Deck 4: Levels of Analysis

Question 1

Mass publics can sometimes affect international relations regardless of what elites do.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

In bipolar systems,alliances are long-term relationships based on interests,whereas in multipolar balance-of-power systems,alliances are short-term relationships formed for a specific purpose.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Constructivists see state power stemming from ideas and language,but do not see it stemming from natural and tangible sources.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Like realists,neoliberal institutionalists and some constructivists such as Alexander Wendt see the international system as anarchic.

Question 5

For realists,a key feature of the international system is that

A) the United Nations has organized interactions among states.
B) some states can legitimately intervene in other states' internal affairs.
C) there is a clear hierarchy among states.
D) all states are sovereign.

Question 6

Many liberals see the international system as a(n)________ rather than a(n)________,a view that sets them apart from realists.

A) international society; international institution
B) structure; interdependent and evolving system
C) international institution; international society
D) interdependent and evolving system; structure

Question 7

According to constructivists,norms cannot be changed through processes of coercion.

Question 8

While geography,population,and natural resources are important sources of state power,they are not the only ones.Intangible factors such as a positive national image and good leadership can increase state power as well.

Question 9

Neorealist scholars argue that bipolar international systems are

A) less stable than multipolar systems.
B) more stable than multipolar systems.
C) just as stable as multipolar systems.
D) only stable if the primary states are superpowers.

Question 10

Conceptualizing international relations as a "system" suggests that

A) states and other relevant actors are automatons that lack the capacity to change.
B) there are no regular patterns to international affairs.
C) actors involved in international relations interact with each other in regularized ways.
D) you can only study the whole of international politics at once and not focus on individual actions.

Question 11

Realists believe that soft power is likely to be more effective than hard power.

Question 12

Only individuals who hold leadership positions can have a significant influence on war,peace,and international policies.

Question 13

Alliances in a bipolar international system tend to be

A) long-term,based on relatively permanent interests.
B) seldom established,given the overarching stability of the system.
C) specific in nature and short in duration.
D) constantly shifting according to military advantage.

Question 14

Which of the following is a norm of the balance-of-power (multipolar)system?

A) Alliances are formed for a specific purpose and a short duration and shift according to advantage.
B) Alliances should be fixed.
C) States should align together based on their economic system.
D) Some states are ruled out as potential allies.

Question 15

To what does the term "polarity" of the international system refer?

A) the hierarchy of issues in the international system
B) the gravitational pull of the core states
C) the distribution of capabilities among states in the international system
D) differences between economic and military interests in the international system

Question 16

Bipolar systems can be "balance of power" systems,but multipolar systems cannot.

Question 17

What are the three main levels of analysis in the study of international relations?

A) individual,state,system
B) individual,NGOs,state
C) NGOs,state,system
D) individual,NGOs,system

Question 18

Hegemonic stability theorists argue that stability in the international system is most likely when

A) the most powerful state works to lessen its material power and distribute it more evenly among states in the system.
B) the most powerful state practices a policy of isolationism.
C) the most powerful state is willing to refrain from wielding its military and economic power against other states.
D) the most powerful state uses its power to enforce norms to ensure the continuation of the system.

Question 19

For realists,the basic ordering principle of the international system is

A) anarchy.
B) interdependence.
C) cooperation.
D) international society.

Question 20

The personal characteristics of leaders can influence certain foreign policy decisions,but are not important in explaining war.

Question 21

Which of the following perspectives includes theorists that see the international system as characterized by order,which governs states' behavior by means of shared rules and principles?

A) realism
B) liberalism
C) constructivism
D) radicalism

Question 22

A state's power potential depends on its natural sources of power,the most important of which are

A) natural resources,industrial development,and public support.
B) geographic size,industrial development,and leadership.
C) industrial development,national image,and public support.
D) geographic size,natural resources,and population.

Question 23

Which of the following perspectives view states as pluralist arenas to oversee the competition of various governmental and societal interests?

A) realism
B) liberalism
C) constructivism
D) radicalism

Question 24

With regard to norms,constructivists argue that

A) all norm changes are transforming.
B) norms are fixed,and thus define the structure of the international system.
C) norms can be changed by the collective,but not by individuals.
D) norms are most likely to change through international institutions,law,and social movements.

Question 25

Liberal theorists like Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye argue that in an interdependent system

A) the United Nations is dominant.
B) states are sensitive and vulnerable to the actions of others.
C) states focus only on trade.
D) state power no longer matters.

Question 26

"Smart power" is

A) using soft power to influence others.
B) using hard power to influence others.
C) using a combination of hard and soft power to influence others.
D) using economic statecraft to influence others.

