Skip to ContentGo to accessibility page
OpenStax Logo
Introduction to Political Science

Review Questions

Introduction to Political ScienceReview Questions

Review Questions

1 .
In international relations, power refers to ________.
  1. the ability of a state to run its institutions without fear of interference from other states or entities
  2. the ability of a state to prompt its preferred outcome in a given situation
  3. when one state can create a particular good or service in a more cost-effective manner than a second state
  4. friendly interactions that seek to win over rather than force a state or states to comply with the wishes of one or more other states
2 .
States pursue ________ policies when they build up military might in order to influence an adversary state or states to reconsider taking aggressive military action against them.
  1. sovereignty
  2. collective security
  3. destabilizing
  4. deterrence
3 .
A state both exercises and bestows power when it recognizes another state’s ________.
  1. national identity
  2. comparative advantage
  3. sovereignty
  4. hegemony
4 .
Which of these is not a defining characteristic of a state?
  1. Land with boundaries
  2. A government or a system of rule
  3. A population that willingly gives its allegiance to that government
  4. A shared identity based on common history, religion, or ethnic background
5 .
States that have the greatest ________ can use intergovernmental organizations to expand their power.
  1. hard power
  2. soft power
  3. comparative advantage
  4. diplomatic reach
6 .
One benefit of NGOs is that they are usually able to propose solutions to problems or provide aid without ________.
  1. incurring expenses
  2. threatening a state’s sovereignty
  3. acquiring state approval
  4. concern for humanitarian objectives
7 .
Because all formally recognized states in the international system have ________, if other states want to influence their behavior, they employ sanctions, diplomacy, military action, or other persuasive tactics.
  1. established armies
  2. state sovereignty
  3. soft power
  4. the rule of law
8 .
In the international system, anarchy exists because ________.
  1. the system is multipolar
  2. it ensures adherence to human rights norms
  3. of the weakness of individual states
  4. there is no overarching governing authority
9 .
Within the anarchy of the international system, states join ________ to work together to solve common problems.
  1. international organizations
  2. bipolar systems
  3. nations
  4. think tanks
10 .
A political scientist studying how reelection campaigns affect presidential decision-making would be using what level of analysis?
  1. Individual
  2. State
  3. Institutional
  4. Systemic
11 .
At every level of analysis, ________ constrain(s) actors.
  1. anarchy
  2. conflict
  3. norms
  4. voters
12 .
The anarchic nature of the international system makes which level of analysis particularly unpredictable?
  1. Individual
  2. State
  3. Institutional
  4. Global
13 .
According to the realist worldview, ________ are the main actors in the international system.
  1. militaries
  2. core countries
  3. states
  4. intergovernmental organizations
14 .
According to the realist worldview, states act in the interest of ________.
  1. their own security
  2. maintaining the status quo
  3. fulfilling commitments to international treaties
  4. the good of the international system as a whole
15 .
The Russian military buildup on the Ukraine border in early 2022 and calculated responses from the United States and its NATO allies can be viewed as a ________.
  1. proxy war
  2. security dilemma
  3. zero-sum game
  4. use of soft power
16 .
Adherents to which variety of realism are most likely to support the status quo?
  1. Structural realism
  2. Neorealism
  3. Offensive realism
  4. Defensive realism
17 .
According to the liberal worldview, ________ is the best way for a state to ensure its secure position in the international system.
  1. going it alone
  2. providing social welfare programs
  3. working toward the good of the international system
  4. using international institutions to achieve state goals
18 .
Which of the following is not one of the tenets of complex interdependence?
  1. States see the use of force as relatively more costly than any gain it might achieve and so may be inclined to chart paths of cooperation and the use of more stable institutional solutions.
  2. There are many pathways actors can take to achieve their desired ends. These pathways are differentiated based on the abilities of each of the actors.
  3. All issues are of relatively equal importance to states.
  4. When states have a comparative advantage, they have an incentive to keep other countries in positions of political and social unrest.
19 .
________ countries invest internally, developing their own power and industries and promoting the success of individual workers in order to benefit their own citizens.
  1. Neorealist
  2. Marxist
  3. Hegemonic
  4. Peripheral
20 .
According to ________ theory, international relations has traditionally focused on “hard policy” issues, such as conflict and security, and has relegated to second-class status issues related to development and access to social programs.
  1. feminist
  2. Marxist
  3. complex interdependence
  4. game
PreviousNext
Order a print copy
Citation/Attribution
Reuse and redistribution of this content in digital or print format:
  • This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's prior written permission.
  • This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License, which means that you can reuse and modify the material only for noncommercial purposes, must attribute OpenStax, and must distribute any derivative works under the same license.
  • Any commercial printing of this textbook, including using a local or custom printer, must be approved by OpenStax, and proper citation provided.
  • OpenStax-copyrighted images, activities, assessments, and similar components of this book are subject to the same licensing – CC-BY-NC-SA. They can be used for noncommercial purposes with attribution. Commercial use requires permission.
  • Permission requests: Anyone who intends to incorporate this content (including text, images, and other components) into large language models, use it in AI offerings, use it commercially (including in print), and/or has questions about another use case is welcome to complete our reuse request form.
Attribution information
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a noncommercial print format, then you must include on every physical page the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/introduction-political-science/pages/1-introduction

  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a noncommercial digital format, then for every page that includes OpenStax content, you must license the derivative work under the same CC-BY-NC-SA license as the original, and include on every digital page view the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/introduction-political-science/pages/1-introduction

Citation information

The information below includes the information needed to generate citations in most major styles (APA, MLA, etc.); you must reformat and organize the information as needed to fit the requirements of the style. Use the information below to generate a citation. We recommend using a citation tool such as this one.

© Apr 23, 2026 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo, and Rice University name, and Rice University logo trademarks, or wordmarks are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.