Exam 4: Rivalries and Relations Among the Great Powers

Great-power war is not unique to the twentieth century. Long-cycle theorists assert that a rhythmic pattern of war and world leadership change has existed for the past five hundred years. Long-cycle theory is disarmingly simple, and for this reason it is not without its critics. Write an in which you critically evaluate long-cycle theory as a tool for understanding world politics.

Which of the following is not considered a cause of World War I?

What was George F. Kennan's argument in 1947 for the need to contain the Soviet Union?

In the years immediately following the end of the Cold War, bipolarity was superseded by a period of

When two overwhelmingly powerful states dominate world politics, the structure of the international system is referred to as being

A hegemon must

As the world's superpower, the United States risks creating a gap between its internal resources and its external commitments.

A condition in which the global system has a single dominant power or hegemon capable of prevailing over all other states is known as ____________________.

In his book Mein Kampf, Adolph Hitler urged Germans to

A cooperative agreement among great powers to manage the global system jointly is known as a concert.

Compare the system-level causes of World War I, World War II, and the Cold War. Are there consistencies? Given these historical examples, which type of balance of power do you feel is most stable? What is the likely future direction of the international balance of power, and how stable is it likely to be?

_____________ is a great-power grand strategy using economic and military power to influence only important particular situations, countries, or global issues by striking a balance between a highly interventionist "global policeman" and an uninvolved isolationist.

Long-cycle theory focuses on the rise and fall of the leading global powers in the modern world system.

One factor that contributed to the emergence of the Cold War was that the Soviet Union sought to expand its sphere of influence while the United States retreated into isolationism.

One factor that likely contributed to the end of the Cold War was the toll that the expensive arms race took on the Soviet economy.

_________________________ is a theory that focuses on the rise and fall of the leading global power and the central political process of the modern system.

Which president was responsible for instituting the strategy of détente with the Soviet Union?

An approach to foreign policy that relies on self-help and independent strategies is known as ____________________.

Which two events are commonly accepted as signifying the end of the Cold War?

The end of the Cold War suggested that it was virtually impossible for great power rivalries to reconcile their competitive differences unless warfare occurred.