Question 27

Which of the following perspectives view states as sovereign and constrained only by the structural anarchy of the international system?

A) realism
B) liberalism
C) constructivism
D) radicalism

Question 28

Multilateral actions in world politics involve

A) pursuing multiple issues at once.
B) pursuing multiple policies to achieve the same goals.
C) coordination among many citizens.
D) coordination among several states.

Question 29

How do constructivists characterize the national interest?

A) There is one objective national interest based on material considerations.
B) National interests are socially constructed and constantly changing.
C) There is one single socially constructed national interest that is fixed.
D) There are several national interests based on material considerations.

Question 30

According to constructivists,what causes change in the international system?

A) control by international organizations
B) changes in military power
C) changing norms
D) global corporations

Question 31

With regard to "power" in the international system,constructivists believe that

A) power does not play an important role in the international system.
B) change in the distribution of power is the key factor explaining change in the international system.
C) only the ideas of powerful states matter.
D) the meaning of "power" can change over time.

Question 32

The influence that the United States wields by setting an example of a functioning democracy committed to civil and political rights is an illustration of

A) soft power.
B) hard power.
C) smart power.
D) natural power.

Question 33

The role that public support played in Afghanistan's victory over the Soviet Union in the 1980s helps to illustrate that

A) natural sources of power are more effective than intangible ones.
B) tangible sources of power are more effective than intangible ones.
C) intangible sources of power can overcome limited natural and tangible sources of power.
D) soft power is not effective in times of war.

Question 34

According to constructivists

A) systems are set by material structures alone.
B) systems are unchanging over time.
C) anarchy can lead to different outcomes at different times.
D) stratification structures systems.

Question 35

Neoliberal institutionalists view the international system as

A) anarchic.
B) a system that changes,moving back and forth between anarchy and hierarchy.
C) multipolar.
D) hierarchical.

Question 36

Power can be described as

A) the ability to control outcomes.
B) focused on only by realist international relations theory.
C) unidimensional.
D) nondynamic.

Question 37

Realists attribute changes in the international system to

A) changes in the power relationship among the main actors in the system.
B) changes in the leading states' types of government.
C) nothing,because they feel no real change is possible.
D) changes in the cultures of the world.

Question 38

Which of the following is true of liberals' view of change in the international system?

A) Liberals see changes in the relative importance of issue areas as one source of change in the international system.
B) Liberals see change as stemming from the fact that participants in global civil society are decreasing in importance in the international system.
C) Liberals do not believe exogenous factors can change the international system.
D) Liberals do not see change coming from changes in technological developments.

Question 39

Intangible power sources include

A) leadership,national image,and population.
B) natural resources,public support,and industrial capacity.
C) national image,public support,and leadership.
D) public support,leadership,and geography.

Question 40

According to realists,peace in the international system will prove elusive because

A) states have an interest in creating a unipolar system.
B) most states prefer to keep their sovereignty and thus have some risk of war over creating a unipolar system.
C) most states prefer to bandwagon rather than balance.
D) most states prefer to balance rather than bandwagon.

Question 41

Personality characteristics affect the leadership of ________ more than ________ because the former are less likely to be checked by institutions than the latter.

A) democratic leaders; dictators
B) dictators; democratic leaders
C) Democrats; Republicans
D) Republicans; Democrats

Question 42

Which of the following is true of mass action?

A) The masses,like elites,are controlled by formal institutions.
B) Without elites,the masses cannot affect the course of world politics.
C) Mass action,by definition,cannot be influenced by elites.
D) The exodus of refugees is one example of mass action influencing world politics.

Question 43

One function of perceptions in individuals' decision-making process is an "orienting" function.This means that perceptions

A) provide guidance about future expectations.
B) lay out relevant choices.
C) permit an individual to synthesize and interpret information.
D) stipulate goals.

Question 44

The Orange Revolution in Ukraine in 2004,which brought a new leader into power,is an example of

A) public opinion influencing world politics.
B) collective action of the masses influencing world politics.
C) groupthink.
D) the use of soft power.

Question 45

In reference to the 2003 Iraq War,some political elites argued that Iraq was "another Vietnam" despite critical differences between the two situations.This type of comparison illustrates the use of

A) groupthink.
B) a mirror image.
C) cognitive consistency.
D) an evoked set.

Question 46

Which of the following is an example of mirror imaging?

