Contemporary International Affairs
Exam Materials
Course Introduction
Contemporary International Affairs explores the critical issues, actors, and dynamics that shape the modern global landscape. The course examines current events, international conflicts, diplomatic relations, and the roles of institutions such as the United Nations and regional organizations. Students will analyze case studies in areas like security, human rights, global economics, and environmental challenges, enhancing their understanding of how global power structures, policy decisions, and cultural exchanges influence international affairs today. The course encourages critical thinking about ongoing developments and prepares students to engage thoughtfully in discussions about global issues.
Recommended Textbook
Essentials of International Relations 8th Edition by Karen A. Mingst
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11 Chapters
711 Verified Questions
711 Flashcards
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Approaches to International Relations
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60 Verified Questions
60 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) 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 proposes that both individuals and groups act in patterned ways.
Answer: D
Q2) Constructivism argues that the key structures of the international system are dependent on
A) history.
B) political parties.
C) ideas.
D) power.
Answer: C
Q3) Which theoretical perspective posits that states generally cooperate?
A) realism
B) liberalism
C) constructivism
D) behavioralism
Answer: B
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Page 3
Chapter 2: The Historical Context of Contemporary
International Relations
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65 Verified Questions
65 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) During the Cold War,the United States and the Soviet Union supported opposing groups in wars in Africa,Asia,and Latin America.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) Among the factors leading to an end to Europe's balance-of-power system under the Concert of Europe was
A) that Germany was a weak state at the center of Europe.
B) that Russia was becoming the leading industrial power.
C) the solidification of previously flexible alliances between the European powers.
D) the growth of fascism in Germany and Italy.
Answer: C
Q3) By the end of the nineteenth century,China was the only Asian country that was not under direct European or U.S.influence.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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Page 4
Chapter 3: International Relations Theories
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65 Verified Questions
65 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Democratic peace theory argues that
A) democracies are less likely to go to war than other states.
B) democracies are unlikely to go to war with other democracies.
C) democracies are inherently peaceful-type states.
D) democracies are unlikely to go to war with autocracies.
Answer: B
Q2) Different theories disagree on the role and importance of economic factors in international relations.Which of the following is a correct portrayal of these theories' views?
A) Only radicals think economics is important.
B) Realists think economic factors are behind most international conflict.
C) Liberals think economic interdependence is the sole cause of international cooperation.
D) Radicals think economic factors assume primary importance in shaping actions.
Answer: D
Q3) Realists view international politics as similar to domestic politics.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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Page 5
Chapter 4: Levels of Analysis
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65 Verified Questions
65 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) According to constructivists
A) systems are set by material structures alone.
B) systems are unchanging over time.
C) anarchy can lead to different outcomes at different times.
D) stratification structures systems.
Q2) Public opinion is
A) one way mass publics can influence foreign policy.
B) not important in analyses of foreign policy.
C) not considered by leaders of authoritarian regimes.
D) an example of groupthink.
Q3) According to constructivists,norms cannot be changed through processes of coercion.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Alliances in a bipolar international system tend to be
A) long-term,based on relatively permanent interests.
B) seldom established,given the overarching stability of the system.
C) specific in nature and short in duration.
D) constantly shifting according to military advantage.
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Chapter 5: The State
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65 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following activities is an example of public diplomacy?
A) the national security adviser trying to improve the U.S.image by appearing on the Arabic TV network,Al Jazeera
B) the U.S.secretary of defense briefing foreign leaders
C) conducting an opinion poll
D) holding a televised summit of foreign business leaders
Q2) The rational model of foreign policy decision making
A) conceives of governments as choosing policies that maximize their strategic objectives.
B) is applicable only if a state has a democratic government.
C) emphasizes organizational procedures.
D) has been adopted by virtually every Western country.
Q3) What is required to make compellence and deterrence effective?
A) States need to have strong economies.
B) States need to have the willingness and ability to follow through with their commitments.
C) States need to have good defenses.
D) States need to have nuclear weapons.
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Chapter 6: War and Security
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is true of debates about cyberwarfare and jus in bello?
A) Some theorists argue that cyberattacks inevitably violate the principle of noncombatant immunity because they have strong psychological effects.
B) Theorists agree that cyberattacks are attacks that best conform to just war theory because the proportionality of their effects can be easily controlled.
C) Theorists agree that cyberattacks trigger the right of self-defense using conventional weapons.
