Introduction to International Relations MCQs 2026

The evolution of international society since Westphalia has seen

1. Acomplete elimination of diplomacy✓
2. Bexpansion of state membership and growth of international organizations✓
3. Cend of all wars permanently✓
4. Dreplacement of states by tribes✓

Anarchy in IR theory means

1. Acomplete lawlessness with no rules ever✓
2. Bdomestic anarchy within every state✓
3. Ceconomic autarky only✓
4. Dabsence of a world government, not chaos or disorder necessarily✓

A non-state actor in IR includes

1. Aonly presidents of states✓
2. Bonly provincial governors✓
3. Conly municipal mayors✓
4. Dinternational organizations, NGOs and multinational corporations✓

The state remains central in IR because

1. Ait controls all global media always✓
2. Bit has eliminated all NGOs✓
3. Cit monopolizes legitimate force and represents members internationally✓
4. Dit is the only actor with culture✓

Diplomacy is defined as

1. Aonly propaganda warfare✓
2. Bonly espionage without dialogue✓
3. Conly domestic legislation✓
4. Dthe management of international relations through negotiation and representation✓

Foreign policy is

1. Aonly domestic tax policy✓
2. Bonly municipal zoning rules✓
3. Ca government's strategy toward other states and international issues✓
4. Donly party manifestos without action✓

The international system refers to

1. Aonly the solar system✓
2. Bonly the domestic party system✓
3. Cthe pattern of relationships among units (mainly states) at a given time✓
4. Donly the UN building in New York✓

Bipolarity describes a system with

1. Amany equal great powers✓
2. Bone hegemon only✓
3. Cno great powers at all✓
4. Dtwo dominant powers✓

Multipolarity describes a system with

1. Aexactly two superpowers✓
2. Bseveral major powers of comparable influence✓
3. Cno states at all✓
4. Donly NGOs✓

Unipolarity describes a system with

1. Atwo equal superpowers✓
2. Bfifty equal microstates only✓
3. Cone dominant superpower✓
4. Dno hierarchy✓

Globalization in IR context means

1. Aincreasing interconnectedness across borders in economics, culture and politics✓
2. Bcomplete isolation of all states✓
3. Cend of sovereignty always✓
4. Donly local self-sufficiency✓

Interdependence in IR means

1. Amutual dependence among states such that actions affect each other✓
2. Bcomplete independence from all partners✓
3. Czero trade or contact✓
4. Donly military occupation✓

The Treaty of Westphalia ended

1. AWorld War I✓
2. Bthe Thirty Years' War in Europe✓
3. Cthe Napoleonic Wars only✓
4. Dthe Peloponnesian War✓

Extraterritoriality historically allowed

1. Astates to annex neighbours automatically✓
2. Bforeign nationals to be tried under their own laws abroad✓
3. Cuniversal voting in all states✓
4. Dabolition of borders✓

Colonial empires challenged the Westphalian order by

1. Astrengthening sovereignty everywhere equally✓
2. Bending all trade✓
3. Ccreating world government✓
4. Ddenying equal sovereignty to colonized peoples✓

Decolonization after WWII

1. Areduced UN membership✓
2. Bended state sovereignty✓
3. Cgreatly increased the number of sovereign states in the UN✓
4. Dcreated a single world state✓

International law primarily governs

1. Arelations among states and other subjects of international law✓
2. Bonly domestic criminal trials✓
3. Conly private family disputes✓
4. Donly corporate accounting rules✓

A treaty in international law is

1. Aa binding agreement between subjects of international law✓
2. Bonly a domestic statute✓
3. Conly a press release✓
4. Donly a moral sermon✓

Customary international law arises from

1. Arandom opinion polls only✓
2. Bdomestic traffic rules only✓
3. CUN press statements alone✓
4. Dgeneral and consistent practice accepted as law (opinio juris)✓

