Exams

POL S 203, Spring 2007
Intro to IR

Exams

Fall 2008, First Exam

First Exam, Mercer, pol s 203: Introduction to International Relations (10/17/08)

Instructions: Write clearly. Quantity doesn’t mean quality. Think before you write. Budget your time. The IDs are worth a total of 10 points, the essay questions are worth 15 points each. The exam totals to 40 points. You have fifty minutes. Good luck.

IDs. Give the definition and significance of FIVE of the following IDs with a few sentences. Be sure to refer to class readings and lectures when appropriate.

1. Liberal view of institutions.
2. Plutocracy.
3. What issue is complicating the US-Iraq Security Agreement?
4. Neorealist view of human nature.
5 Why is North Korea on (or off) the official US terrorist list?
6. Who are the actors for realists, liberals, and Marxists?
7. Do neoconservatives believe in the liberal peace?

Essay Questions. Answer one question from each pair of questions. Be sure to refer to class readings when appropriate. Do not use the same arguments or evidence to address different questions. Answer only TWO questions. Each question is worth 15 points.

Choose one of the following two questions:

7. Are Realist and Liberal explanations competing or complementary? Use the origins of WWI to make your argument.

8. Zilliacus, Kipling, and Bismarck meet at a café and soon find themselves arguing over imperialism. What is the nature of the disagreement and who allies with whom?

And choose one of the two following essay questions:

9. Bismarck, Kant, and Marx meet at a cocktail party to discuss the U.S. presidential election. Who supports which candidate and why?

10. What is a “security dilemma”? How would a liberal and how would a Marxist interpret it?

Assigned readings on back page

Fall 2008, Second Exam

Second Exam, Mercer, pol s 203: Introduction to International Relations (11/12/08)

Instructions: Write clearly. Quantity doesn't mean quality. Think before you write. Budget your time. The IDs are worth a total of 10 points, the essay questions are worth 15 points each. The exam totals to 40 points. You have fifty minutes. Good luck.

IDs. Give the definition and significance of FIVE of the following IDs with a few sentences. Be sure to refer to class readings and lectures when appropriate.

1. NSC-68      5. Scott McClellan
2. Reconnaissance Revolution    6. Berlin Crisis of 1948
3. Radovan Karadzic – why in the news?  7. Munich Analogy
4. Four actors/groups involved in the Congo crisis

Choose one of the following two questions:

8. Why did the United States drop atomic bombs over Japan? Discuss the three historical interpretations.

9. What explains peace in Europe? Offer two competing explanations and provide evidence to support your argument.

And choose one of the two following essay questions:

10. A realist and liberal get into an argument over why President Bush decided to attack Iraq in the 1991 Gulf War. Present the competing perspectives, and use a Marxist perspective to critique both positions.

11. President-elect Obama must decide what to do in Darfur. Surprisingly, he calls you to see which historical event discussed in the course best captures the risks and opportunities of intervention or of failing to intervene. Focus on the similarities and differences between Darfur and one historical event, and use this event to help explain what he should do in Darfur.

Assigned readings on back page

Fall 2008, Final Exam

FINAL Exam, Mercer, pol s 203: Introduction to International Relations (12/10/08)

Instructions: Write clearly. Quantity doesn't mean quality. Think before you write. Budget your time. The IDs are worth a total of 10 points, the essay questions are worth 10 points each. The exam totals 40 points. You have 110 minutes. Good luck.

IDs. Give the definition and significance of FIVE of the following IDs with a few sentences. Be sure to refer to class readings and lectures when appropriate.

1. The "tragedy of the commons"
2. Instrumental view of identity
3. Commodity based economy
4. Susan E. Rice, Robert Gates, Hillary Clinton
5. Smiley curve
6. Leopold II
7. Marxist view of human rights

Choose one of the following two questions:

8. Do liberals or realists provide the greatest insight into problems of economic development? Use the examples of Dunavant and Malawi to make your points.

9. Should Americans "buy American"? Explain the competing perspectives. What are the trade-offs?

And choose one of the following two questions:

10. All quarter we have been talking about pirates. Who are they? Where did the come from? What have they been doing? How would realists, liberals, and Marxists address this problem?

11. What are the consequences of global warming for the global "south"? What are the solutions?

Answer this question:

12. "Theory has its place, but one must remember that it introduces biases into our interpretations. In the best of all worlds, our analysis would be free of theory and we would let the facts speak for themselves." Do you agree? Use one historical (pre George W. Bush Admin) and one contemporary example to make your point..

Assigned readings on flip side

Spring 2009, First exam

First Exam, Mercer, pol s 203: Introduction to International Relations (April 22, 2009)

IDs. Give the definition and significance of FIVE of the following IDs with a few sentences. Be sure to refer to class readings and lectures when appropriate.

1. CTBT
2. What is the "autocratic revival" argument?
3. Westphalia
4. Why is Thucydides a realist?
5. Revolution in Swat Valley
6. Plutocracy
7. Two realist explanations for democratic peace

Choose one of the following two questions:

7. Thucydides, Kant, and Marx meet at Belltown Billiards and begin to argue over whether relations between states are best understood as "outside-in" or as "inside-out." What is the nature of the disagreement and which authors ally with each other? Use WWI to illustrate your argument.

8. Walking through the UW campus, a Neo-conservative is approached by representatives from two international relations student groups: Realism and Liberalism. What things do these representatives say in order to get the Neo-conservative to join their group? What things do they NOT mention about their own group in order to avoid offending the Neo-Conservative?

And choose one of the two following essay questions:

9. Why did Europe end up dominating the world?

10. What explains the emergence of imperialism (or the "revolution in trade") in Europe in the late 19th Century?

Assigned readings on back page

Spring 2009, 2nd Exam

Second Exam, Mercer, pol s 203: Introduction to International Relations (May 15, 2009)

IDs. Give the definition and significance of FIVE of the following IDs with a few sentences. Be sure to refer to class readings and lectures when appropriate.

1. Sharia
2. Orthodox explanation for Hiroshima
3. "genocide is a cheese sandwich"
4. Two reasons why bipolarity is more stable than multipolarity
5. Two problems with the League of Nations
6. SLA and one of its objectives
7. New World Order's three parts.

Choose one of the following two questions:

8. Compare and contrast a recent example of brinkmanship in North Korea with Stalin's strategy in Berlin.

9. Compare and contrast a recent example of appeasement in Pakistan with Chamberlain's strategy at Munich.

And choose one of the two following essay questions:

10. Did President GW Bush turn more to a Kennan-like strategy or more to a Truman-like strategy in his decision to go to war against Iraq (2003)? Does President Obama's strategy in Afghanistan suggest he is relying on a more Kennan or Truman-like strategy?

11. "Somalia explains Rwanda." What does that mean and what alternative explanations exist?

Spring 2009, Final Exam

FINAL Exam, Mercer, pol s 203: Introduction to International Relations (6/10/09)

IDs. Give the definition and significance of FIVE of the following with a few sentences. Be sure to refer to class readings and lectures when appropriate.

1. "high productivity poverty"  5. commodity based economy
2. microfinance     6. GATT
3. tragedy of the commons   7. strategic trade
4. "Do you understand how different this is? My mother has bound feet?"

Essay Questions. Answer THREE questions. Each question is worth 10 points. Refer to class readings when appropriate. Do not use the same arguments or evidence to address different questions.

Choose one of the following two questions:

8. A realist, a liberal, and a Marxist all meet at Dambisa Moyo's apartment. Pleasant conversation soon gives way to a discussion among the four over outsourcing. Who argues what and, eventually, who agrees with whom?

9. Although most African states won independence thirty to forty years ago, these states have not prospered. First, discuss three general reasons why this might be so. Second, discuss two different solutions to economic underdevelopment and explain why you think these solutions are competing or complementary. Draw on course readings where appropriate.

And choose one of the following two questions:

10. How do communities find themselves locked in a "perverse-equilibrium trap"? What are two examples of this outcome? And how can human rights activists help these communities escape from these traps?

11. First, detail three reasons why Huntington thought the "clash of civilizations" would become increasingly important. Are these reasons more realist or liberal? Second, do current events in (pick one) Pakistan, Afghanistan, or Iraq confirm or contradict Huntington's expectations? Be specific. Third, discuss one idea from Obama's Cairo speech that would either support or oppose Huntington's thesis.

Answer this question:

12. If you had to argue (and you do) that realism, liberalism, and Marxism each has a comparative advantage in explaining some aspect of international politics, which aspects of international politics would you use? Be sure to draw some examples from the first two-thirds of the course.

Fall 2009, First Exam

First Exam, Mercer, pol s 203: Introduction to International Relations (October 23, 2009)

IDs. Give the definition and significance of FIVE of the following IDs with a few sentences. Be sure to refer to class readings and lectures when appropriate.

1. Abdullah Abdullah 5. interdependence
2. relative gains 6. two "safe haven" myths.
3. theory of immiseration. 7. two consequences of the Treaty of Westphalia
4. Why did the Melians believe they could beat the Athenians?

Choose one of the following two questions:

8. How do realists, liberals, and Marxists explain the outbreak of World War One? Use a counterfactual to help you make your argument.

9. Lenin and Woodrow Wilson meet at Pottery Barn and begin discussing the origins of World War One. Later in the conversation, Robert Gilpin joins the debate. Does Gilpin ally with Lenin, with Wilson, or with neither one—and why?

And choose one of the two following essay questions:

10. Thucydides, Kant, and Marx meet at a cocktail party and immediately begin arguing over the possibility of progress in international politics. What is the nature of the disagreement and who eventually allies with whom?

11. General Stanley McChrystal and Vice President Joe Biden meet at the Crocodile Café and debate what to do in Afghanistan. After each has presented his view, in walks Michael Doyle. What does Doyle add to the debate, with whom does he eventually ally, and why?

Fall 2009, Second Exam

Second Exam, Mercer, pol s 203: Introduction to International Relations (Nov 20 2009)

IDs. Give the definition and significance of FIVE of the following IDs with a few sentences. Be sure to refer to class readings and lectures when appropriate.

1. Radovan Karadzic
2. Al Shabaab
3. Peter Galbraith
4. Soviet interpretation of the Marshall Plan
5. Two of Clinton's three aims in Rwanda
6. Two of Gaddis's five "rules of the game"
7. Contradiction at the heart of the ICC

Choose one of the following two questions:

8.What is appeasement? First, explain the origins of the concept. Second, apply it to one post-WWII event, and be sure you examine the concept from different perspectives. Third, how applicable is the concept to understanding US-Iranian relations today?

9. An orthodox and revisionist historian meet at Cafe Solstice and begin arguing about why the United States used atomic bombs in World War II. Present the perspective of each and discuss the historical evidence each presents. After each has presented their view, in walks Joseph Stalin. With whom does he ally and why?

Choose one of the following two questions:

10. Realists and liberals draw different lessons from the same events. Pick two crises: Bosnia, Rwanda, or Darfur. First, what was the crisis? Second, what was the international response? Third, what lessons do realists and a liberals draw from these crises?

11. Briefly state how a realist and a liberal view both the collapse of the Soviet Union and the rise of the New World Order. Which theoretical perspective do you find most persuasive and why?

Assigned readings on back page

Fall 2009, Final Exam

FINAL Exam, Mercer, pol s 203: Introduction to International Relations (12/16/09)

IDs. Give the definition and significance of FIVE of the following with a few sentences. Be sure to refer to class readings and lectures when appropriate.

1. Frankenfood     5. Swiss minarets
2. "gendercide"     6. Meaning of "expediency of the angels"
3. SABMiller and sorghum beer   7. "psychic numbing"
4. Two reasons Huntington thinks a clash of civilizations will be increasingly important.

Essay Questions. Answer THREE questions; each is worth 10 points. Refer to class readings when appropriate. Do not use the same arguments/ evidence to address different questions.

Choose one of the following two questions:

8. Do politics explain economics, economics explain politics, or ideally should politics stay out of economics? Couple the theories used in class with contemporary examples to make an argument for each of the three views.

9. Is "outsourcing" part of the problem or part of the solution? After defining and explaining the term, discuss the logic of two competing perspectives and illustrate each with detailed examples.

And choose one of the following two questions:

10. "Obama's proposal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and his interest in cap-and-trade demonstrates the US commitment to addressing climate change, which is a classic tragedy of the commons problem. Raising gas taxes is politically impossible, no matter how prospect theorists frame it. Americans will not support providing significantly more money to help with either adaptation or with climate refugees." First, define each of the underlined terms. Second, how do you imagine someone from Mumbai, India, would respond?

11. A liberal and a Marxist meet at a cocktail party. Pleasant conversation gives way to an argument over human rights. First, on what do they agree? Second, what are the sources of their greatest disagreement? Finally, Katzenstein and Snyder join the conversation. How do K&S's views differ from a liberal and Marxist view? With whom do K&S ally and why?

Answer this question:

12. Thucydides, Kant, and Marx all meet at a séance and begin to argue over which approach is best. To make the best case possible for his approach, one uses an event or issue from the first half of the 20th century, another an event/issue from the second half of the 20th century, and a third picks a current event/issue discussed in this course. Each theorist picks a different time period. Who chooses which event/issue and why? Avoid using evidence discussed elsewhere in this exam.

Spring 2010, First Exam

First Exam, Mercer, pol s 203: Introduction to International Relations (April 21, 2010)

IDs. Give the definition and significance of FIVE of the following IDs with a few sentences. Be sure to refer to class readings and lectures when appropriate.

1. "black widows" for peace?
2. "White man's burden" 3. Surplus army of workers
4. What does Panich think should be done with the banks?
5. What are Kant's three definitive articles
6. What makes Steve Walt a Realist on Iran?
7. Obama's Nuclear Posture Review

Essay Questions. Answer one question from each pair of questions. Be sure to refer to class readings when appropriate. Do not use the same arguments or evidence to address different questions. Answer only TWO questions. Each question is worth 15 points.

Choose one of the following two questions:

8. How important are international organizations to understanding international politics? Discuss how Liberals view international organizations and then critique this view using either a Realist or a Marxist perspective. Be sure to use either historical or contemporary IOs to illustrate your argument.

9. Thucydides, Woodrow Wilson, and Marx meet at a cocktail party. Pleasant conversation gives way to an argument over the relative importance of "ideas" to understanding international politics. Who takes what position? And who eventually allies with whom? Refer to course readings where appropriate.

And choose one of the two following essay questions:

10. Why do similarly situated states sometimes behave differently? Use two readings to address this question, and use historical evidence to support your argument.

11. Is President Obama more of a Realist, a Liberal, or some combination? To address this question, detail the key aspects of each approach and then use current events to illustrate your arguments.

Assigned readings on back page

Spring 2010, Second Exam

Second Exam, Mercer, pol s 203: Introduction to International Relations (May 14 2010)

IDs. Give the definition and significance of FIVE of the following IDs with a few sentences. Be sure to refer to class readings and lectures when appropriate.

1. Omar al-Bashir.

2. Faisal Shahzad.

3. Three features of the Versailles Agreement.

4. Two ways the Korean War remained limited.

5. "Give me that last piece of toast or I'll blow my brains out on your new suit." This captures what?

6. Two reasons Gaddis thinks bipolarity is stable.

7. Three ways Sudanese Govt covers up human rights crimes.

Choose one of the following two questions:

8. Should the U.S. appease the Taliban in Waziristan? Explain the debate. Draw on the Munich Analogy, NSC 68, and Kennan to address competing perspectives. