INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 142 PRACTICE
QUESTIONS AND ESSAYS WITH CORRECT
ANSWERS
who introduces the prisoner's dilemma? - Kenneth and Oye in "the conditions for cooperation in
world politics"
balancing - (walt) allying with others against the prevailing threat, combined opposition
bandwagoning - (walt) alignment with the source of danger
walt - balancing and bandwagoning in "alliances: balancing and bandwagoning"
• External threats causes alliances
o often times we will see weaker states come out and support a stronger/more capable nation
so that their opinion holds more weight (bandwagoning)
• When alliances, especially short term ones for a specific cause, and you have a lot of
bandwagoning going on, the intensity of the situation is amplified as the threat gains momentum
morganthau - "six principles of political realism"
Supporting: Interest is defined in terms of power/ driving self interest, interests depending on
political and cultural context, survival of the state > morality, arguing the effectiveness of realism as
a tool of study of IR
Waltz - "the anarchic structure of world politics", he reiterates the attributes of realism and goes
on to say how
Capabilities = power = placement of states in relation to one another
Self-interest & self help lack of cooperation
,• international politics is an anarchic system in which all states are sovereign
• "capabilities" determine the placement of states in relation to one another
• nations act in self-interest with accidental effects on international circumstances
Kenneth and Oye - "the conditions of cooperation in world politics" he uses game theory to
analyze realistic situations of int. cooperation
3 games: prisoner's dilemma (four outcomes), stag hunt, chicken: used to explain nuclear
arms reduction, pollution control, etc.
Political Cooperation is difficult in anarchy but increases when international regimes are enforced
Increased cooperation: Repeated games of play lead to cooperation (answer why), clarifying
standards of conduct and defining cooperative and uncooperative behavior, collective
enforcement rules to punish violators
• In an anarchical system, political coordination is difficult
o International relations is a perfect example of an anarchical system
• Cooperation increases when international enemies are
formed o Such as regimes or threats of other kinds
Jarvis - "Offense, defense, and the security dilemma"
Introduces security dilemma: Increased defense leads to cooperation where increased offense
leads to tension
Have to make defensive vs offensive actions distinguishable to avoid the dilemma
Security Dilemma - (Jarvis) Increased defense leads to cooperation where increased offense
leads to tension
Have to make defensive vs offensive actions distinguishable to avoid the dilemma
Important Realism Authors and Readings - 3 big founders: Thucydides, Hans Morganthau and
Kenneth Waltz
Support 3 fundamentals of realism
In Morganthau's "Six Principles of Political Realism", he summarizes the aspects of realism to
six points.
, Supporting: Interest is defined in terms of power/ driving self interest, interests depending on
political and cultural context, survival of the state > morality, arguing the effectiveness of realism as
a tool of study of IR
Waltz's "the anarchic structure of world politics", he reiterates the attributes of realism and goes
on to say how
Capabilities = power = placement of states in relation to one another
Self-interest & self help lack of cooperation
Walt's "alliances: balancing and bandwagoning" he compares the two
Kenneth and Oye's "the conditions of cooperation in world politics" he uses game theory to
analyze realistic situations of int. cooperation
3 games: prisoner's dilemma (four outcomes), stag hunt, chicken: used to explain nuclear
arms reduction, pollution control, etc.
Political Cooperation is difficult in anarchy but increases when international regimes are enforced
Increased cooperation: Repeated games of play lead to cooperation (answer why), clarifying
standards of conduct and defining cooperative and uncooperative behavior, collective
enforcement rules to punish violators
Jarvis's "Offense, defense, and the security dilemma"
Introduces security dilemma: Increased defense leads to cooperation where increased offense
leads to tension
Have to make defensive vs offensive actions distinguishable to avoid the dilemma
Robert Pape's "The strategic logic of suicide Terrorism"
NATO - (Zbigniew Brzezinski, "An Agenda for NATO,") three truly monumental transformations in
world affairs: 1. The end of the century-ling "civil war" within the West for transoceanic and
European supremacy. 2. The U.S. post-WW11 commitment to the defense of Europe against Soviet
domination. 3. The peaceful termination of the Cold War, which ended the geopolitical division of
Europe and created the preconditions for a larger democratic EU. To remain historically relevant,
NATO cannot simply expand itself into a global alliance or transform itself into a global alliance of
democracies.
QUESTIONS AND ESSAYS WITH CORRECT
ANSWERS
who introduces the prisoner's dilemma? - Kenneth and Oye in "the conditions for cooperation in
world politics"
balancing - (walt) allying with others against the prevailing threat, combined opposition
bandwagoning - (walt) alignment with the source of danger
walt - balancing and bandwagoning in "alliances: balancing and bandwagoning"
• External threats causes alliances
o often times we will see weaker states come out and support a stronger/more capable nation
so that their opinion holds more weight (bandwagoning)
• When alliances, especially short term ones for a specific cause, and you have a lot of
bandwagoning going on, the intensity of the situation is amplified as the threat gains momentum
morganthau - "six principles of political realism"
Supporting: Interest is defined in terms of power/ driving self interest, interests depending on
political and cultural context, survival of the state > morality, arguing the effectiveness of realism as
a tool of study of IR
Waltz - "the anarchic structure of world politics", he reiterates the attributes of realism and goes
on to say how
Capabilities = power = placement of states in relation to one another
Self-interest & self help lack of cooperation
,• international politics is an anarchic system in which all states are sovereign
• "capabilities" determine the placement of states in relation to one another
• nations act in self-interest with accidental effects on international circumstances
Kenneth and Oye - "the conditions of cooperation in world politics" he uses game theory to
analyze realistic situations of int. cooperation
3 games: prisoner's dilemma (four outcomes), stag hunt, chicken: used to explain nuclear
arms reduction, pollution control, etc.
Political Cooperation is difficult in anarchy but increases when international regimes are enforced
Increased cooperation: Repeated games of play lead to cooperation (answer why), clarifying
standards of conduct and defining cooperative and uncooperative behavior, collective
enforcement rules to punish violators
• In an anarchical system, political coordination is difficult
o International relations is a perfect example of an anarchical system
• Cooperation increases when international enemies are
formed o Such as regimes or threats of other kinds
Jarvis - "Offense, defense, and the security dilemma"
Introduces security dilemma: Increased defense leads to cooperation where increased offense
leads to tension
Have to make defensive vs offensive actions distinguishable to avoid the dilemma
Security Dilemma - (Jarvis) Increased defense leads to cooperation where increased offense
leads to tension
Have to make defensive vs offensive actions distinguishable to avoid the dilemma
Important Realism Authors and Readings - 3 big founders: Thucydides, Hans Morganthau and
Kenneth Waltz
Support 3 fundamentals of realism
In Morganthau's "Six Principles of Political Realism", he summarizes the aspects of realism to
six points.
, Supporting: Interest is defined in terms of power/ driving self interest, interests depending on
political and cultural context, survival of the state > morality, arguing the effectiveness of realism as
a tool of study of IR
Waltz's "the anarchic structure of world politics", he reiterates the attributes of realism and goes
on to say how
Capabilities = power = placement of states in relation to one another
Self-interest & self help lack of cooperation
Walt's "alliances: balancing and bandwagoning" he compares the two
Kenneth and Oye's "the conditions of cooperation in world politics" he uses game theory to
analyze realistic situations of int. cooperation
3 games: prisoner's dilemma (four outcomes), stag hunt, chicken: used to explain nuclear
arms reduction, pollution control, etc.
Political Cooperation is difficult in anarchy but increases when international regimes are enforced
Increased cooperation: Repeated games of play lead to cooperation (answer why), clarifying
standards of conduct and defining cooperative and uncooperative behavior, collective
enforcement rules to punish violators
Jarvis's "Offense, defense, and the security dilemma"
Introduces security dilemma: Increased defense leads to cooperation where increased offense
leads to tension
Have to make defensive vs offensive actions distinguishable to avoid the dilemma
Robert Pape's "The strategic logic of suicide Terrorism"
NATO - (Zbigniew Brzezinski, "An Agenda for NATO,") three truly monumental transformations in
world affairs: 1. The end of the century-ling "civil war" within the West for transoceanic and
European supremacy. 2. The U.S. post-WW11 commitment to the defense of Europe against Soviet
domination. 3. The peaceful termination of the Cold War, which ended the geopolitical division of
Europe and created the preconditions for a larger democratic EU. To remain historically relevant,
NATO cannot simply expand itself into a global alliance or transform itself into a global alliance of
democracies.
