International Relations Concepts

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Questions and Answers

Leaders incur audience costs when they:

Ignore the audience

Make private threats

Make public threats and then back down (correct)

Make public threats and then act on them

Which of these is the most important distinction between terrorism and guerrilla warfare?

Whether the organization targets soldiers or civilians (correct)

The geographical scope

The organization's goals

The resources used

Which of the following is inherently true of acts of terrorism, according to the strategic definition we gave in class?

They have a political goal (correct)

They are solely for personal gain

They are committed by state actors

They are random acts of violence

When a declining power goes to war because it fears the growth of a rising power, this is an example of:

Preventive war Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of a greed-based civil war?

A battle for control of oil resources Signup and view all the answers

Which perspective would claim that institutions simply reflect the existing distribution of power?

Realism Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is not true of institutions?

Institutions, once established, cannot be changed Signup and view all the answers

What is true of democracies and war?

They are much less likely than non-democracies to go to war in a given year Signup and view all the answers

The Freedom House index primarily measures:

The degree of political liberalism within a country Signup and view all the answers

The world’s three enclaved states include Lesotho, the Vatican, and:

San Marino Signup and view all the answers

The demolition of suicide bombers’ homes is an example of what counter-terrorism strategy?

Deterrence Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a solution to the Prisoner’s Dilemma?

Communication Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a real-world example of the principles behind Battle of the Sexes?

Coordinating on a language for civil aviation Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following countries of the day is currently enveloped in significant violence?

Somalia Signup and view all the answers

Why didn’t Italy fulfill its obligations and join Germany as part of the Triple Alliance?

The alliance was defensive but Germany struck first Signup and view all the answers

The majority of conflicts within the world today are:

Intrastate wars Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following games has a unique equilibrium?

Prisoner’s Dilemma Signup and view all the answers

An asymmetric alliance is one in which:

The two countries have very different degrees of obligation Signup and view all the answers

Terrorist groups are typically:

Weaker than states Signup and view all the answers

Calling an actor 'rational' necessarily implies that he/she:

Acts in pursuit of his/her goals Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Leaders and Audience Costs

Leaders face audience costs when they make public threats and then fail to follow through.

Terrorism vs. Guerilla Warfare

The key difference between terrorism and guerilla warfare lies in the target: terrorism targets civilians, while guerilla warfare targets soldiers.

Characteristics of Terrorism

Acts of terrorism, by definition, always have a political goal.

Preventive War

Preventive war occurs when a declining power engages in conflict due to fear of a rising power's growth.

Greed-based Civil War

A battle for control of oil resources is an example of a greed-based civil war.

Realism and Institutions

Realism suggests that institutions simply reflect the existing distribution of power.

Characteristics of Institutions

Institutions can be changed.

Democracies and War

Democracies are significantly less likely to go to war than non-democracies in a given year.

Freedom House Index

The Freedom House index primarily measures the level of political liberalism within a country.

Enclaved States

Lesotho, the Vatican, and San Marino are considered enclaved states.

Counter-Terrorism Strategies

The demolition of suicide bombers' homes is an example of a deterrence strategy used in counter-terrorism efforts.

Prisoner's Dilemma

Communication can be a solution to the Prisoner's Dilemma.

Battle of the Sexes

Coordinating on a language for civil aviation is a real-world example of the principles behind the Battle of the Sexes game.

Violence in Somalia

Somalia is currently experiencing significant violence.

Italy and the Triple Alliance

Italy did not fulfill its obligations to join Germany in the Triple Alliance because the alliance was defensive, but Germany initiated the conflict aggressively.

Intrastate Wars

The majority of conflicts worldwide are intrastate wars (wars within a country).

Unique Equilibrium

The Prisoner's Dilemma is the only game in the list that has a unique equilibrium.

Asymmetric Alliances

Asymmetric alliances involve countries with vastly different levels of commitment and obligation.

Terrorist Groups and States

Terrorist groups are typically weaker than states.

Rationality

A "rational" actor acts in pursuit of their own goals.

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Description

This quiz explores various concepts in international relations, including audience costs, the differences between terrorism and guerilla warfare, and the impact of democracy on war. It also touches on the characteristics of institutions and the motivations behind preventive wars and greed-based civil wars. Test your understanding of these critical topics!