GOV 312 midterm exam 2 questions and answers latest update

Review Sheet, Second Midterm Exam, GOV 312L: U.S. Foreign Policy Module 8: Violence and the International Political Order 1. What is politics (as defined in lecture)? What are the two central components of this definition? a) Use of authority to allocate scarce resources; coordinate social behavior b) Authority- direct behaviors of others; relies on coercion and legitimacy c) Allocation- competition/ social conflict; there are not enough resources for everyone to get something which causes inequality 2. How does violence shape political order? Give an example of how the use of coercion by a legitimate authority helps to establish political order. a) Stable patterns or regularities of social behavior induced by authority relationships b) Violence necessary to enforce rules c) 6th street and police men – the threat of violence by police men keep people safe on 6th street; without police no one would keep their own behavior in check 3. What is the coercion dilemma? How does it shape the construction of a domestic political order? How does this same dilemma frame the problem of war and political order in the international order? Coercion dilemma: government or org strong enough to enforce its directives is strong enough to leverage authority for its own gain a) Ability to enforce rules also means a government has the ability to use violence for its own means (predation-using violence to gain resources from someone else) b) Regulate violence so it is not used for arbitrary means c) Violence for predation is self-sustaining (gaining more resources causes you to go after more resources); go to war to limit violence 4. How did the U.S. address the international variant of the coercion dilemma after World War II? What role did international organizations play in constraining U.S. military power? a) Bound its own power into institutions i.e. NATO b) Western Europe was too weak to counter the Soviet Threat- pushed security responsibilities on the US c) Force US to gain approval of other nations with different national interests 5. According to Ikenberry (cited in lecture), why was the 2003 invasion of Iraq so problematic for the constraint of U.S. military power? a) Takes away legitimacy from the institutions and of American power outside of the US b) No longer an ally because they continue to push their own agenda on other countries • Allies and UN say no to Iraq, but US does anyway • Show America unbound and question whether power still legitimate outside of US • Makes question if power regulated, even if world needs US as military power 6. According to this module’s reading, what are some of the domestic consequences of war? How can war expand a state’s authority and how can war weaken a state’s authority? Module 9: Great Power politics I, US-Russian relations 1. How did great powers structure international politics after great power wars like World War I and World War II? Describe the main changes in the international system that occur in the aftermath of these wars and the peace settlement that follows. a) Change the main political actors; agents and rules that guide interactions b) Victors write rules- membership, territorial boundaries, regime type, military power, enforcement 2. What were the main pillars of the peace settlement after World War I? How did President Woodrow Wilson influence the international system in 1919? a) National self-determination and democracy b) Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations/ reparations from Germany c) Democracy promotion and support, nation building in Germany and Japan d) Collective security and promotion of globalization e) United States becomes an indispensable power in Europe as protection against the communist threat f) Created diplomatic avenues for great power conflict 3. What were the main elements of the peace settlement after World War II and how did the United States influence the political order after 1945? • Democracy promotion and support • Nation building in Germany/Japan (reintegrate into W order) • Collective security through NATO (military) • Creation of new international orgs (UN, Int. monetary fund, GATT, World Bank) • New international economic order around promoting globalization 4. How was the Cold War similar to a great power conflict and how did the end of the Cold War resemble a peace settlement following a great power war? What “losses” did Russia suffer at the end of the Cold War and what “gains” did the U.S. and the West achieve? a) Conflict between the two great world powers; did not have a direct military conflict (proxy war) b) Territorial and regime change, military power, NATO and EU expanded c) Russia seen a successor of the Soviet Union, so they are now motivated to end American hegemony d) West became dominant power and could spread ideology 5. What explains the absence of great power war since the mid-20th century? a) Economic interdependence and globalization require countries to continue their diplomatic relationships with each other b) Can no longer fight over ideology because countries are too interconnected c) States do not want to attack nuclear powers- clear military imbalance 6. According to the McFaul reading, why did the relationship between Russia and the United States deteriorate after 2011? What are the lines of contention in this ideological conflict? What steps should the United States take to contain and limit the growth of Russia’s international influence? • Sources of deterioration in US-Russian relations since 2011 o Putin saw US support for NATO expansion into Eastern Europe and pro- democracy movements in the Middle East as a threat to his regime o US association w/ NGOs supporting democratic opposition groups in Russia in & Ukraine’s attempt to separate from Russia in 2014 were points of no return • USA needs to demonstrate strategic patience and strive to contain expansion of Russia’s influence by politically isolating Russia and weakening ties to its new strategic partners