WorksheetsIR Unit 1 Review 2026
Total questions: 74
Worksheet time: 37mins
Constructivism is best described as a theory that:
Explains state behavior primarily through military capability
Emphasizes how shared ideas, norms, and identities shape global politics
Argues economic forces are the dominant drivers of world affairs
Views geography as the primary source of political power
Domestic leaders are individuals who:
Represent international institutions abroad
Command multinational military forces
Influence foreign policy from within a state’s political system
Control global economic markets
Geopolitics refers to the study of:
Cultural values and political ideology
Economic systems and global trade
The influence of geography on power and strategy
International law and diplomacy
International organizations are institutions that:
Regulate private corporations across borders
Consist of states cooperating to address shared challenges
Enforce global laws independently of states
Replace national governments in decision-making
The international system can best be understood as:
A centralized authority governing global affairs
A formal legal structure enforced by the United Nations
The pattern of relationships and power among states
A network of economic agreements only
Liberalism in international relations emphasizes:
Competition and self-help in an anarchic system
Military deterrence as the primary policy tool
Cooperation through institutions, law, and interdependence
Isolation from international conflict
Military alliances are formal arrangements in which states:
Share economic resources equally
Commit to collective defense or security cooperation
Exchange political leadership
Limit each other’s military capabilities
A monopoly exists when:
Several firms compete freely in a market
A single actor controls the supply of a good or service
Governments regulate prices to ensure fairness
Consumers determine market outcomes
Multi-national corporations are economic actors that:
Operate exclusively within one country
Are owned and controlled by governments
Conduct business activities across multiple states
Focus solely on nonprofit humanitarian work
Nation-states are political entities that:
Lack clearly defined borders
Are governed by international organizations
Possess territory, population, and a governing authority
Depend entirely on external powers for legitimacy
National interest refers to:
Public opinion on global affairs
Moral obligations to the international community
A state’s strategic goals in foreign policy
Economic policies within domestic markets
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are defined as:
International institutions created by treaties
State-funded political agencies
Independent organizations operating outside government control
Multinational business enterprises
Power in international relations is best defined as:
The possession of military force alone
Legal authority under international law
The ability to influence the behavior of other actors
Economic wealth measured by GDP
Realism is a theory that assumes states:
Prioritize ethical principles in decision-making
Seek survival and power in a competitive system
Depend primarily on international institutions
Act according to shared global norms
Security refers to a state’s ability to:
Maintain economic stability
Prevent diplomatic isolation
Protect itself from internal and external threats
Promote global cooperation
A sovereign entity is one that:
Submits to international legal authority
Exercises ultimate authority over its territory
Shares control with multinational institutions
Lacks recognized political independence
States are considered:
Secondary actors in global politics
Cultural communities without authority
The primary units of analysis in international relations
Subdivisions of international organizations
A strong actor in the international system is one that:
Avoids involvement in global affairs
Possesses limited influence but moral authority
Has significant political, economic, or military power
Depends heavily on other states
A trivial analogy is a comparison that:
Accurately models complex systems
Oversimplifies an issue and weakens analysis
Strengthens logical reasoning
Is supported by empirical evidence
Anarchy in international relations refers to:
Complete disorder and chaos
Frequent warfare among states
The absence of a central governing authority
The breakdown of international law
Micro-anarchy describes:
Global instability among states
Lack of authority at the domestic or local level
Economic collapse within markets
Diplomatic breakdowns
Macro-anarchy refers to:
Political unrest within a state
Weak leadership at the national level
The absence of authority above states globally
Unequal power distribution
Policy is best defined as:
A theoretical explanation of behavior
A government’s chosen course of action
An international treaty
A long-term historical trend
Systemic analysis focuses on:
Individual leaders and decisions
Cultural beliefs within societies
The structure and dynamics of the entire system
Short-term political events
A proximate cause is:
A deep historical condition
A structural imbalance of power
An immediate factor triggering an event
A long-term ideological dispute
An underlying cause is:
A sudden political decision
A surface-level explanation
A long-term condition contributing to an event
A random occurrence
Plausible outcomes are:
Guaranteed results of an action
Highly unlikely scenarios
Reasonable and defensible possible results
Idealized policy goals
Strategic actions are those that are:
Emotional and impulsive
Reactive without planning
Deliberately designed to achieve specific objectives
Based primarily on tradition
Strategically interdependent situations occur when:
States act in isolation
Outcomes depend on multiple actors’ choices
Cooperation is impossible
Power is evenly distributed
An intelligence budget refers to:
Spending on public education
Military procurement costs
Funds allocated for gathering and analyzing information
Diplomatic aid expenditures
Game theory is a framework used to:
Predict emotional behavior
Study strategic decision-making among rational actors
Analyze historical events only
Evaluate ethical choices
Assumptions are:
Conclusions based on evidence
Opinions formed after analysis
Foundational ideas accepted without proof
Policy recommendations
An incentive is:
A legal requirement
A moral expectation
A factor that motivates behavior
A political ideology
Rational behavior involves:
Acting on impulse
Following tradition regardless of outcomes
Weighing costs and benefits logically
Obeying authority without question
Sabotage refers to:
Diplomatic pressure
Economic competition
Intentional actions to damage or disrupt an opponent
Defensive military deterrence
Constructivism — Which explanation for Germany’s post–World War II foreign policy BEST reflects constructivist theory?
Germany limits military action because it lacks sufficient power
Germany avoids unilateral force due to economic dependence on allies
Germany’s historical memory of militarism shapes its national identity
Germany complies with NATO obligations to maximize security
Domestic Leaders — Which example BEST illustrates the influence of domestic leaders on foreign policy outcomes?
The UN authorizing peacekeeping missions
Congress blocking U.S. participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership
OPEC coordinating oil production levels
NATO expanding to include Finland
Geopolitics — Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 was largely driven by which geopolitical concern?
Ethnic nationalism
Control of Black Sea naval access
Economic sanctions
International legal precedent
International Organizations — Which limitation of the United Nations was MOST evident during the Syrian Civil War?
Lack of humanitarian agencies
Absence of legal frameworks
Veto power of permanent Security Council members
Inability to deploy peacekeepers
International System — Which feature of the international system most constrains small states such as Estonia?
International law
Cultural globalization
Distribution of power among states
Domestic political stability
Liberalism — The creation of the European Union reflects liberal theory primarily because it:
Concentrates military power
Encourages economic and political interdependence
Eliminates national sovereignty
Prioritizes realism over cooperation
Military Alliances — NATO’s Article 5 was invoked after the September 11 attacks because it:
Requires unanimous UN approval
Treats an attack on one member as an attack on all
Allows preemptive war
Mandates regime change
Monopoly — Why might China’s near-monopoly on rare earth minerals pose a strategic concern for the United States?
It limits consumer choice
It enables military coercion through supply chain control
It violates WTO regulations
It increases global trade efficiency
Multi-National Corporations Apple’s decision to diversify manufacturing away from China BEST demonstrates how MNCs can:
Replace governments
Shape geopolitical risk calculations
Enforce international law
Eliminate national borders
Nation-States Which development MOST directly challenges the traditional nation-state model?
Expansion of the IMF
Growth of supranational governance in the EU
Increased military spending
Bilateral trade agreements
National Interest Why has the United States historically maintained close relations with Saudi Arabia despite political differences?
Shared democratic values
Human rights alignment
Strategic and energy interests
UN obligations
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) Amnesty International primarily influences international politics by:
Enforcing treaties
Providing humanitarian aid
Shaping public opinion and norms
Sanctioning governments
Power Which form of power is China MOST clearly exercising through the Belt and Road Initiative?
Military coercion
Hard power
Soft power and economic leverage
Normative authority
Realism Which realist explanation best accounts for India’s refusal to formally condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine?
Shared democratic values
Commitment to international law
Strategic autonomy and national interest
Institutional loyalty to the UN
Security The security dilemma is illustrated when:
One state increases arms for defense, prompting rivals to do the same
States cooperate through international institutions
Economic sanctions reduce conflict
Alliances collapse
Sovereign Entity Which situation most clearly violates Ukrainian sovereignty?
