International Relations: Concepts and Theories MCQs 2026

Realism in international relations emphasizes

1. Aanarchy, power politics, and national survival✓
2. Bperpetual peace through trade alone✓
3. Cidentity construction as the sole driver✓
4. Dabolition of the state system✓

Hans Morgenthau is associated with

1. Aliberal institutionalism exclusively✓
2. Bconstructivist identity theory✓
3. Cfunctionalist integration theory alone✓
4. Dclassical realism and politics among nations✓

Kenneth Waltz's neorealism (structural realism) focuses on

1. Adomestic ideology only✓
2. Bindividual leaders' psychology exclusively✓
3. Ccomplete elimination of states✓
4. Dinternational structure and distribution of capabilities✓

Liberalism in IR argues that

1. Awar is the only rational outcome always✓
2. Bstates never interact peacefully✓
3. Ccooperation is possible through institutions, trade, and law✓
4. Danarchy makes all treaties impossible✓

Constructivism in IR holds that

1. Aonly material power matters with no role for culture✓
2. Binternational reality is shaped by shared ideas, norms, and identities✓
3. Cstates are unaffected by beliefs✓
4. Dinternational law never influences behavior✓

Alexander Wendt is a leading figure in

1. Aclassical realism only✓
2. Bconstructivism✓
3. Cmercantilism revival✓
4. Dgeopolitical determinism alone✓

The concept of power in IR includes

1. Aonly population size without context✓
2. Bonly geographic size without resources✓
3. Conly cultural output without political influence✓
4. Dmilitary capability, economic strength, and soft power✓

Joseph Nye's soft power refers to

1. Aonly nuclear arsenal size✓
2. Bability to attract and persuade rather than coerce✓
3. Conly economic sanctions✓
4. Donly territorial conquest✓

Hard power relies primarily on

1. Amilitary force and economic coercion✓
2. Bpublic diplomacy alone✓
3. CUN resolutions without enforcement✓
4. Dcultural exchange only✓

National interest in foreign policy means

1. Aobjectives a state prioritizes for security, welfare, and status✓
2. Bidentical goals for all states always✓
3. Conly ideological export without security✓
4. Dabsence of any strategic calculation✓

Balance of power theory suggests states

1. Aalways merge into one empire voluntarily✓
2. Bnever form alliances✓
3. Cignore relative capabilities entirely✓
4. Dalign or arm to prevent any single state from dominating✓

Collective security is the idea that

1. Aaggression against one member is treated as aggression against all✓
2. Bonly bilateral defense pacts exist✓
3. Cstates never cooperate on security✓
4. Daggressors always receive rewards✓

The security dilemma occurs when

1. Aall arms buildups are purely benign always✓
2. Bstates share perfect information always✓
3. Cmeasures one state takes for defense appear offensive to others✓
4. Dalliances eliminate all fear✓

Sovereignty in IR means

1. Asubordination of all states to one empire legally✓
2. Bsupreme authority within a territory and recognition by others✓
3. Cabsence of any borders✓
4. Dautomatic global citizenship without states✓

The Treaty of Westphalia (1648) is linked to

1. Amodern state sovereignty and non-interference norms✓
2. Bcreation of the United Nations✓
3. Cend of Cold War✓
4. Dfounding of NATO✓

Realists typically view international law as

1. Aalways fully binding regardless of power✓
2. Bsuperior to all state interest always✓
3. Cweak without enforcement backed by power✓
4. Dunnecessary because war ended permanently✓

Liberals support international institutions because they

1. Aeliminate state interest entirely✓
2. Breduce transaction costs and facilitate repeated cooperation✓
3. Creplace all sovereign governments✓
4. Dban all trade✓

Neoliberal institutionalism is associated with

1. AMorgenthau's power politics only✓
2. BKeohane and cooperation under anarchy✓
3. Cexclusive focus on nuclear strategy✓
4. Drejection of all treaties✓

Offensive realism (Mearsheimer) predicts

1. Astates always satisfied with current power✓
2. Bpermanent peace through democracy instantly✓
3. Celimination of all alliances✓
4. Dgreat powers maximize power and seek regional hegemony✓

Defensive realism suggests states seek

1. Aunlimited expansion as default always✓
2. Bno concern for survival✓
3. Cenough power for security rather than maximum dominance always✓
4. Dimmediate world government✓

Constructivists argue norms can

1. Achange state interests and identities over time✓
2. Bnever influence state behavior✓
3. Conly matter during total war✓
4. Dreplace all material factors instantly always✓

The English School of IR emphasizes

1. Aonly individual psychology✓
2. Binternational society, rules, and institutions beyond pure power✓
3. Conly economic Marxism✓
4. Drejection of diplomacy✓

Hegemonic stability theory claims

1. Ahegemons always destroy trade✓
2. Bweak states always lead global order✓
3. Cinstitutions are irrelevant to trade✓
4. Da dominant power helps provide public goods like open trade✓

Bandwagoning means a state

1. Aalways fights the strongest state✓
2. Bnever joins alliances✓
3. Caligns with a rising power rather than balancing against it✓
4. Disolates completely without trade✓

