position do you find most persuasive?

Question 23

The period since 1945 has been the longest span of great power peace since

A) the fall of the Roman Empire.
B) the twelfth century.
C) the sixteenth century.
D) the United States Civil War.

Question 24

What technologies in recent history have given the world more security and improved quality of life?  What technologies have made the world less safe?  What technologies may provide more security and well-being in the near future?  Why are some critics so skeptical about the ability of technology to improve our lives?  In your opinion, should the world place more emphasis on technology as a way to solve global problems?  Explain your answer.

Question 25

What technological advances have provided positive benefits to the global community?

A) Agro-ecological innovations that enhance food production
B) Medical advances that cure and prevent diseases that were once prevalent
C) Alternative energy sources
D) All of these have provided positive benefits to the global community.

Question 26

How has the definition of human security changed? What new issues are now widely considered to be part of national security? Is the world prepared to ensure human security, given this new definition? In what ways have we made progress, and in what ways is the world falling behind?

Question 27

List the six security threats identified by the UN Report, A More Secure World .  Are there any threats to global security that you think were not included in the list?  Which threats do you think are most important to global security? Why?

Question 28

Globalization and the emergence of a common cosmopolitan culture has reduced feelings of _____.

A) independence
B) identity
C) autonomy
D) All of these are true.

Question 29

Which country is NOT one of the major players in space exploration?

A) Pakistan
B) The United States
C) China
D) India

Question 30

Although the future of the nation-state is uncertain, states are still the main actors in global politics. However, their status is being challenged by forces from above, through international organizations, and by forces from below, through devolution. Will states reach a point at which they are no longer able to perform their basic functions? If so, will states be replaced by some other actor on the world stage?