CHAPTER 1: Approaches to International Relations

TRUE/FALSE

	1.	All of the following actors affect international relations in important ways: heads of state, central governments, nongovernmental organizations, international organizations, and individuals.

ANS:	T	DIF:	Moderate	REF:	Page 4	TOP:	Introduction
MSC:	Remembering		

	2.	Understanding behavior between states is the sole focus of the study of international relations.

ANS:	F	DIF:	Moderate	REF:	Page 4	TOP:	Introduction
MSC:	Remembering		

	3.	Realist and liberal theories argue that the key structures in the international system are material.

ANS:	T	DIF:	Moderate	REF:	Page 5	TOP:	Thinking Theoretically
MSC:	Remembering		

	4.	Radical theory is rooted in economics.

ANS:	T	DIF:	Easy	REF:	Page 5	TOP:	Thinking Theoretically
MSC:	Remembering		

	5.	If only we had looked at the analogy to the Vietnam War, we would have been able to have the “correct” policy prescription to know how to act in the 2003 Iraq War because these wars shared all the exact same characteristics.

ANS:	F	DIF:	Difficult	REF:	Pages 7–8	TOP:	History
MSC:	Understanding | Applying

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

ANS:	F	DIF:	Easy	REF:	Page 7	TOP:	History
MSC:	Understanding		

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

ANS:	T	DIF:	Difficult	REF:	Page 7	TOP:	History
MSC:	Applying

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

ANS:	F	DIF:	Easy	REF:	Page 12	
TOP:	The Scientific Method—Behavioralism		MSC:	Remembering

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

ANS:	T	DIF:	Moderate	REF:	Page 17	TOP:	Alternative Approaches
MSC:	Remembering		

	10.	Important questions of international relations today can be answered with exclusive reliance on the behavioralist approach.

ANS:	F	DIF:	Difficult	REF:	Page 17	TOP:	Alternative Approaches
MSC:	Applying

MULTIPLE CHOICE

	1.	Which of the following is true of the international system today?
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.	

ANS:	A	DIF:	Easy	REF:	Page 3	TOP:	Introduction
MSC:	Remembering		

	2.	Which of the following actors do not participate in international politics?
a.	states	d.	locally focused business associations	
b.	international organizations	e.	nongovernmental organizations	
c.	individuals	

ANS:	D	DIF:	Easy	REF:	Page 4	TOP:	Introduction
MSC:	Remembering		

	3.	International relations
a.	is not an interdisciplinary field.	
b.	is the study of the behavior and interaction of actors.	
c.	only uses concepts from political science.	
d.	does not use concepts from history or anthropology.	

ANS:	B	DIF:	Easy	REF:	Page 4	TOP:	Introduction
MSC:	Remembering		

	4.	One reason political scientists develop theories is to
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.	

ANS:	A	DIF:	Moderate	REF:	Page 5	TOP:	Thinking Theoretically
MSC:	Understanding		

	5.	Several of the more prominent theoretical approaches used to study international relations are
a.	statism, liberalism, and environmentalism.	
b.	realism, radical theory, and environmentalism.	
c.	constructivism, radical theory, and statism.	
d.	liberalism, realism, and radical theory.	
e.	realism, environmentalism, and constructivism.	

ANS:	D	DIF:	Easy	REF:	Page 5	TOP:	Thinking Theoretically
MSC:	Remembering		

	6.	The theory most focused on the idea that states define their interests in terms of power is
a.	realism.	d.	constructivism.	
b.	liberalism.	e.	historicism.	
c.	radicalism.	

ANS:	A	DIF:	Moderate	REF:	Page 5	TOP:	Thinking Theoretically
MSC:	Remembering		

	7.	The theory most focused on the ideas that human nature is good is
a.	realism.	d.	constructivism.	
b.	liberalism.	e.	historicism.	
c.	radicalism.	

ANS:	B	DIF:	Moderate	REF:	Page 5	TOP:	Thinking Theoretically
MSC:	Remembering		

	8.	Radical theory argues that individual actions are largely determined by
a.	history.	d.	ideas.	
b.	political parties.	e.	power.	
c.	economic class.	

ANS:	C	DIF:	Moderate	REF:	Page 5	TOP:	Thinking Theoretically
MSC:	Remembering		

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

ANS:	A	DIF:	Easy	REF:	Page 5	TOP:	Thinking Theoretically
MSC:	Remembering		

	10.	Which theory posits that states generally cooperate?
a.	realism	d.	behavioralism	
b.	liberalism	e.	radical theory	
c.	constructivism	

ANS:	B	DIF:	Easy	REF:	Page 5	TOP:	Thinking Theoretically
MSC:	Remembering		

	11.	Which theory argues that the interests of states are not fixed?
a.	realism	d.	behavioralism	
b.	liberalism	e.	radical theory	
c.	constructivism	

ANS:	C	DIF:	Easy	REF:	Page 6	TOP:	Thinking Theoretically
MSC:	Remembering		

	12.	Theories are developed to help us
a.	describe interactions only.	
b.	explain interactions only.	
c.	predict interactions only.	
d.	both describe and explain interactions, but not predict.	
e.	describe, explain, and predict interactions.	