D) Theorists agree that using cyberattacks can lessen noncombatant casualties in war.
Q2) Which theory posits that war is natural,and hence an inevitable feature of international politics?
A) realism
B) liberalism
C) constructivism
D) None of these theories posits that war is natural and inevitable.
Q3) Compare and contrast the balance-of-power and collective security approaches to the management of insecurity.What role does deterrence play in each of these approaches?
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Chapter 7: International Cooperation and International Law
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65 Verified Questions
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Sample Questions
Q1) The idea that states mutually rely on one another for goods and/or economic gains is known as
A) economic liberalism.
B) economic commercialism.
C) economic conservatism.
D) economic interdependence.
Q2) When ruled against,no state has ever abided by an ICJ decision,demonstrating how weak an institution it is.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Which of the following is true of international criminal law?
A) States have created a single,overarching treaty to help combat terrorism.
B) National courts do not deal with international criminal law.
C) Extradition treaties have been a source of disagreement among states.
D) Only transnational crimes have been the subject of international criminal law.
Q4) Realists argue that states can become socialized to new norms that can foster cooperation.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 8: International Political Economy
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Sample Questions
Q1) During the 2008-2009 global financial crisis
A) the countries of Africa all suffered significant financial setbacks.
B) the EU provided loans to African countries to help bail them out of their financial difficulties.
C) investment in African countries such as Ghana and Kenya from emerging economies like China and India increased.
D) African countries did not experience any change in foreign investments.
Q2) Which of the following is true of economic trade agreements?
A) The EU has worked hard to prevent the creation of additional trade agreements.
B) They have never been successful in increasing trade among their members.
C) They are formed only by states in similar regions.
D) They can be regional or transregional.
Q3) The Bretton Woods institutions,including the World Bank,IMF,and GATT/WTO,represent radicals' goals of free trade and unobstructed financial markets.
A)True
B)False
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10
Chapter 9: Intergovernmental Organizations and
Nongovernmental Organizations
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Sample Questions
Q1) What are nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)?
A) local and regional units of states
B) subunits of the United Nations
C) international institutions composed of states
D) private,voluntary organizations whose members come together to achieve a common purpose
Q2) Which of the following is true of the United Nations Security Council?
A) All members of the Security Council (both permanent and nonpermanent)have the ability to veto a resolution.
B) The Security Council was deadlocked by the frequent vetoes of the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
C) All states in the Security Council are members on a rotating basis.
D) Since the 1970s,the Soviet Union/Russia has used its veto power more times than any other permanent member.
Q3) The United Nations has played a key role in international relations both via traditional peacekeeping and complex peacekeeping.Compare and contrast these different types of peacekeeping missions.Which of these types of peacekeeping do you think is most relevant in the international system today,and why?
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Chapter 10: Human Rights
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66 Verified Questions
66 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The first global human rights movement was
A) the antislavery movement.
B) the movement against torture.
C) the movement to protect group rights.
D) the movement to protect civil and political rights.
Q2) The responsibility to protect (R2P)argument has both supporters and critics.What are the arguments in support of R2P and what are the arguments against it? Which of these arguments do you think is the most compelling? Why? When answering these questions,be sure to cite real-world examples.
Q3) The European Union encouraged human rights protections in post-Cold War Eastern Europe by
A) placing negative sanctions on rights violators.
B) using a threat of force to induce change.
C) requiring candidates for admission to the EU to show improving political and civil liberties.
D) leading UN criticism of rights violators.
Q4) There are many different types of human rights,and different states and theories place importance on different rights.Compare and contrast these different types of rights.Which set of rights do you think is most important and why?
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Chapter 11: Human Security: Migration, Global Health, and the Environment
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65 Verified Questions
65 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) In addition to positive effects,economic developments in industry and agriculture also have negative effects.
A)True
B)False
Q2) How do realists argue human security issues have affected the primacy of the state?
A) They argue that state primacy is being jeopardized by these transnational issues.
B) They argue that the rise of these transnational issues has led to a need for global governance.
C) They argue that human security issues are not transnational in nature.The state is the main actor needed to deal with human security issues.
D) They argue that the increase in relevance of other actors to deal with these transnational issues does not necessarily lead to the elimination of state primacy.
Q3) Do you think human security issues have decreased the primacy of the state and state sovereignty? To answer this question,choose two human security issues and discuss how they have affected the state and state sovereignty.Draw on real-world examples in your explanation.
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