POLS 102 FINAL EXAM | 126 ACTUAL
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS | UPDATED
2025
What are the defining differences between Comparative and International
Relations? - ANSWER - Comparative: takes place in a settled order.
- International Relations: more fluidity and less order. Looks at the rules and
norms that govern economic, political, and social interactions between states.
What are the key subfields of International Relations? - ANSWER -
International Political Economy (Globalization)
- Foreign Policy/Diplomacy
- Security studies (War and Peace)
- International Relations Theory
What event led to creation of International Relations as a field of study? -
ANSWER - World War I
What factors in the international arena does Idealism assume will lead to the
prevention war? - ANSWER - war can be prevented if states follow
International law and back International Organizations.
Which U.S. President was key to the creation of Idealism as an IR ideology? -
ANSWER - President Woodrow Wilson
,How do Idealists argue that conflict can be prevented? - ANSWER -
Importance of educating people on the frequent futility and costs of war.
- Argues that war is a result of blindly followed and ill-conceived ideologies,
nationalistic hubris, and a lack of respect for international law/treaties.
- War results from accidents, insanity, or miscalculations.
What are the guiding principles of Realism? - ANSWER - Everything a state
does is about maximizing Security and Power. Few religious, moral, or legal
arguments for action.
- Lack of a fixed opponent in the War on Terror gives realists fits.
- War needs to destroy an enemy's ability to fight.
According to Realists, what should states do to guarantee their security? -
ANSWER - Argues for big defense budgets and the need for self-sufficiency in
agriculture and steel.
What role does human nature play in international conflict? - ANSWER - plays
a role in warfare, leaders have egos and can act against their nation's best interest
to gain territory or prestige.
How does state type and geography determine the likelihood of conflict? -
ANSWER - State Type: undemocratic regimes engage in more warfare because
of their need to mobilize their populations. They have fewer checks and balances,
so this prevents a fair and balanced cost-benefit analysis of war.
- Geography: most wars are fought between neighboring states that compete over
resources/culture.
, How is a Balance of Power meant to secure peace? - ANSWER - Countries
constantly try to balance the power of the world's largest military/economic
power (the Hegemon).
- By balancing out military power you reduce the likelihood of military conflict
because no country is powerful enough to act alone.
- The most common way to create a balance of power is to create Alliances of
roughly equal size.
What is Bandwagoning? - ANSWER - is like balance of power in reverse.
Weaker countries join a victorious alliance to gain spoils of war, prestige, or
rebuilding contracts.
Why must world leaders work to make sure there descsions appear rational? -
ANSWER - Many Executive's decisions, unless they appear rational, will not be
implemented by the bureaucracy or military.
- There is an attempt to ensure that decisions always appear rational and are
taken for clear reasons.
How do SOPs work to ensure rational descsion making? - ANSWER - or clear
norms in the bureaucracy or military can sometimes encourage rational decision
making.
- Military leaders may "fudge" on the time necessary to mobilize their forces if
they think diplomacy needs more time to work.
How does public opinion shape the descsions that world leaders make? -
ANSWER - Leaders must take the media and the citizen's reaction into account
when making decisions.
- Leaders frequently prepare the public for costly decisions over time.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS | UPDATED
2025
What are the defining differences between Comparative and International
Relations? - ANSWER - Comparative: takes place in a settled order.
- International Relations: more fluidity and less order. Looks at the rules and
norms that govern economic, political, and social interactions between states.
What are the key subfields of International Relations? - ANSWER -
International Political Economy (Globalization)
- Foreign Policy/Diplomacy
- Security studies (War and Peace)
- International Relations Theory
What event led to creation of International Relations as a field of study? -
ANSWER - World War I
What factors in the international arena does Idealism assume will lead to the
prevention war? - ANSWER - war can be prevented if states follow
International law and back International Organizations.
Which U.S. President was key to the creation of Idealism as an IR ideology? -
ANSWER - President Woodrow Wilson
,How do Idealists argue that conflict can be prevented? - ANSWER -
Importance of educating people on the frequent futility and costs of war.
- Argues that war is a result of blindly followed and ill-conceived ideologies,
nationalistic hubris, and a lack of respect for international law/treaties.
- War results from accidents, insanity, or miscalculations.
What are the guiding principles of Realism? - ANSWER - Everything a state
does is about maximizing Security and Power. Few religious, moral, or legal
arguments for action.
- Lack of a fixed opponent in the War on Terror gives realists fits.
- War needs to destroy an enemy's ability to fight.
According to Realists, what should states do to guarantee their security? -
ANSWER - Argues for big defense budgets and the need for self-sufficiency in
agriculture and steel.
What role does human nature play in international conflict? - ANSWER - plays
a role in warfare, leaders have egos and can act against their nation's best interest
to gain territory or prestige.
How does state type and geography determine the likelihood of conflict? -
ANSWER - State Type: undemocratic regimes engage in more warfare because
of their need to mobilize their populations. They have fewer checks and balances,
so this prevents a fair and balanced cost-benefit analysis of war.
- Geography: most wars are fought between neighboring states that compete over
resources/culture.
, How is a Balance of Power meant to secure peace? - ANSWER - Countries
constantly try to balance the power of the world's largest military/economic
power (the Hegemon).
- By balancing out military power you reduce the likelihood of military conflict
because no country is powerful enough to act alone.
- The most common way to create a balance of power is to create Alliances of
roughly equal size.
What is Bandwagoning? - ANSWER - is like balance of power in reverse.
Weaker countries join a victorious alliance to gain spoils of war, prestige, or
rebuilding contracts.
Why must world leaders work to make sure there descsions appear rational? -
ANSWER - Many Executive's decisions, unless they appear rational, will not be
implemented by the bureaucracy or military.
- There is an attempt to ensure that decisions always appear rational and are
taken for clear reasons.
How do SOPs work to ensure rational descsion making? - ANSWER - or clear
norms in the bureaucracy or military can sometimes encourage rational decision
making.
- Military leaders may "fudge" on the time necessary to mobilize their forces if
they think diplomacy needs more time to work.
How does public opinion shape the descsions that world leaders make? -
ANSWER - Leaders must take the media and the citizen's reaction into account
when making decisions.
- Leaders frequently prepare the public for costly decisions over time.