ANS:	E	DIF:	Easy	REF:	Page 5	TOP:	Thinking Theoretically
MSC:	Remembering		

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

ANS:	C	DIF:	Moderate	REF:	Pages 6–7	TOP:	History
MSC:	Understanding		

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

ANS:	B	DIF:	Difficult	REF:	Page 7	TOP:	History
MSC:	Understanding		

	15.	Thucydides used diplomatic history to
a.	launch the behavioral revolution.	
b.	examine the causes of war.	
c.	formulate a new philosophy of international relations.	
d.	describe the “state of nature.”	
e.	illustrate the value of constructivism.	

ANS:	B	DIF:	Moderate	REF:	Page 7	TOP:	History
MSC:	Remembering		

	16.	Thucydides concluded that the underlying cause of the Peloponnesian War was
a.	the clash between Athens’s democratic society and Sparta’s authoritarian government.	
b.	that Sparta was a sea power seeking new ports.	
c.	a changing distribution of power between Athens and Sparta.	
d.	Athenian leaders were pacifists and did not build their army.	
e.	Spartan culture led to constant war against more civilized city-states.	

ANS:	C	DIF:	Difficult	REF:	Page 7	TOP:	History
MSC:	Remembering		

	17.	What is a problem that stems from using history to study contemporary state interactions?
a.	It does not allow us to test generalizations.	
b.	It does not provide detailed knowledge of specific events.	
c.	One’s theoretical orientation may determine one’s interpretation of history.	
d.	It does not help highlight patterns.	
e.	It limits our ability to draw on other disciplines to answer key questions.	

ANS:	C	DIF:	Difficult	REF:	Page 7	TOP:	History
MSC:	Understanding		

	18.	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?
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.	

ANS:	D	DIF:	Difficult	REF:	Pages 7–8	TOP:	History
MSC:	Understanding		

	19.	Dialectical reasoning
a.	is not a method used by philosophy in the study of international relations.	
b.	highlights contradictions in political reality.	
c.	is rejected by Marxists as a tool for analysis.	
d.	does not involve a dialogue or discussion.	
e.	is used by realists as a key tool for analysis.	

ANS:	B	DIF:	Difficult	REF:	Page 9	TOP:	Philosophy
MSC:	Understanding		

	20.	Which of the following methods are used in the philosophical approach to international relations?
a.	the study of individual cases	d.	the deconstruction of major concepts	
b.	the analysis of core texts	e.	the use of simulations	
c.	the use of empirical methods	

ANS:	B	DIF:	Easy	REF:	Page 18	
TOP:	In Sum—Making Sense of International Relations	MSC:	Remembering

	21.	Using the comparative method, Aristotle concluded that states rise and fall because of
a.	anarchy.	d.	natural law.	
b.	the “state of nature.”	e.	internal factors.	
c.	economics.	

ANS:	E	DIF:	Moderate	REF:	Page 9	TOP:	Philosophy
MSC:	Remembering		

	22.	Philosopher Thomas Hobbes described what he calls the “state of nature.” What does this concept illustrate?
a.	anarchy	d.	perpetual peace	
b.	natural law	e.	environmentalism	
c.	the “general will”	

ANS:	A	DIF:	Moderate	REF:	Page 9	TOP:	Philosophy
MSC:	Understanding		

	23.	Saying that the international system is characterized by “anarchy” means
a.	it is impossible for states to cooperate.	
b.	there is chaos in the system.	
c.	there is no international authority.	
d.	it is not states that govern the system.	
e.	states are forced by the system to cooperate.	

ANS:	C	DIF:	Easy	REF:	Page 9	TOP:	Philosophy
MSC:	Remembering		

	24.	What does Rousseau’s story of the stag and the hare illustrate?
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	

ANS:	E	DIF:	Difficult	REF:	Page 10	TOP:	Philosophy
MSC:	Remembering		

	25.	The absence of international authority in international relations is known as
a.	self-preservation.	d.	a leviathan.	
b.	the “general will.”	e.	anarchy.	
c.	behavioralism.	

