Deck 7: Violence by Nonstate Actors: Civil War and Terrorism

Question 1

Which is NOT a potential "grievance" for a rebel group to mobilize around?

A)Lack of education for a specific group.
B)Lack of health care for a specific group.
C)Lack of political representation for a specific group.
D)Lack of access to natural resource revenue for a specific group.
E)Lack of access to native language for a specific group.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which country did the United States invade for hosting Al Qaeda in 2001?

A)Iraq.
B)Iran.
C)Afghanistan.
D)North Korea.
E)Pakistan.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

What is true of the Sudanese conflict?

A)South and North Sudan were marked by religious differences.
B)South Sudan controlled the major urban centers and wanted to break away from the rural north.
C)The bulk of the population lived in southern Sudan.
D)Most of the oil revenue was controlled by southern Sudan,leading the northern Sudanese to be discontent with the distribution.
E)Northern Sudan felt shut out of the political process of Sudanese politics.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of the following countries did NOT participate in the revolutions of the "Arab Spring"?

A)Tunisia.
B)Iran.
C)Libya.
D)Egypt.
E)Bahrain.

Question 5

What is NOT a reason why foreign intervention in civil war is important?

A)Intervention by a foreign power determines which side of the conflict is legitimate and which side is illegitimate.
B)Aid from a foreign source can determine the longevity of a civil war.
C)Intervention from another state can determine which side will win a conflict.
D)Aid from a foreign government can be fundamental to a rebel movement forming in the first place.
E)Foreign governments can intervene on behalf of the state to increase the state's likelihood of succeeding.

Question 6

An irredentist rebel group demands:

A)subnational autonomy over a region.
B)for a particular region to join another state.
C)control over the mechanisms of the state.
D)control over the economic resources of the state.
E)the ability to create an independent state.

Question 7

South Sudan:

A)was the first state to be created since the end of the Cold War.
B)has never been colonized by a European power.
C)was one of numerous states to gain independence since the end of the Cold War.
D)separated peacefully from North Sudan.
E)has yet to be recognized internationally as a state by others in the international system.

Question 8

A separatist rebel group demands:

A)subnational autonomy over a region.
B)for a particular region to join another state.
C)control over the mechanisms of the state.
D)control over the economic resources of the state.
E)the ability to create an independent state.

Question 9

How are nonstate actors unlike state actors?

A)Nonstate actors lack identifiable interests.
B)Conflict with nonstate actors tends to be "cheap" for the state.
C)Institutions cannot be used to resolve the grievances between two states.
D)Nonstate actors deal with unique concerns about mobilizing their members.
E)Nonstate actors cannot be fruitfully thought of in the context of a bargaining model.

Question 10

In 2006,the U.S.military's counterinsurgency focus shifted toward:

A)attempting to win the hearts and minds of the people.
B)search and destroy missions against insurgents.
C)providing large cash rewards for information on terrorists.
D)trying to convince terrorists to give up their arms.
E)increasing security by taking over control from local police forces.

Question 11

What might be a "grievance" that mobilizes a civil war?

A)Rich diamond mines exist in the country.
B)There is extreme and unequal poverty within a country.
C)The country has a booming oil industry.
D)The government is too weak to fend off a rebel group.
E)The government cannot stop a rebel group from growing narcotics to fund its activities.

Question 12

What is NOT true of the civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)?

A)The conflict was partly spawned out of the conflict in Rwanda.
B)Rwanda helped arm a nonstate actor within the DRC.
C)The rebels were successful in overthrowing the existing government in the DRC.
D)Many different rebel groups were involved in the fighting over the course of the conflict.
E)Neighboring states,afraid of being embroiled in a larger conflict,refused to intervene in the DRC.

Question 13

Which example demonstrates a nonstate actor facing a collective action problem?

A)The U.S.government trying to convince people to turn out and vote in an upcoming election.
B)A student group collecting signatures for a petition to stop environmental damage.
C)Al Qaeda releasing a new video on the Internet.
D)The Iraqi government collecting taxes from its citizens.
E)The United Nations releasing a new report on human rights abuses in the United States.

Question 14

What was true of both the U.S.invasion of Iraq and that of Afghanistan?

A)The conventional war between the United States and the host governments was the longest part of the conflict for the United States.
B)The conventional war between the United States and the host governments was the shortest part of the conflict for the United States.
C)The United States had no intention of invading either country but was forced to when rebel troops from those countries entered the United States.
D)The United States did not have a clear opponent in the initial phase of either conflict.
E)The United States did not face state military forces in either of the conflicts.

