Question 1

The idea that the United States had the right to expand across the entire continent is known as ___.

Accepted Answer

The concept of Manifest Destiny was the belief that the United States had a divine mission to expand its territory and spread its civilization across the entire continent. This idea was used to justify territorial expansion through conquest and annexation, including the Mexican-American War and the acquisition of California, Texas, and other territories. The Monroe Doctrine was a policy of non-intervention in Latin America, the Truman Doctrine was a foreign policy aimed at containing communism, and the Rule of Law is a principle of governance that emphasizes the importance of following established legal procedures.

Question 2

Attempts to contain the spread of communism was supported by the ___.

Accepted Answer

The Truman Doctrine was a foreign policy designed to contain communism by providing military and economic aid to countries threatened by Soviet expansionism. It was a response to the spread of communism in Greece and Turkey and was a cornerstone of the larger policy of containment during the Cold War. The other choices are not directly related to the containment of communism. The Monroe Doctrine was a policy that aimed to prevent European colonialism in the Americas, the Rule of Law refers to a legal principle of governance, and Realist Theory is a theoretical framework in international relations that focuses on power and self-interest in foreign policy.

Question 3

Realists want the United States to promote its own prosperity and also to do what?

Accepted Answer

Realists believe that the United States should prioritize its own national interests, including promoting its prosperity, but also recognize the importance of increasing security and developing hard power to protect those interests. Therefore, the best choice is D, which includes both increasing security and developing hard power as part of promoting national interests.

Question 4

Idealists are mostly associated with which type of power?

Accepted Answer

Idealists are more associated with soft power, which emphasizes persuasion, cooperation, and positive relationships, rather than hard power, which relies on coercion and force. They may also lean towards reflexive power, which involves critical self-reflection and the ability to challenge and transform underlying assumptions and structures. However, the question asks for the power type that is mostly associated with idealists, and soft power fits that description best. Therefore, the answer is B.

Question 5

Which of the following is an asset of soft power?

Accepted Answer

Soft power is based on the attractiveness of a country's values, culture, and prosperity. All three are important assets in promoting a country's soft power.

Question 6

What position did the American colonies occupy in the Old World Order?

Accepted Answer

The American colonies were seen as prizes over which the great European empires fought over during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Various colonial powers such as England, Spain, and France aimed to establish dominance and expand their overseas territories, leading to conflicts such as the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War.

Question 7

What did the Monroe Doctrine claim as far as the United States' role in the western hemisphere?

Accepted Answer

The Monroe Doctrine was a foreign policy declaration by President James Monroe in 1823, which stated that the non-colonial portion of the western hemisphere was a sphere of influence for the United States, and that any further European colonization or intervention in the region would be viewed as a threat to American national security. This demonstrated the United States' desire to be the dominant power in the western hemisphere and prevented any further European colonial plans in the region.

Question 8

Which region of North America was impacted through migration by the pronouncement of Manifest Destiny?

Accepted Answer

The pronouncement of Manifest Destiny, which held that it was the destiny of the United States to expand its territory from coast to coast, impacted the West region of North America the most as it spurred migration and settlement of the western lands.

Question 9

Which country's trade policies was the target of the United States' Open Door Policy?

Accepted Answer

The Open Door Policy was a diplomatic proposal made by the United States in 1899, which aimed to ensure access to Chinese markets for all countries equally. It was primarily targeted at European powers, but also included Japan, which had recently emerged as a major military and economic power in Asia. The Philippines and Puerto Rico were both under U.S. control at the time and were not the targets of the Open Door Policy.

Question 10

What was the Cold War?

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is C, as the Cold War was a period from the end of World War II until the early 1990s during which the United States and the Soviet Union were in a state of political conflict and tension. While there were various proxy wars and armed conflicts during the Cold War, there was never open warfare between the two superpowers.

Question 11

Identify containment in the context of the Cold War.

Accepted Answer

Containment was a U.S. policy during the Cold War to contain Soviet power and prevent the spread of communism. This was achieved by strengthening U.S. allies on the periphery of the Soviet empire through military, economic, and diplomatic means. The goal was to contain Soviet expansion and limit its influence on the world stage. The policy was implemented in various ways, such as the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe after World War II and the formation of military alliances like NATO. Option B is incorrect because it refers to a policy of rolling back Soviet power, rather than containing it. Option C is only partially correct as it describes a policy of selective engagement, but does not capture the idea of containment. Option D is incorrect as it refers to a policy of guiding the formation of a new world order, but does not explicitly address containment.

Question 12

What did the Truman Doctrine declare as being vital to the interests of the United States?

Accepted Answer

The Truman Doctrine declared that it was vital to the interests of the United States to pledge support to non-communist forces in order to keep the influence of domestic and foreign communism within countries at bay. This was a response to the perceived threat of Soviet expansionism and the spread of communism. The Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan were related but separate policies, with the former focused on containing communism and the latter focused on providing economic aid to help rebuild Western Europe after WWII. Choice A is incorrect as the Truman Doctrine was not about supporting communist states. Choice C is incorrect as the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan had distinct goals and approaches. Choice D is incorrect as only choice B accurately reflects the main emphasis of the Truman Doctrine.

Question 13

The foreign policy of deterrence referred to ___.

Accepted Answer

The foreign policy of deterrence during the Cold War era focused on building up a strong military arsenal to deter the USSR from initiating conflict by making it too dangerous for either side to engage in war. This policy was based on the idea of mutually assured destruction, where both sides had enough weapons to wipe out the other, thus creating a balance of fear that prevented war.

Question 14

Why was NATO formed?

Accepted Answer

NATO was formed in 1949 as a collective defense alliance in response to the geopolitical tensions and threat posed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Question 15

Why was the United Nations formed in 1945?

Accepted Answer

The United Nations was formed in 1945 as an international organization to serve as a forum for discussing international issues and to promote cooperation among nations. It also had major peacekeeping responsibilities to prevent conflicts and maintain international peace and security. While the UN does have some peace enforcing responsibilities, such as authorizing military interventions in certain situations, this is not its primary role. It is not a world governing council either, as its members are sovereign nations who retain their own political independence.

Question 16

What international trade organization has replaced the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)?

Accepted Answer

The World Trade Organization (WTO) replaced the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1995 as the international trade organization. The WTO serves as a forum for member nations to negotiate trade agreements and settle disputes related to international trade.

Question 17

What was the Bush Doctrine?

Accepted Answer

The Bush Doctrine, announced in 2002, emphasized the promotion of national sovereignty, security, and supremacy, even if it required using preventive war as a military tactic to ensure the continuance of these principles. It was largely developed in response to the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001, and aimed to prevent future attacks by preemptively striking at potential threats abroad.

Question 18

What organization exerts more control over the international price of oil than any other?

Accepted Answer

OPEC is a cartel of oil-producing countries that collectively decide on production levels to influence the international price of oil. Their decisions have a significant impact on the market and they have been known to cut production to raise prices or increase production to lower prices. Exxon and BP are individual oil companies that do not have the same level of control over the global oil market. WTO, on the other hand, is a trade organization and does not have any direct control over the price of oil.

Question 19

The oldest and most developed major trading bloc in the world is the

Accepted Answer

The European Community, now known as the European Union, was established in 1957 and is the oldest and most developed major trading bloc in the world. It consists of 27 member countries and has a single market, customs union, and common trade policies. NAFTA is a regional rather than a major trading bloc, ASEAN and the European Free Trade Association are both younger and less developed than the European Union.

Question 20

Who is widely considered to have been a key contributor to the development of the U.S. policy of "containment"?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Who is widely considered to have been...

Quiz 16: Americas Global Role in the Twenty-First Century