ANS:	E	DIF:	Easy	REF:	Page 9	TOP:	Philosophy
MSC:	Remembering		

	26.	Philosophers help us understand international relations by
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.	

ANS:	D	DIF:	Difficult	REF:	Page 10	TOP:	Philosophy
MSC:	Understanding		

	27.	Posing foundational questions and seeking normative answers are characteristic of a ________ approach to the study of international relations.
a.	behavioral	d.	empirical	
b.	postmodern	e.	constructivist	
c.	philosophical	

ANS:	C	DIF:	Easy	REF:	Page 10	TOP:	Philosophy
MSC:	Remembering		

	28.	The theory that addresses the ethical content of international affairs and explores what “should be” is known as ________ theory.
a.	behavioral	d.	normative	
b.	diplomatic	e.	historical	
c.	anarchic	

ANS:	D	DIF:	Easy	REF:	Page 10	TOP:	Philosophy
MSC:	Remembering		

	29.	The behavioral revolution in American social sciences was spawned primarily by scholars’
a.	belief that there are no underlying patterns in international relations.	
b.	desire to philosophically support their views of human nature.	
c.	goal of explaining the state of nature.	
d.	rejection of the scientific method as a tool for the study of international relations.	
e.	belief that more scientific study of international relations would find underlying patterns of behavior.	

ANS:	E	DIF:	Moderate	REF:	Page 11	
TOP:	The Scientific Method—Behavioralism		MSC:	Understanding

	30.	Which of the following is true of behavioralism?
a.	It proposes that individuals, but not groups, act in patterned ways.	
b.	It proposes that groups, but not individuals, act in patterned ways.	
c.	It proposes that neither groups nor individuals act in patterned ways.	
d.	It involves generating hypotheses and testing them.	
e.	It is not related to the scientific method.	

ANS:	D	DIF:	Moderate	REF:	Page 12	
TOP:	The Scientific Method—Behavioralism		MSC:	Understanding

	31.	Which of the following studies is an example of the behavioral approach to the study of international relations?
a.	the Correlates of War project	
b.	the study of the Greenham Common Peace Camp	
c.	the Republic	
d.	History of the Peloponnesian War	
e.	the Communist Manifesto	

ANS:	A	DIF:	Easy	REF:	Page 12	
TOP:	The Scientific Method—Behavioralism		MSC:	Remembering

	32.	The objective of behavioralists is to gather data on human behavior patterns and then to
a.	develop theories that cannot be disproved by alternative theorists.	
b.	launch projects that will prove the existence of multiple realities.	
c.	develop and test hypotheses based on these patterns.	
d.	describe the historical context.	
e.	cast normative judgments on world leaders.	

ANS:	C	DIF:	Moderate	REF:	Pages 11–12	
TOP:	The Scientific Method—Behavioralism		MSC:	Understanding

	33.	Which of the following methods are used in the behavioral approach to international relations?
a.	the study of individual cases	d.	the deconstruction of major concepts	
b.	the analysis of core texts	e.	discourse analysis	
c.	the use of empirical methods	

ANS:	C	DIF:	Easy	REF:	Page 12	
TOP:	The Scientific Method—Behavioralism		MSC:	Remembering

	34.	Individuals in the Correlates of War project collected data on a number of different wars and generated and tested hypotheses with those data. Which of the following best describes this project?
a.	It can say a lot about one “big” war, as Thucydides did.	
b.	It shows that no patterns exist regarding the outbreak of war.	
c.	It is an example of using historical analysis to study war.	
d.	It is an example of using the scientific method in a behaviorist way to study war.	
e.	It has proven what causes war.	

ANS:	D	DIF:	Moderate	REF:	Page 12	
TOP:	The Scientific Method—Behavioralism		MSC:	Applying

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

ANS:	B	DIF:	Easy	REF:	Pages 11–12	
TOP:	The Scientific Method—Behavioralism		MSC:	Remembering

	36.	Critiques of the behavioral approach argue that
a.	behavioralism focuses too much on the foundational questions of international relations.	
b.	behavioralism focuses too much on data, and different data may lead to different conclusions.	
c.	behavioralism focuses too much attention on the nature of humanity and society.	
d.	human and state behavior are completely unpredictable.	
e.	behavioralists have already found answers to all the important research questions.	

ANS:	B	DIF:	Moderate	REF:	Page 13	
TOP:	The Scientific Method—Behavioralism		MSC:	Understanding

	37.	Which of the following is true regarding the approaches to the study of international relations?
a.	Works in the historical and philosophical tradition come up with the same results as the behavioral approach in the study of human rights.	
b.	Using a multi-method approach can help us answer key questions in international relations.	
c.	The key concepts in the study of international relations are all easy to measure.	
d.	All studies now focus on behavioralism.	
e.	All studies reject the use of behavioralism.	

