Deck 2: Interpreting World Politics Through the Lens of Theory

Question 1

Realism is important to study because it continues to guide much of the scholarly thought regarding international relations.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Constructivism is the study of how the global system is constructed or managed.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

A theory is a scholarly idea that is doubted and not observable.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

One major liberal criticism of the realist school of thought is realism's neglect of nonstate actors, which liberals argue have become major players in the international system.

Question 5

Consequentialism is an approach to evaluating moral choices on the basis of the results of the action taken.

Question 6

Balance of power theory posits that when all states are seeking to maximize their own power, no single superpower or hegemon will be able to control the world.

Question 7

Liberalism believes that global politics is primarily a zero-sum game.

Question 8

Vladimir I. Lenin maintained that advanced capitalist states would eventually cause wars as a result of the twin problems of overproduction and underconsumption.

Question 9

Liberal feminism is a category of feminism that sees women as experiencing a very different reality from that of men, and consequently holding a different perspective on international affairs.

Question 10

Liberals believe that intergovernmental institutions have no power to constrain state behavior, and states will only join these institutions when it is in their own self-interest.

Question 11

Feminist theory rejects the "idea that theorizing is 'objective'" for a more "perspective approach" to analyzing global politics.

Question 12

Realist theory of international relations is a very recent idea; there is very little historical basis for the concept of "power politics."

Question 13

Constructivism is a paradigm based on the premise that world politics is a function of the ways that states construct and then accept images of reality and later respond to the meanings given to power politics; as consensual definitions change, it is possible for either conflictual or cooperative practices to evolve.

Question 14

Constructivists tend to have an optimistic outlook on world politics, with a cooperative view of human nature and a belief in progress.

Question 15

When states agree that an act of aggression by any state will be met by a collective reaction from all other states, this is known as the security dilemma.

Question 16

The liberal school of thought supports globalization, commerce, and free trade as a way to promote peace and diplomacy.

Question 17

Those who espoused what is called classical realism include writers such as Morgenthau and Niebuhr.

Question 18

Dependency theory is the policy of expanding state power through the conquest and/or military domination of foreign territory.

Question 19

Liberal reforms after World War I stressed the ideal of self-determination, which meant that the states that lost the war were allowed to determine whether or not to continue to have standing armies.

Question 20

Realism is based in the assumption that states are unitary actors that seek their own self-interest in an anarchical international system.

Question 21

Which of the following was a criticism of the realist school of thought?

A) It was too idealistic.
B) It could not account for new trends in international relations, like economic cooperation.
C) It was too precise in how it defined key terms, like power and interest.
D) All of these are true.

Question 22

Which theory of international relations would be most likely to expect an international organization, such as the United Nations, to get involved in an international incident because of human rights violations?

A) Realism
B) Liberalism
C) Constructivism
D) Postcolonial feminism

Question 23

Which best defines neorealism?

A) State behavior is determined by differences in their relative power within the global hierarchy.
B) The inevitability of states to enter into conflict with one another.
C) People; therefore, states are evil by nature.
D) The arming of any state's adversaries to promote stability in the global system.

Question 24

The idea that the governments of states are subject to no higher authority is

A) national interest.
B) collective security.
C) state sovereignty.
D) balance of power.

Question 25

According to the text, a common critique of liberalism is that

A) international institutions are ineffective.
B) states are the primary level of analysis.
C) it places too much emphasis on moral rationales.
D) Both statements A and C are true.

Question 26

The typical result of the security dilemma is a(n)

A) balance of power.
B) collective security arrangement.
C) self-help system.
D) arms race.

Question 27

Which of the following is NOT an element common to the various schools of liberalism?

A) International institutions are important actors that can mediate disputes among states.
B) It is possible for states to achieve cooperative outcomes.
C) States are focused exclusively on relative gains and power.
D) Free trade gives states a material incentive to maintain peaceful relations.

Question 28

The theory of international relations that emphasizes shared ideas, identities, and open discourse is ______.

A) realism
B) liberalism
C) social constructivism
D) postcolonial feminism

Question 29

An international regime

A) brings some order to international anarchy.
B) is a body of norms that facilitates cooperation on a specific issue.
C) can apply to a variety of issues, such as trade, monetary affairs, and the environment.
D) All of these are true.

Question 30

Which of the following is the primary difference between realism and neorealism?

A) Realists focus on the selfish nature of individuals whereas neorealists believe human beings are naturally cooperative.
B) Neorealists believe that international anarchy, not the selfish nature of individuals, is responsible for the competitive nature between states.
C) Realists focus on national security issues whereas neorealists focus on economic matters.
D) Neorealists believe that states are naturally cooperative whereas realists believe that states are naturally competitive.

Question 31

Liberal thought says that

A) advocacy of global institutions is not desirable.
B) trade should be de-emphasized.
C) cutthroat, balance-of-power politics always prevails.
D) conflict practices used at home can also be used when dealing with international disputes.