Question 15

Which of the following is an example of a civil war?

A)The United States fighting against the Taliban in Afghanistan.
B)Spain being attacked by Al Qaeda in Madrid.
C)Iraqi Security Forces fighting against Shia Islamists in southeastern Iraq.
D)A border skirmish between Colombia and Venezuela.
E)Great Britain colonizing the Falkland Islands.

Question 16

Which of the following is an example of a proxy war?

A)The Confederacy declaring independence from the United States to start the U.S.Civil War.
B)The United States invading Iraq to remove Saddam Hussein from power.
C)China sending troops into Tibet to ensure the region remains a part of China despite independence movements there.
D)The United States going to war in Afghanistan as a reaction to the government there harboring terrorists after 9/11.
E)China giving help to North Korea and the United States giving help to South Korea during the Korean War.

Question 17

The Rebel Alliance has started a civil war against the Empire in order to restore the previous republican form of government.The Alliance wants to keep the nation as one but with a new,more democratic government.This is an example of what problem for bargaining in civil wars?

A)Information asymmetries.
B)Commitment problems.
C)Issue indivisibilities.
D)International intervention.
E)Brinkmanship bargaining.

Question 18

In an attempt to gain independence for their peoples,two different rebel groups have formed.Both claim to speak with the will of the oppressed in the territory.This is an example of what problem of bargaining?

A)Information asymmetries.
B)Commitment problems.
C)Issue indivisibilities.
D)International intervention.
E)Brinkmanship bargaining.

Question 19

Which of the following is a reason that retaliating against terrorism is so difficult?

A)States do not have sufficient military intelligence to find terrorists.
B)Terrorist attacks primarily happen in rural areas where terrorists can easily hide in surrounding countryside.
C)Terrorists rarely take credit for their work to prevent retaliation from occurring.
D)There are few international agreements on terrorism and so the appropriate response is not codified in law.
E)The threat of retaliation may not be credible because terrorists often hide in populous areas.

Question 20

Why do violent nonstate actors,such as rebel and terrorist groups,face difficulty mobilizing people to join their cause?

A)They cannot prove to people that their cause is justified.
B)People rarely support the use of violence against the state.
C)They are irrational and do not pursue policies that maximize their welfare.
D)The cost of participating in the group is often higher than the perceived benefits.
E)People tend not to realize that joining a rebel group is really in their best interest.

Question 21

While economic downturns typically weaken a state's position in bargaining,they are:

A)empowering in the long run.
B)likely to hurt the rebels just as much.
C)rare in countries experiencing civil war.
D)usually only temporary.
E)usually mitigated by international intervention.

Question 22

The best way to reduce the likelihood of civil war is:

A)disarming governments.
B)disarming rebels.
C)encouraging economic development and democratization.
D)preventing other parties from intervening in conflicts.
E)establishing effective international institutions that can abolish war.

Question 23

When the United States and Cuba signed an agreement in 1973 to return any hijackers to the country from which they fled,that was an example of which method of dealing with terrorism?

A)Negotiation and compromise.
B)Criminalization.
C)Ignoring terrorists.
D)Defensive measures.
E)Preemption.

Question 24

In 2006,the U.S.military's counterinsurgency focus shifted away from:

A)attempting to win the hearts and minds of the people.
B)search and destroy missions against insurgents.
C)providing safe zones for civilians.
D)creating secure spaces for economic reconstruction.
E)increasing security by doing joint patrols with army and police forces.

Question 25

A rebel group hiding its true strength is likely to cause what problems for bargaining?

A)Information asymmetries.
B)Commitment problems.
C)Issue indivisibilities.
D)International intervention.
E)Brinkmanship bargaining.

Question 26

International efforts help to address fundamental problems in civil wars in all the following ways EXCEPT:

A)providing arms to make up for any disparity between the actors.
B)resolving commitment problems that occur after a cease-fire.
C)credibly guaranteeing the safety of disarmed rebels.
D)reconstructing the economic and political foundations of a country.
E)monitoring post-conflict elections.

Question 27

What is an alternative to the contagion hypothesis for why civil wars tend to cluster regionally?

A)A rebellion in one country might inspire like-minded groups in neighboring states to engage in civil war.
B)Armed groups operating in one country might cross into a neighboring state and engage in violence there.
C)States finance domestic oppositions in their neighbors' territories.
D)Poor countries are likely to be located in similar regions of the world.
E)Civil wars cause refugees to spread across state boundaries and create conditions that facilitate the emergence of new civil wars.

