IP Chapter 3: International Relations Theories

According to realists, forming alliances with other states is

A rational decision.

Realists argue that states are focused on relative gains because...

A relative loss makes them more susceptible to attack

The idea that aggression by one state would be countered by automatic and joint reaction by other states is known as?

Collective security.

Which of the following is consistent with theorists' view of sovereignty?

Constructivists believe that sovereignty is a contested concept.

Which of the following is true about theorists' view of state interests?

Constructivists believe those interests are not based on material factors.

All branches of liberalism treat the state as a unitary actor.

False

T or F: Constructivists like Alexander Wendt argue that knowing the distribution of material capabilities in the international system is enough to predict when two states will be friends or foes.

False

T or F: Dependency theorists believe that less developed countries will rise quickly now that colonialism has ended.

False

T or F: Radical theorists emphasize the fact that the meanings of objects and concepts are constructed through social interaction.

False

T or F: Realists view international politics as similar to domestic politics.

False

T or F: Theories are sets of propositions that prove the existence of particular relationships between variables.

False

That individuals are rational and capable of collective action that can help moderate or eliminate aggression is one of the central tenets of the foundations of ________ thinking.

Liberal

The idea that institutions such as the League of Nations and the United Nations will significantly change international politics is a product of ________ thinking.

Liberal

T or F: Constructivists believe that identities can change as a result of cooperative behavior and learning.

True

T or F: There are different realist arguments, some of which offer very different prescriptions for appropriate foreign policy.

True

T or F; Complex interdependence refers to a situation where there are multiple channels of communication between governments and corporations across state borders

True

T or F: Despite their many differences, both realism and liberalism view people as rational actors.

Ture

Realists argue that states act in a unitary way in pursuit of their national interest, which is defined in terms of

a desire to gain power.

A set of propositions that combine to explain phenomena by specifying the relationship among a set of concepts is

a theory.

Which of the following is true of the liberal perspective?

No liberal theories believe that cooperation will always occur.

When the United States supported China to exert leverage over the Soviet Union and supported Pakistan to offset India's growing power, this was an example of carrying out a policy based on the idea of _______.

Power balancing

Different theories disagree on the role and importance of economic factors in international relations. Which of the following is a correct portrayal of these theories' views?

Radicals think economic factors assume primary importance in shaping actions.

Which of the following is an essential assumption of realism?

States are unitary actors; there are no subnational actors trying to overturn the decision of the government.

Realists argue that states' concern with relative gains will undermine international cooperation. What do they mean by this?

States will be reluctant to cooperate, even for mutual gain, because their partners may benefit more, gaining additional power to use against them in the future.

Constructivists believe that state behavior is shaped by

Their identities

What differentiates liberalism and neoliberal institutionalism?

beliefs about what causes states to cooperate

The term international institutions is used by international relations scholars to refer to

both formal organizations and treaties.

Iraq's forced retreat and surrender to the U.S.-led coalition after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait is an illustration of

defensive realists' argument that few wars benefit the states that start them

Democratic peace theory argues that

democracies are unlikely to go to war with other democracies.

Many liberal theories believe that ________ and ________ can reduce the likelihood of war.

democracy; free trade

The radical perspective places emphasis on which of the following?

economics

Constructivist theory has

focused its attention primarily on social norms, ideas, and practices

Collective expectations for the proper behavior of actors with a given identity are known as

norms.

Following the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, Libya's choice to abandon its efforts to acquire nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons in order to hedge against potential aggression from the United States is an example of

offensive realists' argument that periodically fighting a war can intimidate potential rivals into bandwagoning with it.

The foundations of liberalism lies in the idea that

human beings are rational and social and can therefore develop institutions to cooperate.

For constructivists, a key source of power

ideas

By saying that identities are socially constructed, constructivists mean that

identities are influenced by the actions and discourse of individuals and states.

Realists view power as stemming from ________, while constructivists view power as stemming from ________.

material resources; discourse and ideas

The fact that the European Union provides an institutional framework that creates an expectation of continued interactions among its member states is a reason

neoliberal institutionalists argue cooperation is likely between them

Which theory argues that the amount of peace and war in the international system depends on the distribution of power in the system?

neorealism

China's creation of Confucius Institutes throughout the world in order to teach others about Chinese culture and attract them to their ways of doing things is an example of an attempt to use

soft power.

What are hypotheses?

specific statements positing a particular relationship between two or more variables

Which of the following is associated most closely with realist thinking?

state security

The liberal theorists with a "bottom-up" view of international politics believe

states' actions represent only a subset of domestic society.

A key reason why a constructivist would argue that Saudi Arabia and Iran support different sides in the Syrian conflict that began in 2011 is

that they have divergent identities

The idea that informal meetings, such as the one between heads of state Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India at Merkel's country retreat in 2017, can help to foster cooperation between those states is an argument consistent with ________.

the concept of complex interdependence.

The fact that, after being labeled as a member of the "axis of evil" by the U.S. President, Iran changed its policies from working with the United States post-September 11, 2001 to working against it best exemplifies

the constructivist argument that discourse can change state behavior.

The fact that India's development of nuclear weapons made Pakistan less secure, leading it to pursue nuclear weapons as well, illustrates

the security dilemma.

The idea that the international system is "anarchic," as posited by realists, means that

there is an absence of an overarching authority in the international system.

Some theories treat the state as a unitary actor, meaning that they

view it as having its own defined interests and choosing its own actions.