IMF loan conditions
Russian military occupation of territory
Diplomatic recognition disputes
Trade embargoes
States Why is recognition by other states important in international relations?
It guarantees military protection
It confirms sovereignty within the international system
It ensures economic growth
It eliminates internal conflict
Strong Actor Which actor would MOST likely be considered a strong actor in shaping Middle East politics?
Hezbollah
Qatar
The United States
Human Rights Watch
Trivial Analogy Which analogy would MOST likely mislead policymakers when analyzing nuclear deterrence?
Chess
Poker
A schoolyard fight
Strategic bargaining
Anarchy Under international anarchy, states are MOST likely to:
Rely on international courts
Depend on self-help for survival
Submit to global authority
Avoid military conflict
Micro-Anarchy Which example reflects micro-anarchy?
Competition between China and the U.S.
Armed groups operating independently in Somalia
Breakdown of global governance
Collapse of the UN
Macro-Anarchy Macro-anarchy exists because:
States reject international law
There is no central global enforcement authority
Terrorism destabilizes regions
Democracies avoid cooperation
Policy Which decision represents a shift in U.S. foreign policy?
Passing domestic infrastructure legislation
Rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement
Holding midterm elections
Appointing Supreme Court justices
Systemic A systemic explanation for arms races focuses primarily on:
Individual leaders’ beliefs
Domestic political pressures
The structure of the international system
Cultural identity
Proximate Cause Which event served as the proximate cause of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022?
NATO enlargement
Collapse of the Soviet Union
Immediate military escalation decisions
Long-term ethnic tensions
Underlying Cause Which factor is best categorized as an underlying cause of the Cold War?
The Berlin Airlift
Ideological conflict between capitalism and communism
Cuban Missile Crisis
Korean War
Plausible Outcomes When U.S. policymakers debate military aid to Taiwan, plausible outcomes include all EXCEPT:
Increased deterrence
Economic retaliation from China
Guaranteed prevention of conflict
Regional escalation
Strategic A strategic decision by China would MOST likely prioritize:
Short-term popularity
Long-term regional influence
Emotional responses
Domestic media coverage
Strategically Interdependent Nuclear deterrence between the U.S. and Russia is strategically interdependent because:
Both follow international law
Each side’s actions alter the other’s cost-benefit analysis
They cooperate militarily
Their economies are integrated
Intelligence Budget Why did the U.S. significantly expand its intelligence budget after 9/11?
To reduce military costs
To improve early threat detection
To fund peacekeeping missions
To strengthen diplomacy
Game Theory The Cold War concept of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) is best explained using:
Constructivism
Liberal institutionalism
Game theory
Idealism
Assumptions Which assumption underlies realist interpretations of state behavior?
States are morally constrained
Leaders act irrationally
States are rational actors seeking survival
International organizations dominate decision-making
Incentive Economic sanctions against Iran are designed primarily to:
Punish civilians
Signal moral disapproval
Alter state behavior by raising costs
Promote regime change automatically
A rational state would MOST likely abandon a policy when:
It violates international law
Domestic protests emerge
Costs exceed expected benefits
Allies disapprove
Which action most closely resembles sabotage in modern international conflict?
Diplomatic expulsion
Stuxnet cyberattack on Iranian nuclear facilities
UN sanctions
Trade negotiations
Stimulus 1: . Based on the map, which IR theory best explains Russia’s perception that NATO expansion threatens its security?
Liberalism
Constructivism
Realism
Idealism
The principle of sovereign equality is most directly challenged when which of the following occurs?
Economic sanctions
Humanitarian aid
Military intervention without consent
Trade negotiations
Which concept best explains why increases in Chinese military spending often lead to increases in U.S. defense spending?
Soft power
Security dilemma
Liberal institutionalism
Monopoly
Stimulus 4: Iran’s response most directly reflects which assumption about state behavior?
States act irrationally
States respond to punishments
States prioritize international law
States avoid escalation
