World Politics Midterm

What made WWI a “total war”?

Full mobilization of society and economy; new military technologies; mass participation.

Why did the Treaty of Versailles fail?

It destabilized Germany economically and politically, contributing to WWII.

What is bipolarity?

A system dominated by two superpowers (e.g., US and USSR during the Cold War).

Why did the Cold War remain “cold”?

Nuclear deterrence and Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD).

What ended the Cold War?

Gorbachev’s reforms (glasnost & perestroika) and the collapse of the USSR (1991).

What did Francis Fukuyama argue in End of History?

Liberal democracy is the final stage of ideological evolution

What did Samuel Huntington argue in Clash of Civilizations?

Future conflicts will be cultural, not ideological.

What is “The Long Peace”?

The decline in interstate wars since 1945. (after WWII)

Who is considered the father of realism?

Thucydides

What is the “Thucydides Trap”?

War becomes likely when a rising power threatens a dominant one.

According to Kenneth Waltz, what are the three images of war?

Human nature, the state, and the international system.

What is the security dilemma?

When one state’s security measures threaten others, increasing tensions.

Who wrote the six principles of political realism?

Hans Morgenthau.

What is “interest defined as power”?

States act rationally to maximize power

Offensive vs defensive realism?

Offensive = seek dominance; Defensive = seek stability and avoid provoking others

What is democratic peace theory?

Democracies do not go to war against each other

Why does trade reduce war (liberal view)?

Economic interdependence creates mutual benefits.

Who wrote Perpetual Peace?

Immanuel Kant.

What are Kant’s three definitive articles?

Republican constitutions, federation of states, cosmopolitan law.

Who developed The Law of Peoples?

John Rawls.

What is the Liberal International Order (LIO)

A rules-based system supported by institutions like the United Nations and World Trade Organization.

What is a key realist critique of liberalism?

It mixes morality with power politics

What is the key unit of analysis in Marxism?

Social class

Who wrote The Communist Manifesto?

Karl Marx.

What is class struggle?

Conflict between bourgeoisie (owners) and proletariat (workers).

Who wrote Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism?

Vladimir Lenin

What is dependency theory?

The periphery remains poor because it supplies raw materials to the core

What is world-systems theory?

Global division of labor between core, semi-periphery, and periphery

How would a liberal explain the decline in interstate wars after 1945?

Growth of institutions, economic interdependence, and democratic governance

How would a Marxist explain the Cold War?

As competition between rival economic systems and global capitalist expansion

Why does the rise of China challenge Fukuyama’s thesis?

Because it shows economic success without liberal democracy.

Why does civil war persistence complicate “The Long Peace”?

Because interstate war declined, but organized violence did not disappear

What is the core assumption of structural realism?

Anarchy + distribution of capabilities determine state behavior

Why does realism reject the idea of a universal moral foreign policy?

Because moral rules cannot override survival in an anarchic system

What is balancing? (realism)

States align against a rising or threatening power to maintain equilibrium

What is bandwagoning? (realism)

Aligning with a stronger power rather than balancing against it

Why are alliances temporary in realism?

They are tools for survival, not permanent moral commitments

How would realism interpret NATO expansion?

As power projection provoking balancing behavior (e.g., Russia)

Why does realism consider institutions secondary?

Because institutions reflect power distribution; they don’t override it

What is polarity?

The number of major powers in the system (unipolar, bipolar, multipolar).

Why are multipolar systems considered more unstable?

More actors → more miscalculation and shifting alliances.

What makes liberalism “normative”?

It prescribes how the world should be, not just how it is.

Why does liberalism reject the “unitary actor” assumption?

Because the state reflects internal bargaining among groups

What is complex interdependence?

Multiple channels of interaction (economic, social, institutional), not just military.

Why does interdependence reduce war?

War becomes economically irrational and costly.

What is the liberal view of sovereignty?

It can be pooled or limited for greater cooperation.

What is cosmopolitanism in liberal thought?

The idea that individuals, not just states, are moral subjects

What is the strongest empirical support for liberalism?

Democratic peace theory

What weakens democratic peace theory?

Definitional ambiguity (what counts as democracy? what counts as war?).

How does liberalism explain the European Union?

As institutionalized cooperation transforming rival states into partners

What is surplus value? (marxism)

Profit extracted from workers beyond what they are paid.

Why must capitalism expand internationally (Marxist view)?

To find new markets, resources, and avoid crisis

What is false consciousness? (marxism)

When workers fail to recognize their exploitation

Why does Marxism reject “national interest”?

Because the state serves class interests, not a unified national good

How does Marxism interpret globalization?

As expansion of capitalist exploitation

What is neo-imperialism

Economic domination without formal colonies

Why is China difficult for core-periphery theory

It was peripheral but achieved rapid growth without liberal democracy

What is the “resource curse”? (marxism)

Countries rich in natural resources often experience corruption and stagnation

Which theory is most pessimistic about human nature?

Classical realism

Which theory is most optimistic about cooperation?

Liberalism

Which theory sees inequality as structural and unavoidable under capitalism?

Marxism

If war is caused by power transitions, which theory explains it?

Realism

If war is caused by undemocratic regimes, which theory explains it?

Liberalism

If war is caused by capitalist competition for resources, which theory explains it

Marxism

Which theory believes institutions can mitigate anarchy?

Liberalism

Which theory believes anarchy cannot be eliminated

Realism

Which theory believes eliminating capitalism would eliminate war

Marxism

How would realism interpret economic sanctions?

As tools of coercive power

How would liberalism interpret sanctions?

As institutional tools to enforce norms

How would Marxism interpret sanctions

As mechanisms of economic dominance.

If global supply chains collapse during a crisis, which theory feels most validated?

Realism

If countries cooperate on climate change through treaties, which theory feels validated?

Liberalism

If multinational corporations dominate global politics, which theory feels validated

Marxism