Free Theories of International Relations MCQs with Answers
205 Theories of International Relations MCQs from International Relations, each with the correct answer and a written explanation of why it is correct. Free and unlimited, with no account needed.
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- A. A term coined by political scientist Stephen Krasner to refer to sovereignty
- B. The legal fiction masking power relations between states.
- C. A caution against idealistic conceptions of international society
- D. A term coined by political scientist Stephen Krasner to refer to sovereignty which is a caution against idealistic conceptions of international society meaning the legal fiction masking power relations between states
Explanation: Stephen Krasner used “organized hypocrisy” to describe sovereignty as a legal and normative claim that often masks unequal power…
Correct answer: A term coined by political scientist Stephen Krasner to refer to sovereignty which is a caution against idealistic conceptions of international society meaning the legal fiction masking power relations between states- A. Created new challenges to international society by raising the issue of nationalism
- B. Occurred in the 19th century
- C. Led to the creation of the Concert of Europe
- D. Created new challenges to international society by raising the issue of nationalism while also leading to the creation of the Concert of Europe
Explanation: The revolutions promoted nationalism, which challenged dynastic and hierarchical international order, while the post-Napoleonic settlement…
Correct answer: Created new challenges to international society by raising the issue of nationalism while also leading to the creation of the Concert of Europe- A. Hierarchical
- B. Hegemonic
- C. Imperial
- D. Hierarchical, Hegemonic, and Imperial
Explanation: International society is based on shared rules among states, whereas hierarchy, hegemony and empire organize world politics through…
Correct answer: Hierarchical, Hegemonic, and Imperial- A. occurred on September 11th 2001
- B. Refers to US primacy since 1989
- C. Is over, according to most IR theorists
- D. All of the options given are correctInternational Relations
Explanation: The unipolar moment describes the period of predominant US power after the Soviet Union's collapse, usually dated from about 1989 or 1991.
Correct answer: Refers to US primacy since 1989- A. Argued that old methods of dealing with contemporary challenges were obsolete and ineffective
- B. Changed direction sharply after 9/11
- C. Led to a controversial war in Iraq whose reasons and effects are still being highly debated
- D. All of the options given are correct
Explanation: Bush’s administration argued that post-Cold War threats required new methods, shifted sharply after the 9/11 attacks, and launched the…
Correct answer: All of the options given are correct- A. Medieval Christian Europe
- B. Medieval Islam
- C. Ancient China
- D. Medieval Christian Europe, Medieval Islam, and Ancient China
Explanation: The English School traces elements of international society across different historical civilizations, including medieval Christian…
Correct answer: Medieval Christian Europe, Medieval Islam, and Ancient China- A. A benign form of cosmopolitan democracy
- B. Imperial expansion.
- C. Diplomacy, law, and the balance of power
- D. None of the above
Explanation: International society is maintained through shared institutions and practices such as diplomacy, international law, and the balance of…
Correct answer: Diplomacy, law, and the balance of power- A. A great opportunity for free trade to expand in the world
- B. A fad of the 1990s
- C. The new international order
- D. A forced that causes states to lose control over their institutionsRead Political News
Explanation: Kenneth Waltz treated globalization as an exaggerated trend or ‘fad’ rather than a force that had fundamentally displaced the state…
Correct answer: A fad of the 1990s- A. Because game-theoretic approaches are easier to understand
- B. Game-theoretic approaches are not suited to realist work
- C. Because this approach allows an analysis of relative and absolute gains, which is a central point of the 'neo-neo' debate
- D. None of the above
Explanation: Game theory suits the neo-neo debate because it models strategic cooperation and conflict while distinguishing absolute gains, emphasized…
Correct answer: Because this approach allows an analysis of relative and absolute gains, which is a central point of the 'neo-neo' debate- A. Liberalism, neo-liberalism and post-liberalism
- B. Northern liberalism, southern liberalism and compassionate liberalism
- C. Commercial liberalism, republican liberalism and sociological liberalism
- D. Neo-liberal internationalism, sociological liberalism, liberal institutionalismGet Study Guides
Explanation: The standard three-part classification is commercial liberalism, republican liberalism and sociological liberalism.
