Chapter 11 Review questions

Key Issues in Contemporary IR

Four issues are introduced in the chapter. Can you think of other 'new issues' that are relevant for IR?
It is sometimes claimed that 'one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter'. Discuss.
The environment problem: are you a 'modernist' or an 'ecoradical'? Discuss.
Does the Christian view (see Box 11.12) allow man to treat the environment as he/she sees fit?
What is the 'Clash of Civilizations'? Is such a clash taking place today?
Is there an increasing influence of religion on politics today?
How serious is the security challenge invoked by September 11?
Why have many scholars of IR begun to study earlier international systems of late? (Hint: relate this to the US unipolarity since the end of the Cold War).
What does history show about the frequency of balance of power and hegemony in world history (see Table 11.3)? How does this fit with Waltz’s thinking about balance of power in multistate systems?
Why has Europe seen repeated attempts to establish hegemony fail since the Middle Ages? Is the European pattern normal or the exception in historical perspective?
How do neoclassical realists explain that hegemony is sometimes established in multistate systems?
Where do you think the global state system is headed in the 21st century? In the direction of hegemony or balance of power?