ANS:	B	DIF:	Moderate	REF:	Page 16	
TOP:	The Scientific Method—Behavioralism		MSC:	Understanding

	38.	Which of the following is true of constructivists?
a.	They use discourse analysis to answer foundational questions in the study of international relations.	
b.	They are satisfied with using history, philosophy, or behavioral tools.	
c.	They argue that identities are fixed and can be studied as such.	
d.	They do not focus on cultural or social factors to explain international phenomenon.	
e.	They do not think ideas shape identities.	

ANS:	A	DIF:	Easy	REF:	Page 16	TOP:	Alternative Approaches
MSC:	Remembering		

	39.	When studying international relations, constructivists
a.	criticize the use of discourse analysis and multiple sets of data.	
b.	trace the impact of ideas and cultural factors on shaping identities.	
c.	exclude the influence of social and cultural factors.	
d.	use computer models and simulations.	
e.	seek permanent definitions of key terms.	

ANS:	B	DIF:	Easy	REF:	Page 16	TOP:	Alternative Approaches
MSC:	Remembering		

	40.	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 ________.
a.	behavioralism	d.	liberalism	
b.	postmodernism	e.	radical theory	
c.	realism	

ANS:	B	DIF:	Moderate	REF:	Pages 16–17	TOP:	Alternative Approaches
MSC:	Understanding		

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

ANS:	A	DIF:	Moderate	REF:	Pages 16–17	TOP:	Alternative Approaches
MSC:	Remembering		

	42.	Theorists who use alternative methods to study international relations contend that
a.	it is important to study social and cultural factors.	
b.	properly conducted research can produce a single unified theory of international relations.	
c.	Thucydides’s study of the Peloponnesian War provides the best example of their approach.	
d.	social forces with clearly fixed meanings inform all political processes.	
e.	state behavior can be measured if one uses the right statistical methods.	

ANS:	A	DIF:	Moderate	REF:	Page 16	TOP:	Alternative Approaches
MSC:	Remembering		

	43.	Postmodernists seek to find the voices of “the others” in international relations. Which of the following is an example of such voices?
a.	the voices of political leaders	
b.	the voices of corporate executives	
c.	the voices of the military	
d.	the voices of the disenfranchised and marginalized	
e.	the voices of international organizations	

ANS:	D	DIF:	Easy	REF:	Page 17	TOP:	Alternative Approaches
MSC:	Understanding		

	44.	In the twenty-first century, what accurately describes the methods used by scholars of international relations?
a.	Scholars focus only on a combination of the historical and philosophical approaches.	
b.	Since the end of communism in the Soviet Union, scholars no longer have any use for radical theory.	
c.	Scholars agree that the behavioral approach will be the key method used in the future of international relations.	
d.	All scholars agree the postmodern approach is most useful.	
e.	Scholars use a mixed-methods approach.	

ANS:	E	DIF:	Easy	REF:	Page 17	TOP:	Alternative Approaches
MSC:	Understanding		

ESSAY

	1.	Choose a contemporary international event and show how understanding history might be used to help us better understand this event. You do not have to provide all the historical details, but draw at least three important connections between your contemporary and historical events of choice, and show how we can learn about the contemporary one from the other.

ANS:	
Answers will vary.

TOP:	History	MSC:	Applying | Analyzing	

	2.	Understanding history can help us better understand contemporary international events. Yet a perfect comparison can sometimes lead us astray. Choose a contemporary international event and connect it to a historical (it could be a recent historical) event. Discuss: (1) how the historical event could help us better understand the contemporary event, as well as (2) why doing so might lead to problems in understanding and dealing with the new event.

ANS:	
Answers will vary.

TOP:	History	MSC:	Applying | Analyzing	

	3.	Which of the methodological approaches (historicism, philosophy, behavioralism, alternative approaches) discussed in the text do you find can help us best understand contemporary international relations and why? What makes the other approaches less appealing?

ANS:	
Answers will vary.

TOP:	Thinking Theoretically	MSC:	Analyzing

	4.	How valuable are large behavioral studies such as the Correlates of War project? Explain your answer. Do you think this is the best way to study international relations? Why or why not?

ANS:	
Answers will vary.

TOP:	The Scientific Method—Behavioralism		MSC:	Evaluating

	5.	Discuss the pros and cons of using the historical, philosophical, and behavioral approaches to the study of international relations, illustrating your points with specific examples from your own original insights. Argue what you think is the best approach, then explain the reasoning of your assertion— both by highlighting the benefits of the one you have chosen and the limitations of the others.

ANS:	
Answers will vary.

TOP:	Thinking Theoretically	MSC:	Evaluating

	6.	Some “alternative approach” scholars are dissatisfied with using history, philosophy, and behavioral tools to understand international relations. Weigh the benefits of each of these three approaches against the problems that are highlighted by the alternative approaches and discuss which approach you think is best.

ANS:	
Answers will vary.

TOP:	Alternative Approaches	MSC:	Evaluating