Correct answer: Commercial liberalism, republican liberalism and sociological liberalism- A. The role of domestic politics
- B. The possibility leaders learn from their experiences
- C. Political globalization and the shift of Political activity away from the state
- D. All of the above
Explanation: The neo-neo debate concentrates mainly on systemic conditions, rational states and cooperation, leaving domestic politics, learning and…
Correct answer: All of the above- A. The structure of the system is a major determinant of actor behaviour
- B. States are rational actors, selecting strategies to maximize benefits and minimize losses
- C. The most critical problem presented by anarchy is survival]
- D. All of the above
Explanation: Neorealism treats the international structure as shaping state behavior, assumes states calculate rationally, and views survival as the…
Correct answer: All of the above- A. Offensive realists are more contemporary, defensive realists are more traditional
- B. Offensive realists emphasize the importance of relative power and are always wary of expansionary power Defensive realists recognize the cost of war and are more open to cooperation, but realize that weapons will always be needed given the existence of expansionary powers
- C. Offensive realists are advocates of free trade and international cooperation, while defensive realists propose protectionist measures and isolationism
- D. Offensive realists prefer pre-emptive attacks, defensive realists will only go to war to defend themselves
Explanation: Offensive realists argue that anarchy encourages states to maximise relative power, while defensive realists stress that excessive…
Correct answer: Offensive realists emphasize the importance of relative power and are always wary of expansionary power Defensive realists recognize the cost of war and are more open to cooperation, but realize that weapons will always be needed given the existence of expansionary powers- A. The debate has not dominated international theory
- B. Because it represents a debate between paradigms that define an agenda for research, policymaking, the field of study
- C. Because academics want to keep the debate alive by inventing new theories
- D. None of the aboveRead Political News
Explanation: The neo-neo debate contrasts neorealism with neoliberal institutionalism, two major paradigms that shape research questions, theoretical…
Correct answer: Because it represents a debate between paradigms that define an agenda for research, policymaking, the field of study- A. Because the brain-drain has resulted in most academics in International Relations to be in American institutions
- B. Because it is a debate among 'rule-makers'. and the United States needs to define a direction for its approach to foreign policy
- C. Because the US is today's hegemon
- D. All of the above
Explanation: The debate became particularly American because it developed largely within the US-dominated discipline and reflected arguments about the…
Correct answer: Because it is a debate among 'rule-makers'. and the United States needs to define a direction for its approach to foreign policy- A. Iran (1979) & the United States (1776)
- B. China (1949)
- C. Russia (1917)
- D. All these answers are correct
Explanation: The Iranian, American, Chinese, and Russian revolutions were driven by powerful ideologies, but their original revolutionary fervor…
Correct answer: All these answers are correct- A. They explain wars in terms of power relations among major actors in the international system
- B. There are two major theories and neither holds up very well in reality
- C. One theory at the individual level, consistent with realism, holds that the use of war and other violent means of leverage in international conflicts is abnormal and reflects the irrational decisions of national leaders
- D. The two major theories in this arena are based on the assumptions of realism
Explanation: Individual-level explanations commonly examine leaders’ personalities and psychological factors, and textbooks often identify two major…
Correct answer: There are two major theories and neither holds up very well in reality- A. Islamic Fundamentalists
- B. The State
- C. The United Nations
- D. None of the options given is correct
Explanation: In the realist view, the state is the central authority in international politics and claims a monopoly over the legitimate use of…
Correct answer: The State- A. Was created by the post 9/11 US as a tool in the global 'war on terror.'
- B. Is irrelevant to post-structuralism and international politics.
- C. Emerged in an early modern Europe as a replacement for the principle of hierarchical subordination.
- D. Emerged during the Russian revolution of 1917.World Current Affairs
Explanation: Walker links sovereignty to early modern Europe, where it helped replace a hierarchical order based on religious and imperial…
Correct answer: Emerged in an early modern Europe as a replacement for the principle of hierarchical subordination.- A. The definition of this practice is centered around territoriality and the idea of state boundaries, as well as creating a particular identity for those women who are trafficked.
- B. The concept of s*x trafficking is not highlighted as of interest to post-structuralists.
- C. It is the only example of a defined concept that can be deconstructed to highlight the creation of identity in international politics.
- D. The definition of s*x trafficking has been created by those who are themselves involved in s*x trafficking and so is an opportunity for non-state actors to have a voice in international politics.
Explanation: Post-structuralists examine how the definition of sex trafficking constructs categories, identities and boundaries, including the…
Correct answer: The definition of this practice is centered around territoriality and the idea of state boundaries, as well as creating a particular identity for those women who are trafficked.