Question 28

Terrorists:

A)tend to be moderates.
B)do not pursue their interests.
C)lack goals.
D)are irrational.
E)are rational.

Question 29

What is NOT an international factor explaining rebel group mobilization?

A)A foreign government shares the interests of a rebel group and decides to intervene.
B)The international system is anarchic.
C)A foreign government has existing conflict with the state and wants to weaken the state's position.
D)Supporting the rebels is cheaper than other foreign policy alternatives.
E)A state would rather not directly fight a government and would prefer to use the rebel group as a proxy.

Question 30

The majority of civil wars end:

A)with one side winning the conflict.
B)in stalemate.
C)with the two sides reaching their own negotiated settlement.
D)with international intervention leading to a negotiated settlement.
E)with peacekeeping forces maintaining a settlement.

Question 31

Insurgents:

A)are primarily concerned in taking military objectives against a conventional army.
B)are primarily focused on capturing civilian territory.
C)fight conventional battles against state armies.
D)rarely wear distinctive uniforms and attempt to blend in with the population.
E)win by defeating opposing military forces.

Question 32

Which of the following demonstrates the contagion hypothesis of civil war?

A)A civil war in a country may inspire rebels in a neighboring country.
B)Civil war is a random event,and clustering is likely to occur over large enough samples.
C)Good institutions in one country deter the rise of civil war in neighboring countries,even if they have bad institutions.
D)A rebel group may use a neighboring state as a base of operations.
E)Radio and television waves often cross national boundaries,spreading the possibility of conflict.

Question 33

What is NOT a group-level explanation for rebel group mobilization?

A)Cohesion and trust individuals have toward each other.
B)Shared religion or culture between members.
C)Easy access to exploitable natural resources.
D)The ability to harvest and sell black-market goods.
E)Funding from a neighboring state.

Question 34

Violence by nonstate groups for political ends counts as terrorism if it is committed against any of the following targets EXCEPT:

A)civilians.
B)politicians.
C)business executives.
D)soldiers.
E)police.

Question 35

Why are rebel groups reluctant to lay down their arms for peace?

A)They do not know if they will be getting a good deal.
B)They are not sure how powerful the state really is.
C)They have other occupations,such as hunting and policing,that require their weapons.
D)They would rather be able to sell their weapons to another rebel group in a neighboring state.
E)They cannot be sure that the government will keep to a deal once they are disarmed.

Question 36

The inherent political weakness in terrorist groups generally:

A)allows them to beat governments.
B)encourages hierarchical command structures.
C)encourages decentralized,network-based command structures.
D)allows them to directly confront military targets.
E)is only short term.

Question 37

Economic downturns are likely to cause what kind of bargaining problems for rebels and states?

A)Information asymmetries.
B)Commitment problems.
C)Issue indivisibilities.
D)International intervention.
E)Brinkmanship bargaining.

Question 38

The Taliban in Afghanistan has NOT:

A)attacked civilians.
B)attacked from civilian areas,hoping the United States will inadvertently kill those civilians in response.
C)attacked police stations and other government buildings.
D)offered protection to civilians against U.S.violence.
E)allied with neighboring state governments such as India and China.

Question 39

Which of the following is an example of a rebel group facing a commitment problem within the group?

A)A state cannot guarantee it will not wipe out a rebel group once they lay down their weapons.
B)The rebel group refuses to show how strong it really is.
C)A rebel leader cannot force other rebels to abide by an agreement.
D)A rebel leader refuses to negotiate with another state.
E)A rebel leader rejects an offer for autonomy,as the group would rather control the whole country instead.

Question 40

Why does Russia continue to engage in a costly war against Chechnya instead of granting it autonomy?

A)Russia believes that if appeased,the Chechnyans would just ask for more.
B)Other potential separatists would then start their own campaigns for independence.
C)Russia does not have the authority to grant autonomy to republics.
D)Russia is concerned that Chechnya would not be able to exist on its own.
E)The value of Chechnyan territory is worth the cost of a bloody war.

Question 41

Which is NOT an effective state response for deterring terrorism?

A)Negotiation and compromise.
B)Criminalization.
C)Ignoring terrorists.
D)Defensive measures.
E)Preemption.

Question 42

What can international actors do to prevent civil war? What can they do to stop an ongoing civil war? How do international actors sometimes make civil wars more likely,and how do they sometimes make civil wars worse?

