PS 7
Spring 2011
Dr. Nabulsi
Pierce College
Study Guide 1
Chapter Introduction
1. Which of the following is an ideal-type explanation that abstracts and emphasizes certain facts over others?
a. Perspective
b. Theory
c. Level of analysis
d. Method
2. Which of the following is defined as an “informed opinion”?
a. Morals
b. Theory
c. Counterfactual reasoning
d. Judgment
3. What is counterfactual reasoning?
a. Accidentally using bad logic
b. A way of separating mutually constitutive events
c. Asking what would have occurred if some event, X, had not taken place
d. When certain facts seem to occur with other facts
4. What is the primary emphasis of the liberal perspective?
a. Relationships and negotiations among international actors
b. The relative power of states
c. The ideas held by individual states
d. The decentralization of power among states
5. Perspectives are ideal-type explanations that do which of the following?
a. Are guided by our ethics and morality
b. Are based on experience and other factors beyond theory
c. Emphasize certain causes of events over others
d. deal with the complex variations of each theory, not with what theories emphasize
Title: ChIntro-06;F;p.2
6. The direction from which an explanation comes is called the
a. method
b. perspective
c. judgment
d. level of analysis
7. Which perspective focuses on the ideas that motivate the use of power?
a. Realism
b. Liberalism
c. Identity
d. Critical theory
8. Which of the methods uses counterfactual reasoning?
a. Constructivist
b. Rationalist
c. Both
d. Neither
9. Which view of ethics suggests that some moral values apply to all people at all times?
a. Relativism
b. Universalism
c. Pragmatism
10. Institutions, interactions, and negotiations are emphasized by which of the following?
a. Realism
b. Liberalism
c. Identity
d. Critical theory
11. Which perspective argues that it is difficult to explain events independently of the intricate social and historical
details that surround the event?
a. Realism
b. Liberalism
c. Identity
d. Critical theory
12. Which perspective is most likely to use the constructivist method?
a. Realism
b. Liberalism
c. Identity
d. Critical theory
13. Which perspective argues that the pervasive violence currently present in the international system is historically
unique?
a. Realism
b. Liberalism
c. Identity
d. Critical theory
e. Constructivism
14. Asking if World War I would have occurred even if Archduke Franz Ferdinand had not been assassinated is an
example of which of the following?
a. Judgment
b. Constructivist methods
c. Rationalist methods
d. Counterfactual reasoning
e. Informed Opinion
15. What would make negotiations among states difficult, according to the identity perspective?
a. If states did not participate in the same institutions
b. If states have vastly different levels of power
c. If states view themselves in diverging terms
d. All of the above
16. The attitude of “live and let live” is most suggestive of which moral view?
a. Relativism
b. Universalism
c. Pragmatism
d. Kantianism
17. When might the realist perspective have an advantage over the other perspectives?
a. When seeking ways to cooperate with other states
b. When trying to distinguish between potential allies and enemies
c. When in situations of threat
d. When sharing political systems
18. Which of the following accurately describes the constructivist method?
a. Causation is sequential.
b. Language and labeling are relatively objective.
c. Explanations derive from the logic of consequence.
d. Events mutually cause one another.
19. According to the realist perspective, what is a consequence of the decentralized distribution of power in the
world?
a. States must be prepared to defend themselves.
b. States are free to determine their individual identities.
c. States are more likely to help one another and cooperate.
d. States will join same institutions
e. All of the above.
20. Which of the following statements is true of rationalist methods?
a. They see events as sequential.
b. They view events as constitutive.
c. They view events with the logic of appropriateness.
d. They see events as inextricably bound together.
21. Why is the relationship between a slave and a master an example of the constructivist method?
a. The master “causes” the slave.
b. The slave “causes” the master.
c. The master and the slave mutually “cause” one another.
d. Neither the slave nor the master “causes” the other.
22. Which of the following statements would a relativist support?
a. There are absolute moral truths that apply to everyone.
b. Everyone is entitled to his or her own view of moral truth.
c. Absolute moral truth exists, but it should not always be obeyed.
d. None of the above.
23. The UN Declaration of Human Rights, which sets forth international human rights standards, is an example of
which view of ethics?
a. Universalism
b. Relativism
c. Pragmatism
d. None of the above
24. Which of the following characterizes pragmatism?
a. It can still support a concept of universal morality.
b. It looks favorably on compromise.
c. It is guided by practical standards.
d. All of the above.
25. An argument that emphasizes America’s religious heritage as a factor that influences its foreign policy reflects
which perspective?
a. Identity
b. Realist
c. Liberal
d. Critical theory
26. The argument that democracy is the only truly legitimate form of government but that the United States should
not pressure other countries to democratize reflects which view of morality?
a. Universalism
b. Pragmatism
c. Relativism
d. All of the above
27. If we examine the impact of certain American goals or strategies used by policymakers in the international arena,
which level of analysis is in use?
a. Domestic
b. Foreign policy
c. Systemic
d. Individual
e. Collective security
28. Arguing that the actions of a particular state leader led to conflict is an explanation at the _____ level of analysis.
