Question 1

What is a drawback to the historical approach to international relations?

Accepted Answer

A)  It ignores the normative element in political life. 
B)  The lessons of history may be misapplied. 
C)  Focusing on empirical methods may obscure some of the fundamental questions of international relations. 
D)  It can explain only older events. 
E)  There are no patterns of events over time.

Question 2

One reason political scientists develop theories is to

Accepted Answer

A)  understand the causes of events. 
B)  give direct advice to the government on policies to follow. 
C)  justify specific government policies. 
D)  influence citizens to support government policies. 
E)  predict what year the next world war will begin.

Question 3

The idea that basic concepts need to be deconstructed to find the hidden meanings underneath the surface in order to understand international relations is a characteristic of ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  behavioralism 
B)  postmodernism 
C)  realism 
D)  liberalism 
E)  radical theory

Question 4

What does Rousseau's story of the stag and the hare illustrate?

Accepted Answer

A)  that the "general will" governs states' behavior 
B)  that anarchy does not govern the international system 
C)  the benefits of anarchy 
D)  that states act based on their long-term interests 
E)  that states follow their short-term self-interests

Question 5

Which theory posits that states generally cooperate?

Accepted Answer

A)  realism 
B)  liberalism 
C)  constructivism 
D)  behavioralism 
E)  radical theory

Question 6

Behavioralists have proven all of their hypotheses on the causes of war.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

Behavioralism, one approach used in the study of international relations, posits that

Accepted Answer

A)  democratic states often behave in a warlike manner toward each other. 
B)  individuals, both alone and in groups, act in predictable ways. 
C)  rival states dominate each other through territorial conquest. 
D)  individuals and political institutions are innately good. 
E)  human behavior is random and unpredictable.

Question 8

Which of the following actors do not participate in international politics?

Accepted Answer

A)  states 
B)  international organizations 
C)  individuals 
D)  locally focused business associations 
E)  nongovernmental organizations

Question 9

Which of the following methods are used in the behavioral approach to international relations?

Accepted Answer

A)  the study of individual cases 
B)  the analysis of core texts 
C)  the use of empirical methods 
D)  the deconstruction of major concepts 
E)  discourse analysis

Question 10

Realism posits that ________ determines the structure of the international system.

Accepted Answer

A)  the distribution of power among states 
B)  the distribution of interdependence among states 
C)  the distribution of identities among states 
D)  the concept of sovereignty 
E)  economic class

Question 11

Which of the following is True of the international system today?

Accepted Answer

A)  The number of wars (both interstate and civil wars) has declined since the Cold War. 
B)  The number of interstate wars has increased, but the number of civil wars has declined since the Cold War. 
C)  The number of civil wars has increased, but the number of interstate wars has declined since the Cold War. 
D)  The number of wars (both interstate and civil wars) has increased since the Cold War. 
E)  The number of wars (both interstate and civil wars) has not changed since the Cold War.

Question 12

Posing foundational questions and seeking normative answers are characteristic of a ________ approach to the study of international relations.

Accepted Answer

A)  behavioral 
B)  postmodern 
C)  philosophical 
D)  empirical 
E)  constructivist

Question 13

What was different between the Vietnam War and the war in Iraq that made a comparison between the two not a perfect application of history?

Accepted Answer

A)  Unlike Vietnam, the conflict in Iraq was a short war. 
B)  Unlike in Vietnam, the United States engaged in state-building in Iraq. 
C)  Unlike Vietnam, American domestic support never waned in the Iraq War. 
D)  Unlike Vietnam, the conflict in Iraq involves competing ethnic groups' self-interest. 
E)  Unlike Vietnam, the Iraq War is not considered a quagmire.

Question 14

Philosophers help us understand international relations by

Accepted Answer

A)  providing one comprehensive theory for understanding international relations. 
B)  helping us make and implement policy. 
C)  not focusing on the relationships between individuals, but instead focusing only on the relationship between societies. 
D)  highlighting relationships between individuals and society. 
E)  setting aside the need to think about the normative elements in political life.

Question 15

Today's key issues can be easily understood without any reference to history.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

Using the comparative method, Aristotle concluded that states rise and fall because of

Accepted Answer

A)  anarchy. 
B)  the "state of nature." 
C)  economics. 
D)  natural law. 
E)  internal factors.

Question 17

The postmodern approach to international relations calls for an inclusion of traditionally "voiceless" actors such as the women of the Greenham Common Peace Camp.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

As an approach to the study of international relations, historical analysis

Accepted Answer

A)  is an outdated approach. 
B)  focuses primarily on the interactions of multinational corporations. 
C)  provides useful background to many contemporary issues. 
D)  is always a good guide for today's foreign policies. 
E)  is very similar to behavioralism.

Question 19

At least two key theories in international relations have origins embedded in the work of philosophers.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

Which of the following arguments might a postmodern theorist make about sovereignty?

Accepted Answer

A)  Sovereignty has multiple meanings conditioned by time, place, and historical circumstance. 
B)  Only strong states are truly sovereign. 
C)  Sovereignty is a powerful force in behavioral studies of international relations. 
D)  We can easily measure the concept of sovereignty. 
E)  We know the True meaning of sovereignty.

Exam 1: Approaches to International Relations

What is a drawback to the historical approach to international relations?

One reason political scientists develop theories is to

The idea that basic concepts need to be deconstructed to find the hidden meanings underneath the surface in order to understand international relations is a characteristic of ________.

What does Rousseau's story of the stag and the hare illustrate?

Which theory posits that states generally cooperate?

Behavioralists have proven all of their hypotheses on the causes of war.

Behavioralism, one approach used in the study of international relations, posits that

Which of the following actors do not participate in international politics?

Which of the following methods are used in the behavioral approach to international relations?

Realism posits that ________ determines the structure of the international system.

Which of the following is True of the international system today?

Posing foundational questions and seeking normative answers are characteristic of a ________ approach to the study of international relations.

What was different between the Vietnam War and the war in Iraq that made a comparison between the two not a perfect application of history?

Philosophers help us understand international relations by

Today's key issues can be easily understood without any reference to history.

Using the comparative method, Aristotle concluded that states rise and fall because of

The postmodern approach to international relations calls for an inclusion of traditionally "voiceless" actors such as the women of the Greenham Common Peace Camp.

As an approach to the study of international relations, historical analysis

At least two key theories in international relations have origins embedded in the work of philosophers.

Which of the following arguments might a postmodern theorist make about sovereignty?