Question 43

Al Qaeda was primarily created:

A)hundreds of years ago by Islamic clerics.
B)shortly after the 9/11 attacks to continue the campaign against the United States.
C)in 2003,after the United States invaded Iraq.
D)during the 1980s,while the Soviet Union was fighting in Afghanistan.
E)during the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s.

Question 44

States refusing to negotiate with terrorists are trying to overcome what kind of problem created by bargaining with terrorists?

A)Information asymmetries.
B)Commitment problems.
C)Issue indivisibilities.
D)International intervention.
E)Brinkmanship bargaining.

Question 45

Why do some grievances lead to civil war and others do not?

Question 46

Terrorist groups being unable to rein in "loose cannons" represent what kind of threat to bargaining?

A)Information asymmetries.
B)Commitment problems.
C)Issue indivisibilities.
D)International intervention.
E)Brinkmanship bargaining.

Question 47

If Al Qaeda demanded that the leadership of the United States converted to Islam,what kind of bargaining problem would this represent?

A)Information asymmetries.
B)Commitment problems.
C)Issue indivisibilities.
D)International intervention.
E)Brinkmanship bargaining.

Question 48

Attacking a vulnerable population within a state in an attempt to encourage retaliation by the state is an example of which terrorist tactic?

A)Coercion.
B)Spoiling.
C)Outbidding.
D)Provocation.
E)Propagandizing.

Question 49

What characteristics of a state make civil war more likely and why?

Question 50

How do different types of rebel demands (separatism,revolution,irredentism)change the nature of the conflict,and how do the strategies that states use to respond to rebel groups change based on the nature of the demands?

Question 51

Al Qaeda became dissatisfied with Saudi Arabia when it:

A)invited U.S.troops in to defend the Kingdom in 1991.
B)participated in the oil embargo against the United States.
C)refused to aid the mujahideen in Afghanistan during the 1980s.
D)began to democratize in the late 1990s.
E)supported Iraq in the first Gulf War.

Question 52

Why did the civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo last for so long?

Question 53

Threatening to destroy a national monument unless a state reverses a particular policy is an example of which terrorist tactic?

A)Coercion.
B)Spoiling.
C)Outbidding.
D)Provocation.
E)Propagandizing.

Question 54

What is NOT a traditional way in which terrorists can achieve their aims?

A)Coercion.
B)Spoiling.
C)Outbidding.
D)Provocation.
E)Conquering.

Question 55

Why might terrorists have to engage in violence before bargaining even starts?

A)They cannot be considered terrorists until they commit violence.
B)It is the only way a state will recognize that they have legitimate grievances.
C)It shows the state they have tried nonviolent alternatives first.
D)Specifying threats can undermine their capability to carry those actions out.
E)A state will not know who credibly speaks for the larger population until the group is identified as terrorist.

Question 56

How do rebels overcome the collective action problem? What strategies are the most successful and why?

Question 57

Starting a new bombing campaign to demonstrate the strength of a terrorist group to a particular audience and discourage audience members from supporting a rival group is an example of which terrorist tactic?

A)Coercion.
B)Spoiling.
C)Outbidding.
D)Provocation.
E)Propagandizing.

Question 58

Airport security measures and armed guards at national monuments are examples of what tactic to combat terrorism?

A)Negotiation and compromise.
B)Criminalization.
C)Ignoring terrorists.
D)Defensive measures.
E)Preemption.

Question 59

Committing a terrorist attack in an effort to derail a peace negotiation is an example of which terrorist tactic?

A)Coercion.
B)Spoiling.
C)Outbidding.
D)Provocation.
E)Propagandizing.

Question 60

Which is NOT a grievance articulated by Al Qaeda?

A)The United States backs dictatorial governments in the Middle East.
B)The United States supports Israel.
C)The United States has military bases in Saudi Arabia.
D)Non-Islamist governments exist in the Muslim world.
E)The United States is a capitalist society.

Question 61

Can states effectively prevent or deter terrorism? Why or why not?

Question 62

Will the United States ever be able to completely eliminate Al Qaeda? Elaborate on your reasoning.

Question 63

In what ways are rebels and terrorists similar? In what ways are they different?

Question 64

Why are civil wars concentrated in particular regions of the world?

Question 65

When is terrorism most likely to be adopted by a group as a strategy? Why would a group adopt terrorism instead of insurgency? When would a group conduct both?

Question 66

Explain two different strategies terrorists adopt to achieve their goals.When might one strategy be superior to the other?

Question 67

How do rebels fight civil wars? What methods are available for states to fight back against rebel groups in a civil war? Which do you believe to be the most likely to succeed and why?