29. The _____ perspective emphasizes the process of interaction, communication, and negotiation between states
and other actors.
30. The _____ method posits that labels given to facts and events are largely subjective.
31. _____ holds that there is no absolute moral truth.
32. For those who subscribe to the _____ view of ethics, the greatest moral good is compromise.
33. We make educated guesses about alternative paths that history might have taken by the use of _____ reasoning.
34. ______help us determine the primary cause of an event, while ______ tell us the direction from which that cause
comes.
35. _________ tells us only if one fact or event occurs/appears with another fact or event, but it does not tell us if one
fact or event leads to the other.
36. Why do the social sciences, unlike the natural sciences, rely on the use of perspectives?
A. (p.10) The two sciences deal with different kinds of facts. In the natural sciences, the objects of study do not have
minds of their own; however, in the social sciences, they do. The fact that the objects of study in the social sciences
think for themselves and hold their own perspectives means that we must be mindful of our own.
37. What is the main emphasis of the realist perspective?
A. (pp.5-6) Realism sees the world largely in terms of power struggles, with weak actors seeking to preserve their
interests while strong actors often seek to dominate the weaker ones. Significantly, there is no overarching source of
power in the world, leading to a decentralized distribution of power in which states must protect themselves.
38. What is the primary emphasis of the liberal perspective?
A. (p.7) The liberal perspective emphasizes relationships and negotiations among actors. It is interested in how
groups interact, communicate, and transact exchanges. The liberal perspective believes that established roles, rules,
and institutions largely explain the behavior of states.
39. What is the primary focus of the identity perspective?
A. (p.8) The identity perspective is interested in the ideas that define the identities of actors and that motivate their
behavior. Actors with converging identities, for example, are more likely to cooperate than are actors whose identities
are seen as diverging.
Type: SA
Title: ChIntro-40; SA;pp.3,9
40. What is the primary emphasis of the critical theory perspective?
a. Critical theories emphasize the historical political and social context in which events take place and argue that they
are often historically unique.
41. What are the main differences between the rationalist and constructivist methods?
42. What is counterfactual reasoning, and why is it used?
43. What is the difference between correlation and causation?
A. (pp.11-12) Causation identifies which facts or events lead to the occurrence of other events, while correlation is
simply observing that two facts or events appear occur at the same time.
Type: E
44. Compare and contrast the three views of morality. What are the potential problems with each of them?
45. How does the critical theory perspective differ from the other three perspectives?
Chapter 1
1. Which level of analysis is often called a two-level game?
a. Systemic process level
b. Systemic structure level
c. Foreign policy level
d. Domestic level
2. Aligning with, not against the greatest power is known as__________, while aligning to ensure that no one state
dominates is known as_________?
a. polarity, bandwagoning
b. bandwagoning; polarity
c. power balancing, bandwagoning
d. bandwagoning, power balancing
3. Which school believes that war is most likely to occur when an ascendant state matches the power of the
dominant state?
a. Power transition
b. Power balancing
c. Bandwagoning
d. Collective security
4. What is the balance of power?
a. A process that allows states to prevent other states from dominating the system
b. An outcome that creates an equilibrium among states
c. a and b
d. None of the above
5. What is a method of discouraging attacks by virtue of credible threat?
a. Deterrence
b. Bargaining
c. Collective security
d. Disarmament
6. Which perspective sees outcomes as zero sum?
a. Realist
b. Liberal
c. Identity
d. Critical theory
7. What is anarchy in the international system?
a. Perpetual war
b. The lack of a centralized authority that monopolizes power
c. The balance of power in the international system
d. Concentration of power in the international system
8. Social constructivists emphasize which of the following?
a. The shared elements of identity
b. Individualist aspects of identity
c. The role of social and political forces in history
9. According to realists, what truth about international politics is captured by the prisoner’s dilemma?
a. It is impossible for countries to cooperate.
b. States prefer war over cooperation.
c. War often occurs because states cannot rely on one another to cooperate.
d. Countries seek to threaten other countries.
10. How can a “long shadow of the future” lead to cooperation in the prisoner’s dilemma game?
a. It leads prisoners to develop converging identities.
b. It causes prisoners to expect the last move.
c. It makes the game zero sum, so that one prisoner wins all and the other loses all.
d. It allows prisoners to develop norms of trust and reciprocity through repeated interactions.
11. According to liberals, what changes the outcome of the prisoner’s dilemma?
a. Communication
b. Developing common goals
c. New technology
d. All of the above
12. If we take into account the individual characteristics of the prisoners, we are examining the prisoner’s dilemma
though which perspective?
a. Realist
b. Identity
c. Liberal
d. Critical theory
13. According to realists, what is a direct consequence of anarchy in the international system?
a. Self-help
b. Collective security
c. Human security
d. Preponderance of power
14. Collective security encourages which of the following?
a. Absolute power in one state
b. Alliances and power balancing
c. Nuclear deterrence
d. Collection of power in a global institution
15. How does soft power operate?
a. A state influences another through negotiations and diplomacy.
b. A state influences another through the threat, but not the use, of force.
c. A state influences another through the magnetism of its values and morals.
d. None of the above.
