POLS 1150 EXAM #1 REVIEW UPDATED ACTUAL
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Question:
Which of the following is an example of a solution to a coordination problem?
Answer:
A. Airline pilots go on strike to raise wages
B. Peacekeepers separate two armies in a civil war to stop the conflict.
C. Cybersecurity experts set a universal standard format for malware reporting so that all firms can share
D. driver sets flares on the road to mark an accident
Answer: C
Question:
A state wanting to free ride with regard to climate change would:
Answer:
A. sign an agreement to reduce greenhouse gases but continue to produce such ozone-depleting emissions,
while other states decrease their own emissions.
B. refuse to sign an agreement to reduce greenhouse gases because it would not trust other states to reduce
their own emissions.
C. freely reduce emissions without signing any entangling agreements.
D. sign an agreement to reduce greenhouse gases but reduce emissions only if all other signatories also
reduce their emissions.
Answer: A
Question:
In which of the following situations would you expect defection?
Answer:
A. Both actors have shared interests.
B. Individual interests of one are superseded by the collective interest.
C. Both sets of individual interests are bolstered by the collective interest.
D. Individual interests of one supersede the collective interest.
Answer: D
Question:
When Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, its original goal was the capture of Kiev, the Ukrainian
capitol. Initial efforts to seize Kiev collapsed, however, due to a combination of poor tactical planning on
Russia's part, military assistance to Ukraine from its western partners, and stronger than expected
Ukrainian resolve. Russia and Ukraine are now mired in a stalemate over the Donbas region. Recent
estimates suggest that as many as 47,000 Russian soldiers have been killed (for perspective, 4,431
American soldiers were killed in Iraq from 2003 to 2021). After Wagner mercenaries staged a brief
rebellion against him in June, Putin seems to be slipping from power. All of this suggests that Putin's
decision to invade Ukraine was irrational.
Answer:
A. True
B. False
Answer: B
, Question:
The Pareto optimal solution to a cooperation problem involves a division of some good that maximizes
total utility such that no actor is worse off after the interaction than they were before it.
Answer:
A. True
B. False
Answer: A
Question:
How does anarchy contribute to the outbreak of war?
Answer:
A. State leaders are inherently evil and simply want to watch the world burn
B. The few states that are strong enough to protect themselves compete for alliances, which increases the
likelihood of proxy conflicts
C. No authority exists to stop a state from using force to advance its own interests
D. States are less inclined to enter into trading agreements with other states, thus reducing the costs
associated with war
Answer: C
Question:
According to the strict definition of war, which of the following conflicts is a war?
Answer:
A. A conflict between India and Pakistan, in which 2,000 soldiers are killed
B. A skirmish between a Chinese and an American vessel in the South China sea, in which no soldiers are
killed
C. An American drone strike against Pakistani militants, in which 50 people are killed
D. A militarized conflict between Rwanda and Congo, in which 500 soldiers are killed
Answer: A
Question:
Which of the following is an explanation for the occurrence of war?
Answer:
A. The outbreak of war is always random; therefore, it cannot be explained
B. States fight wars because they are generally costless
C. Misperceptions and mistakes by actors can lead to war between states
D. Insufficient resolve on both sides leads to war
Answer: C
Question:
Which of the following is an example of a "costly signal" that an actor plans to go to war?
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Question:
Which of the following is an example of a solution to a coordination problem?
Answer:
A. Airline pilots go on strike to raise wages
B. Peacekeepers separate two armies in a civil war to stop the conflict.
C. Cybersecurity experts set a universal standard format for malware reporting so that all firms can share
D. driver sets flares on the road to mark an accident
Answer: C
Question:
A state wanting to free ride with regard to climate change would:
Answer:
A. sign an agreement to reduce greenhouse gases but continue to produce such ozone-depleting emissions,
while other states decrease their own emissions.
B. refuse to sign an agreement to reduce greenhouse gases because it would not trust other states to reduce
their own emissions.
C. freely reduce emissions without signing any entangling agreements.
D. sign an agreement to reduce greenhouse gases but reduce emissions only if all other signatories also
reduce their emissions.
Answer: A
Question:
In which of the following situations would you expect defection?
Answer:
A. Both actors have shared interests.
B. Individual interests of one are superseded by the collective interest.
C. Both sets of individual interests are bolstered by the collective interest.
D. Individual interests of one supersede the collective interest.
Answer: D
Question:
When Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, its original goal was the capture of Kiev, the Ukrainian
capitol. Initial efforts to seize Kiev collapsed, however, due to a combination of poor tactical planning on
Russia's part, military assistance to Ukraine from its western partners, and stronger than expected
Ukrainian resolve. Russia and Ukraine are now mired in a stalemate over the Donbas region. Recent
estimates suggest that as many as 47,000 Russian soldiers have been killed (for perspective, 4,431
American soldiers were killed in Iraq from 2003 to 2021). After Wagner mercenaries staged a brief
rebellion against him in June, Putin seems to be slipping from power. All of this suggests that Putin's
decision to invade Ukraine was irrational.
Answer:
A. True
B. False
Answer: B
, Question:
The Pareto optimal solution to a cooperation problem involves a division of some good that maximizes
total utility such that no actor is worse off after the interaction than they were before it.
Answer:
A. True
B. False
Answer: A
Question:
How does anarchy contribute to the outbreak of war?
Answer:
A. State leaders are inherently evil and simply want to watch the world burn
B. The few states that are strong enough to protect themselves compete for alliances, which increases the
likelihood of proxy conflicts
C. No authority exists to stop a state from using force to advance its own interests
D. States are less inclined to enter into trading agreements with other states, thus reducing the costs
associated with war
Answer: C
Question:
According to the strict definition of war, which of the following conflicts is a war?
Answer:
A. A conflict between India and Pakistan, in which 2,000 soldiers are killed
B. A skirmish between a Chinese and an American vessel in the South China sea, in which no soldiers are
killed
C. An American drone strike against Pakistani militants, in which 50 people are killed
D. A militarized conflict between Rwanda and Congo, in which 500 soldiers are killed
Answer: A
Question:
Which of the following is an explanation for the occurrence of war?
Answer:
A. The outbreak of war is always random; therefore, it cannot be explained
B. States fight wars because they are generally costless
C. Misperceptions and mistakes by actors can lead to war between states
D. Insufficient resolve on both sides leads to war
Answer: C
Question:
Which of the following is an example of a "costly signal" that an actor plans to go to war?