Deterrence aims to

1. Aencourage aggression always✓
2. Bdiscourage attack by threatening credible retaliation✓
3. Celiminate all weapons instantly✓
4. Dreplace diplomacy with culture only✓

Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) is associated with

1. Anuclear deterrence during the Cold War✓
2. B19th century colonial wars only✓
3. CWTO trade disputes only✓
4. DUN peacekeeping budget talks✓

The Cold War was characterized by

1. Abipolar competition between the USA and USSR✓
2. Bmultipolar balance of eight equal powers✓
3. Ccomplete absence of ideology✓
4. Dinstant global integration without conflict✓

The United Nations Charter outlaws

1. Aall diplomacy✓
2. Ball peacekeeping✓
3. Caggression and unauthorized use of force with Security Council exceptions✓
4. Dall economic sanctions always✓

The UN Security Council has

1. Ano permanent members✓
2. Bfive permanent members with veto power✓
3. Cunlimited members all with veto✓
4. Donly advisory moral authority without enforcement✓

Peacekeeping differs from peace enforcement because peacekeeping typically requires

1. Afull-scale invasion without consent always✓
2. Bconsent of parties and impartiality✓
3. Cautomatic nuclear use✓
4. Dabolition of sovereignty✓

Economic interdependence according to liberals can

1. Araise the cost of war and encourage cooperation✓
2. Bguarantee zero conflict always✓
3. Celiminate national interest entirely✓
4. Dprevent all sanctions always✓

Relative gains concern in realism means states worry about

1. Awhether partners gain more than themselves from cooperation✓
2. Babsolute welfare only without comparison✓
3. Ccultural exchange only✓
4. Dclimate science only✓

The concept of anarchy in IR means

1. Acomplete chaos without any order or rules✓
2. Bdomestic law applies globally automatically✓
3. Cabsence of a world government with centralized enforcement✓
4. Dstates have no interactions✓

Multipolarity describes a system with

1. Aone superpower only✓
2. Bno great powers at all✓
3. Conly non-state actors✓
4. Dseveral great powers of comparable influence✓

Unipolarity after the Cold War referred to

1. AUS preponderance in military and economic power✓
2. BSoviet dominance globally✓
3. Cequal power among fifty states✓
4. Dabsence of any hegemon✓

Thucydides Trap refers to

1. Arisk of war when a rising power threatens a ruling power✓
2. Btrade agreement between allies✓
3. Ccultural exchange programs✓
4. DUN budget negotiations only✓

Non-state actors in IR include

1. Aonly recognized sovereign states✓
2. BNGOs, multinational corporations, and terrorist groups✓
3. Conly UN secretariat staff as states✓
4. Donly monarchs of Europe✓

Smart power combines

1. Aonly military invasion✓
2. Bonly propaganda without policy✓
3. Chard and soft power resources strategically✓
4. Disolation from all institutions✓

The democratic peace thesis claims

1. Ademocracies never trade✓
2. Bautocracies always cooperate✓
3. Cdemocracies rarely fight each other✓
4. Dwar is impossible in capitalism✓

Sanctions are used to

1. Areward aggression always✓
2. Bcoerce policy change by restricting economic or diplomatic ties✓
3. Cguarantee instant regime change always✓
4. Dreplace all military defense✓

Diplomacy is

1. Aalways identical to war✓
2. Bnegotiation and representation between states to manage relations✓
3. Cunnecessary in realism only world without talk✓
4. Donly conducted by NGOs never states✓

Foreign policy analysis examines

1. Aonly systemic power with no domestic politics✓
2. Bonly weather patterns✓
3. Chow domestic factors and leaders shape state external behavior✓
4. Donly sports diplomacy exclusively✓

The League of Nations failed partly because

1. Ait prevented World War II successfully✓
2. Bit had too strong a military✓
3. Cit banned all sovereignty✓
4. Dgreat powers lacked commitment and enforcement mechanisms were weak✓

Collective security differs from collective defense alliances because collective security targets

1. Aonly one designated enemy in a permanent alliance✓
2. Btrade disputes exclusively✓
3. Ccultural heritage disputes only✓
4. Dany aggressor threatening international peace broadly✓

Balance of threat theory (Walt) emphasizes states balance against

1. Aperceived threat rather than power alone✓
2. Bculture only✓
3. CGDP alone without perception✓
4. Drandom alignment✓

Constructivists study how

1. Aonly GDP growth rates✓
2. Bonly mineral deposits✓
3. Conly military factory output without ideas✓
4. Danarchy and interests are socially constructed✓

Hegemony in Gramscian/neo-Gramscian IR thinking can include

1. Aonly naval blockades✓
2. Bonly currency printing at home✓
3. Cideological leadership and consent, not just force✓
4. Donly sports victories✓

The concept of national interest is contested because

1. Aall citizens always agree perfectly✓
2. Bit never changes over time✓
3. Cit is identical to international law always✓
4. Delites, public opinion, and ideology define it differently✓

International regimes are

1. Aalways world governments with armies✓
2. Bonly informal sports leagues✓
3. Cunrelated to state behavior✓
4. Dsets of implicit and explicit principles, norms, and rules around an issue-area✓