16. Alliance formation between states falls into which level of analysis?
a. Systemic process level
b. Systemic structure level
c. Domestic level
d. Individual level
17. According to realists, how does a territorial unit become a state?
a. It acquires more power than surrounding states.
b. It acquires a monopoly on the legitimate use of force within its borders.
c. It acquires the capacity to balance against other states.
d. None of the above.
18. Which of the following is not true of collective security?
a. It causes states to align against the greatest threat.
b. It encourages mutual disarmament.
c. It causes states to balance against states with too much power.
d. All are true.
19. According to realists, what is the fundamental difference between great, middle, and small powers?
a. They have diverging identities due to the size of their capabilities.
b. They develop different interests based on the size of their capabilities.
c. Greater powers support different ideas than small powers.
d. Only great powers are at risk for conflict.
20. According to constructivists, the construction of identities is determined by all of the following except
a. a process of discourse between actors
b. a cumulation of narratives that substantiate identities
c. interactions that lead to trust and reciprocity
21. Marxism argues that the rise of __________ will lead to a clash between workers and the rich industrialists and
give way to __________.
a. communism; capitalism
b. capitalism; communism
c. communism; democracy
d. democracy; communism
22. Postmodernists emphasize the hidden meaning in the political discourse between states.
23. Stalin’s 1939 pact with Germany—which at the time represented the greatest threat to the Soviet Union—is an
example of which of the following?
a. Power balancing
b. Bandwagoning
c. Collective security
d. Power transition
24. According to liberals, technology may affect the prisoner’s dilemma by doing which of the following?
a. Reducing the costs of cooperation
b. Increasing the benefits of cooperation
c. Both a and b
d. Neither a nor b
25. For realists, power is concerned with which of the following?
a. The influence of a state
b. Outcomes produced by a state
c. The material capabilities of a state
d. All of the above
26. To say that Poland has been frequently attacked because it sits in the middle of the European plains is to
attribute causation to which of the following?
a. Geopolitics
b. Norms
c. Polarity
d. Deterrence
27. When a state seeks power in order to defend itself, other states must follow suit, thereby creating which of the
following?
a. A balance of power
b. A security dilemma
c. A preponderance of power
d. Anarchy
28. According to realists, the balance of power requires that states align against which of the following?
a. The greatest threat
b. The greatest power
c. Both a and b
d. Neither a nor b
29. Realists see the outcome of the prisoners dilemma as _____, that is, what one actor gains, another loses.
30. _____ is the decentralized distribution of power in the international system.
31. Since there is no central power in the international system to offer states protection, states must rely on _____.
32. A _____ is a situation in which the possibility of war cannot be completely excluded.
33. The _____ is an outcome that established an equilibrium among states.
34. States often balance power by creating _____ with other states to counter the greatest power.
35. _____, the business of communication and negotiations among states, often results in _____, which produces
trade-offs and compromises.
36. ___________ is a critique of certain international relations approaches as being male-centered and as
overemphasizing power and military struggles.
37. According to the Identity perspective, the _______ identity is the international dimension and determines how
actors in the international system interact.
38. According to realists, how can the anarchical nature of international politics lead to war?
A. (pp.28-29) Because of anarchy, or the decentralized distribution of power in the international system, states must
rely on self-help for protection. In pursuing power, however, states inevitably find themselves in a security dilemma in
which they unwittingly threaten other states. In this situation, war is always a possibility.
39. According to realists, how does the balance of power work?
A. (p.28) To ensure that no one state amasses enough power to threaten other states’ survival, others align against
it. Institutional and ideological values are ignored.
40. For liberals, what are collective goods and how can they lead to cooperation?
A. (p.41) Collective goods, a kind of common goal that is indivisible and cannot be appropriated, can lead states to
cooperate because of their non-zero-sum nature. If states cooperate, all will benefit.
41. What is soft power, and how can it influence states?
A. (p.52) Soft power is the attractiveness of the values or ideas that a country represents. A state with soft power is
able to influence states by magnetism, so there is no need for force or compromise.
42. What are the internal and external dimensions of identity for a country?
43. What does it mean to call the foreign policy level of analysis a “two-level game”?
44. Why is Marxism considered a critical theory perspective?
A. (pp.53-54) Marxism predicts that the progression of capitalism will force the laborers to rise up against the
capitalists and demand change. The theory is predicated on an evolution or dynamic of social forces where the
unfolding of history is rooted in the historical context.
45. How do the perspectives differ in terms of identifying the primary cause of an outcome?
46. How does collective security differ from the balance of power?