A) Americans viewing the Soviet Union as hostile and untrustworthy during the Cold War
B) American policy makers shunning those who didn't agree with them during the Cold War
C) Americans viewing the Cold War through the lens of World War II
D) Americans thinking Soviet leaders were similar to themselves

Question 47

A study analyzing Tony Blair found that he had a strong belief about his own ability to control events and a high need for power accompanied by a low conceptual complexity.Following Margaret Hermann's personality classification scheme,what type of foreign policy orientation does this show Tony Blair had?

A) independent
B) participatory
C) controlling
D) nationalistic

Question 48

One function of perceptions in individuals' decision-making process is an "integrating" function.This means that perceptions

A) provide guidance about future expectations.
B) lay out relevant choices.
C) permit an individual to synthesize and interpret information.
D) stipulate goals.

Question 49

Which theoretical perspective argues that power comes from both tangible and intangible sources as well as from ideas and language?

A) realism
B) liberalism
C) constructivism
D) radicalism

Question 50

Which perspective would argue that leaders' discourse about Iran's pursuit of nuclear technology made that pursuit seem like as a threat in the United States?

A) realism
B) liberalism
C) constructivism
D) radicalism

Question 51

Individuals with an "independent" (rather than "participatory")orientation to foreign affairs

A) have a high level of nationalism.
B) have little belief in their own ability to control events.
C) have a high need for affiliation.
D) have high levels of conceptual complexity.

Question 52

Groupthink occurs when

A) individuals in a group use evoked sets.
B) individuals in a group suppress the consideration of alternative courses of action.
C) individuals pressure other group members to pursue alternative choices.
D) individuals in a group do not satisfice.

Question 53

Which example would constructivists use to explain the rise of "new ideas" in Soviet foreign policy?

A) the role played by Lenin
B) the role played by networks of pro-Western reformers
C) the role played by the Soviet military
D) the role played by rapid Soviet economic growth

Question 54

Part of the reason Franklin Roosevelt and Mikhail Gorbachev were able to have so much individual influence on their respective countries was because

A) they drew on their experiences as former UN representatives.
B) they held firm to the principles of their predecessors.
C) their countries were in economic crises during their time in power.
D) they led their countries at times of domestic stability.

Question 55

Public opinion is

A) one way mass publics can influence foreign policy.
B) not important in analyses of foreign policy.
C) not considered by leaders of authoritarian regimes.
D) an example of groupthink.

Question 56

The psychological bias that leads individuals to select or amplify information that supports their existing beliefs and ignore or downplay contradictory information is called

A) groupthink.
B) mirror imaging.
C) cognitive consistency.
D) satisficing.

Question 57

When it comes to foreign policy and other international issues,leaders often pay attention to the dominant moods of the public,which can be measured by

A) television news coverage.
B) congressional voting records.
C) frequent referendums.
D) public-opinion polls.

Question 58

Which of the following statements is true of the study of individuals in international relations?

A) Realists believe the individual is the most appropriate level of analysis.
B) Even individuals who are not state leaders can have a significant influence on war and peace.
C) The extent to which individuals matter is the same across all IR theories.
D) There is no empirical evidence that individual leaders and their personal characteristics make a difference in foreign policy.

Question 59

Which two perspectives see the state and international system,rather than the individual,as the most appropriate levels of analysis?

A) realists and neorealists
B) realists and constructivists
C) neorealists and liberals
D) liberals and constructivists

Question 60

What limits the influence of public opinion on foreign policy?

A) Often the public does not express one dominant mood on foreign policy.
B) There are very few polls taken on foreign policy issues.
C) In dictatorships,leaders do not depend on public opinion,so they ignore it.
D) Only leaders up for reelection care about public views.

Question 61

Liberalism assigns relatively less theoretical importance to the international system than realism.Given this,what are the most important contributions of liberal theory to our understanding of the international system? Do liberals really care about the international system,or do their primary analytical concerns lie elsewhere? Explain your answer.

Question 62

Which of the three levels of analysis do you think helps us best understand events in world politics? In presenting your answer,be sure to discuss the costs and benefits of using each level of analysis,providing real-world examples to back up your argument.

Question 63

Choose two of the three key perspectives of international relations and compare and contrast their view of the state.Based on your knowledge of these perspectives,why do you think these different conceptualizations of the state exist?

Question 64

Using your understanding of the key ingredients of state power potential-natural,tangible,and intangible-and supporting your position with specific examples,choose a country and present an argument for or against the following statement: "________ is a powerful state."

Question 65

Compare and contrast the role that the individual plays in international politics according to realists,liberals,and constructivists.Which of these theories do you think best captures the role that the individual plays in international politics? Why?