Free Theories of International Relations MCQs with Answers

• A. Very important, as it determines how, or if, a balance of power emerges
• B. Very important, as it determines if balance of power emerges naturally or must be constructed
• C. Important, but not crucial to realist understandings of world politics
• D. Very important because it determines how, or if, a balance of power emerges and it determines if balance of power emerges naturally or must be constructedTake Economics Courses

Explanation: The security dilemma is central to realism because one state's defensive measures can alarm others and stimulate countermeasures.

• A. It is the responsibility realists have towards the world; this creates a more realistic scene in world politics
• B. It marks the limits of ethics in international relations, this results in decision-makers weighing up consequences and sometimes expecting positive outcomes of amoral actions
• C. It is a vow politicians take, which requires them to take responsibility for the ethics of their international actions
• D. None of the options given are correctRead Political News

Explanation: Weber's ethic of responsibility asks political leaders to judge the foreseeable consequences of action rather than rely only on moral…

• A. The state is the most important actor of international politics and sovereignty is its distinguishing trait
• B. The state will always seek to ensure its survival in a perilous international environment
• C. The state behaves morally and in accordance to what its population's values are
• D. The state is the most important actor of international politics, sovereignty is its distinguishing trait and the state will always seek to ensure its survival in a perilous international environment

Explanation: Realism treats the sovereign state as the primary international actor and sees survival as its overriding aim in a dangerous, anarchic…

• A. States define national interest depending on its people's priorities
• B. States prioritize national interest insofar as they guarantee the state's survival
• C. Realists see national interest as homologous to regional interests
• D. National interest is determined by its degree of economic profitability

Explanation: Realists define the national interest chiefly through the state's need to preserve its survival and security.

• A. there is no point in communication or cooperation between the players because their interests are diametrically opposed
• B. communication between players is rare because their interests are already in sync
• C. there is no point in communication or cooperation between the players because their interests are already in sync
• D. coordination of moves can maximize the total payoff to the players

Explanation: In a zero-sum game, one player's gain equals another's loss, so the players have directly opposed interests and cannot increase their…

• A. the policy of containment
• B. realist philosophy
• C. neorealist strategy
• D. the policy of appeasement

Explanation: The Munich Agreement allowed Hitler to annex the Sudetenland in the hope that satisfying his demands would preserve peace.

• A. population
• B. real GDP
• C. geography
• D. military force

Explanation: Realists emphasize military force as the most immediately usable form of national power because it can directly influence security and…

• A. military spending
• B. geographic size
• C. population
• D. money

Explanation: Money is highly fungible because it can be converted into many different capabilities, including weapons, intelligence, diplomacy or…

• A. Power distribution
• B. Power center
• C. Power shift
• D. Polarity

Explanation: Polarity classifies an international system by the number of major independent power centres, such as one in a unipolar system or two in a…

• A. sovereignty
• B. reciprocity
• C. linkage
• D. territorial respect

Explanation: Sovereignty is the foundational traditional norm that recognizes states' authority over their territory and domestic affairs and their…

• A. Thucydides
• B. Machiavelli
• C. Hobbes
• D. Woodrow Wilson

Explanation: Thucydides, Machiavelli and Hobbes are commonly treated as intellectual predecessors of realism because they stress power, conflict and…

• A. hegemonic stability
• B. anarchy
• C. the Prisoner's Dilemma
• D. chaos

Explanation: Anarchy in international relations means the absence of a central world authority above states, not disorder or complete chaos.

• A. alliance
• B. security community
• C. social contract
• D. union

Explanation: An alliance is a coalition in which states coordinate their policies or military actions for a shared objective, commonly against a…

• A. Thucydides
• B. Hobbes
• C. Ibn Kahaldum
• D. Machiavelli

Explanation: The statement comes from Thucydides' account of the Melian Dialogue during the Peloponnesian War, where Athenian power politics is starkly…

• A. negotiation
• B. globalism
• C. geopolitics
• D. national interest

Explanation: Geopolitics studies how geographical factors such as location, territory, resources, and access to waterways shape state power and…

• A. states act like rational individuals who "think" in pursuing national interests
• B. nations think multilaterally in most situations
• C. human nature is essentially good
• D. a state's power is best determined by the size of its territory

Explanation: Realists treat states as rational, unitary actors that calculate how to protect and advance their national interests under international…

• A. education of population
• B. strength of scientific and technological base
• C. total GDP
• D. patriotism

Explanation: Total GDP is a relatively tangible measure of economic capacity, while education, scientific capability, and patriotism are longer-term or…

• A. power of ideas
• B. patriotism
• C. diplomatic skill
• D. military forces

Explanation: Military forces can be deployed directly to coerce or deter another state, making them a short-term capability for exercising influence.

• A. Brazil
• B. Pakistan
• C. Saudi Arabia
• D. France

Explanation: France is a recognized great power because it combines major military, economic, diplomatic, and technological capabilities with a…

• A. Great Britain
• B. Colombia
• C. Iran
• D. Luxembourg

Explanation: Iran is commonly classified as a middle or significant regional power because of its population, resources, military capacity, and…