1
INTL 105 EXAM 1 (VCU) Questions with Answers
(100% Correct Answers)
What is International Relations? Answer: subfield of Political Science
What did Hans Morgenthau write? Answer: Politics Among Nations—
First IR theory textbook
Politics Answer: study of how and who makes policy decisions
Who is the first theorist to call it realism? Answer: E H Carr
Social science theory Answer: general logical explanations that seeks to
explain social phenomena, NOT PROVE
What theory states that POWER is everything? Its a power based theory
Answer: Classical realism
IR Theory Answer: explanations that can be generally applied across
cases: logical, with good, empirical evidence
What are the Classical Realism measures of power ? Answer: Who ever
has most, has most power
© 2025 All rights reserved
,2
- Military
- Economy
Classical realism Answer: states seeking power, States primary actors,
balance of power
X VARIABLE
Ex: Dictators cause Wars...Dictators is...... Answer: INDEPENDENT
VARIABLE, or the variable that "does the causing" or the the
explanatory variable
Dictators is the X
Y VARIABLE
Ex: Dictators cause Wars..... Answer: DEPENDENT VARIABLE, or the
variable that is being caused, or the outcome variable
Y = Wars, the outcome, what is being caused by X
What time of realists believe that POWER is a means AND an END?
Answer: Classical Realists
The key to theories Answer: logic and strong evidence
© 2025 All rights reserved
,3
What do realists speak to? Answer: security dilemma
IR Theory should always be Answer: PARSIMONIOUS
What is the key determinate for international politics? Answer: balance
of power
Parsimony Answer: least amount of variance in the explanation of the
outcome. Reduced to basically: the smaller the number of independent
variables that cover the most outcomes, the stronger the theoretical
explanation. Reduce all explanation to only the variable that ACTUALLY
CAUSES THE OUTCOME (the rest are causal mechanisms) (Occam's
Razor)
How security dilemma works Answer: • based on idea of uncertainty
• any increase in the security/power of state (A) may create fear in state
(B)
• that state (B) will then increase its relative power, making (A) less
secure
• this continues and creates a worst situation—arms races, spirals (see
also Goldstein text)
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 4
Why do realists rely on self-help? Answer: the principle of self-defense
under anarchy in which states have no one else to rely on to defend
their security except themselves; other state may have power over you
if you don't have self-help
Theories should be Answer: falsifiable, or falsifiability
Realism says Power is a _________ gain. What does this mean? Answer:
ZERO SUM, meaning a gain for one state is a loss for another
Parsimony Answer: Most causal "bang for your buck" Most cause from
fewest (single) variables. The more you add the harder it is to falsify
zero sum gain Answer: one country gain=1 country loss aka "A" has 5
guns so "B" has -5 guns=loser, not willing to lose;
Theoretical degeneration Answer: to add to the independent or add
more independent variables—hurts the strength of the explanation,
hurts parsimony. Trying to explain every case by adding to the
independent variable is DEGENERATION.
relative balance Answer: NEVER LOSE POWER, try to gain or maintain
status quo
© 2025 All rights reserved
INTL 105 EXAM 1 (VCU) Questions with Answers
(100% Correct Answers)
What is International Relations? Answer: subfield of Political Science
What did Hans Morgenthau write? Answer: Politics Among Nations—
First IR theory textbook
Politics Answer: study of how and who makes policy decisions
Who is the first theorist to call it realism? Answer: E H Carr
Social science theory Answer: general logical explanations that seeks to
explain social phenomena, NOT PROVE
What theory states that POWER is everything? Its a power based theory
Answer: Classical realism
IR Theory Answer: explanations that can be generally applied across
cases: logical, with good, empirical evidence
What are the Classical Realism measures of power ? Answer: Who ever
has most, has most power
© 2025 All rights reserved
,2
- Military
- Economy
Classical realism Answer: states seeking power, States primary actors,
balance of power
X VARIABLE
Ex: Dictators cause Wars...Dictators is...... Answer: INDEPENDENT
VARIABLE, or the variable that "does the causing" or the the
explanatory variable
Dictators is the X
Y VARIABLE
Ex: Dictators cause Wars..... Answer: DEPENDENT VARIABLE, or the
variable that is being caused, or the outcome variable
Y = Wars, the outcome, what is being caused by X
What time of realists believe that POWER is a means AND an END?
Answer: Classical Realists
The key to theories Answer: logic and strong evidence
© 2025 All rights reserved
,3
What do realists speak to? Answer: security dilemma
IR Theory should always be Answer: PARSIMONIOUS
What is the key determinate for international politics? Answer: balance
of power
Parsimony Answer: least amount of variance in the explanation of the
outcome. Reduced to basically: the smaller the number of independent
variables that cover the most outcomes, the stronger the theoretical
explanation. Reduce all explanation to only the variable that ACTUALLY
CAUSES THE OUTCOME (the rest are causal mechanisms) (Occam's
Razor)
How security dilemma works Answer: • based on idea of uncertainty
• any increase in the security/power of state (A) may create fear in state
(B)
• that state (B) will then increase its relative power, making (A) less
secure
• this continues and creates a worst situation—arms races, spirals (see
also Goldstein text)
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 4
Why do realists rely on self-help? Answer: the principle of self-defense
under anarchy in which states have no one else to rely on to defend
their security except themselves; other state may have power over you
if you don't have self-help
Theories should be Answer: falsifiable, or falsifiability
Realism says Power is a _________ gain. What does this mean? Answer:
ZERO SUM, meaning a gain for one state is a loss for another
Parsimony Answer: Most causal "bang for your buck" Most cause from
fewest (single) variables. The more you add the harder it is to falsify
zero sum gain Answer: one country gain=1 country loss aka "A" has 5
guns so "B" has -5 guns=loser, not willing to lose;
Theoretical degeneration Answer: to add to the independent or add
more independent variables—hurts the strength of the explanation,
hurts parsimony. Trying to explain every case by adding to the
independent variable is DEGENERATION.
relative balance Answer: NEVER LOSE POWER, try to gain or maintain
status quo
© 2025 All rights reserved