Question 32

According to realist theory, the primary goal of every state is

A) to promote its own self-interest.
B) to negotiate alliances with allies.
C) to strengthen international collective security arrangements.
D) to limit nuclear proliferation.

Question 33

Which of the following is the best example of complex interdependence?

A) Global trade
B) al-Qaeda
C) The United Nations
D) Ethnic groups

Question 34

Which of the following best describes the liberal theory of international relations?

A) A theory that rejects the notion of power and self-interest as the only goals of states, and instead focuses on the importance of international institutions to promote cooperation
B) A theory that believes stability can only be obtained through radical and sudden change
C) A theory that focuses on our constructions of reality and believes that cooperative or conflictual practices can evolve as our perceptions of reality change
D) A theory that is centered around the protection of individual rights to life, liberty, and property

Question 35

Complex interdependence

A) is used by realists to argue in favor of relative gains as opposed to zero-sum gains.
B) stresses ties between transnational actors, not just states, and focuses on issues besides national security.
C) emphasizes security issues and the prominence of states in the international system.
D) is the result of states refusing to work together on global trade issues.

Question 36

Who of the following best represents a pioneer of the realist perspective on international relations?

A) Karl Marx
B) Immanuel Kant
C) Woodrow Wilson
D) Thomas Hobbes

Question 37

Which is NOT one of the three important applications of theory for policy makers?

A) Helps policy makers assess issues they face by facilitating their ability to discern patterns and focus on important causal factors
B) Determines which politician should be heard when debating policies in international relations
C) Provides a framework for conceptualizing strategies and policy responses
D) Facilitates critical assessment so that policy makers reach accurate conclusions about the successes and failures of a policy

Question 38

The tendency of states to view the military build-up of other states as threatening is known as

A) self-help.
B) balance of power.
C) security dilemma.
D) relative gains.

Question 39

Realists believe states are the most important actors in global politics because

A) states are unable to make decisions independent of international organizations.
B) international law recognizes nonstates as the most important actors.
C) states answer to no authority higher than themselves.
D) international organizations have no impact on global politics.

Question 40

The origins of liberal theory are grounded in

A) reforming the less-than-desirable conditions under which people live.
B) seeking political reforms to establish stable democracies.
C) questioning the lust for power as the main reason states engage in conflict.
D) All of these are true.

Question 41

How have feminist scholars been critical of other international relations scholars? Are their critiques justified?

Question 42

Which theory of international relations is completely satisfactory in describing international relations in the world today?

A) Realism
B) Liberalism
C) Constructivism
D) No single theory can account for all facets of world politics; we must draw on all of them to understand the world around us.

Question 43

Some in the liberal school of thought argue that t he conditions under which people live is an underlying source of international conflict, and to enhance prospects for peace, those conditions should be reformed.
(a) Who would a liberal theorist believe is responsible for reforming living conditions?
(b) What would a realist counter to this argument?

Question 44

World-system theory divides the world into

A) democratic and non-democratic nations.
B) core, periphery, and semi-periphery areas.
C) bourgeoisie and proletariat.
D) capitalist and command economies.

Question 45

Define the theories of realism , liberalism , and constructivism .  Which of these theories do you think best describes international relations and world politics. Why?

Question 46

What is the main concern of constructivism? How does it seek to expand on the theories of realism and liberalism? How useful is constructivism for understanding international phenomena?

Question 47

The theory of agent-oriented constructivism emerged to address what weakness in the social constructivist theory of international relations?

A) Social constructivism placed too much emphasis on the state, considering states the only important actor in international relations.
B) Social constructivism did not account for norms, values, and shared identities.
C) Social constructivism failed to address the complexities of state behavior, instead treating states as individuals.
D) Social constructivists assume that even in issues of national security, states will rely on supranational institutions to achieve cooperation.

Question 48

Which of the following is a weakness of the feminism school of thought in international relations?

A) The assumptions in traditional international relations theory are too dependent on characteristics that have been associated with masculinity.
B) Feminist theory challenges the material and individualist foundations of realism and liberalism.
C) Feminist theory has had little to no impact on any modern scholarship in international relations, with few researchers taking the theory seriously.
D) Because feminist theory focuses on interpretation of events, there are no scientifically testable hypotheses to determine its validity.

Question 49

Which of the following best describes the Marxist critique?

A) Socialism inherently produces unequal results and cannot be sustained in the long-run.
B) Capitalism has led to a class struggle in which the wealthy are far too powerful, and the working class has little authority over the products of their labor.
C) Human nature is inherently antagonistic and self-interested, and is the primary determinant of international relations.
D) Everyone should have all they need without having to do any work.

Question 50

Define theory .  How are theories useful in understanding world politics?  What applications can theories have in making international policy?  What are the drawbacks of relying on a single theory to inform policy making?