Chapter 17 Multiple Choice Questions

. Which of the following was an important figure in the development of liberal perspectives on international politics?

Hugo Grotius.

Niccolò Machiavelli

Thomas Hobbes.

All of the above.

. A key element of liberal internationalism is the idea that...

democratic states will never make war under any circumstances.

democratic states ought to invade any country which offends against liberal principles.

democratic states should spend most of their income on strong armed forces to deter aggressors.

democratic states will not go to war with other democracies.

. Which of the following is a key factor that distinguishes liberalism from realism?

Realists see liberals as idealists who ignore the basic facts about human nature.

All liberals believe that human beings are rational enough to learn from their mistakes.

Realism relishes conflict, not peace.

All realists are anarchists who do not believe in the state.

. It is most accurate to describe realist theory as...

immoral, in that it encourages the breach of important ethical rules.

irrational, in that it denies that human beings are capable of rational thought.

amoral, in that it refuses to condemn every action that breaches moral rules.

ambiguous, in that realist theorists are very reluctant to voice an opinion about the state of the world.

. What does raison d'etat mean?

The national interest.

The state ought to act reasonably at all times.

Citizens need to be given very good reasons for obeying the state.

Hobbes' 'state of nature'.

. Why did realism challenge the academic supremacy of liberal thought after World War I?

The terms of the Treaty of Versailles made another major war more likely than a period of sustained peace.

Liberal institutions like the League of Nations seemed ineffectual.

Liberal views of human nature seemed to be discredited by the rise of brutal regimes like Nazi Germany.

All of the above.

. According to many realists, how is international peace best secured?

Concessions by peaceful states to powerful ones.

A balance of power between states.

Trying to spread democratic values throughout the world.

A worldwide federation of states.

. Scholars belonging to the 'English School' argued that...

Although states have no authority above them, they are capable of reaching agreement on basic goals like peaceful co-existence.

In exceptional circumstances, the sovereignty of states can be infringed in order to uphold fundamental moral principles.

Standards of morality are not uniform throughout the world.

All of the above.

. How does the United Nations differ from the League of Nations?

Its membership is much larger and all major global powers are included in the membership..

It is based on realism rather than liberal ideas.

It rejects the idea of national self-determination.

It refuses to take sides in any dispute between states.

. What is neorealism?

An attempt to ignore the unpleasant realities of the world.

An attempt to restate the basic ideas of realism in a more 'scientific' form.

A claim that international society is basically orderly and peaceful.

A claim that individual human nature is central to an understanding of international politics.

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