The United Nations was established in

1. A1919✓
2. B1945✓
3. C1648✓
4. D1991✓

The League of Nations was created after

1. AWorld War II✓
2. Bthe Cold War✓
3. CWorld War I✓
4. Dthe Thirty Years' War✓

Hedley Bull is associated with

1. Aneorealist balance of power only✓
2. Bthe concept of international society✓
3. CMarxist dependency theory✓
4. Dpostmodern deconstruction only✓

Martin Wight classified IR traditions as

1. Aliberalism, fascism and anarchism only✓
2. Beconomics, sociology and biology✓
3. Conly behavioural science✓
4. Drealism, rationalism and revolutionism✓

The English School in IR emphasizes

1. Aonly quantitative data mining✓
2. Binternational society, norms and history✓
3. Conly rational choice micro-models✓
4. Donly neuroscience✓

International Relations (IR) is primarily concerned with

1. Apolitics among sovereign states and other actors in the international system✓
2. Bonly domestic electoral campaigns✓
3. Conly microeconomic pricing✓
4. Donly cultural anthropology of tribes✓

The scope of International Relations includes

1. Aonly family law and inheritance✓
2. Bwar, diplomacy, trade, international law and global governance✓
3. Conly village council disputes✓
4. Donly classroom pedagogy✓

A nation-state is best characterized by

1. Aa defined territory, a permanent population, a government and sovereignty✓
2. Bonly a shared language without territory✓
3. Conly a religious community abroad✓
4. Donly a multinational corporation✓

Sovereignty in the Westphalian sense means

1. Aunlimited power to violate all treaties always✓
2. Bmembership in the United Nations only✓
3. Ccontrol of all global markets✓
4. Dsupreme authority within a territory and legal independence externally✓

The Peace of Westphalia (1648) is significant in IR because it

1. Aabolished all European monarchies✓
2. Bhelped establish the modern state system based on territorial sovereignty✓
3. Ccreated the League of Nations✓
4. Dended the Cold War✓

The Westphalian system emphasized

1. Aterritorial states as the primary units of international politics✓
2. Btribal confederations as the only actors✓
3. Ca single world empire under the Pope✓
4. Dcity-states without borders only✓

International society refers to

1. Aa community of states bound by shared norms, rules and institutions✓
2. Bonly the domestic society of one country✓
3. Conly global civil society NGOs✓
4. Donly military alliances without norms✓

Levels of analysis in IR include

1. Aonly molecular chemistry✓
2. Bonly urban planning✓
3. Cindividual, state and system levels✓
4. Donly grammar✓

State-centric IR assumes

1. ANGOs replace all states✓
2. Bonly individuals matter✓
3. Cmarkets eliminate governments✓
4. Dstates are the primary actors in world politics✓

Transnational relations involve

1. Aactors operating across state boundaries✓
2. Bonly domestic village councils✓
3. Conly intra-provincial trade✓
4. Donly census data✓

A great power is typically defined by

1. Asmall population only✓
2. Bsuperior military, economic and diplomatic capacity✓
3. Clandlocked status only✓
4. Dabsence of foreign policy✓

Middle powers are states that

1. Adominate the entire system militarily✓
2. Bhave no foreign policy✓
3. Cexercise influence disproportionate to size through diplomacy and niche roles✓
4. Dare always microstates✓

The Concert of Europe (19th century) was

1. Aa UN specialized agency✓
2. Ba colonial trade cartel only✓
3. Ca Cold War alliance✓
4. Da great-power management arrangement after Napoleon✓

The Congress of Vienna (1815) aimed to

1. Astart World War I✓
2. Bdissolve all monarchies✓
3. Crestore stability and balance after the Napoleonic Wars✓
4. Dcreate NATO✓

Imperialism in IR refers to

1. Aequal sovereign cooperation only✓
2. Bcomplete free trade without coercion✓
3. Cdomination of weaker territories by stronger powers✓
4. Ddomestic federalism only✓

Nationalism affects IR by

1. Amobilizing identity and claims to self-determination✓
2. Beliminating all borders instantly✓
3. Cbanning all languages✓
4. Dending diplomacy✓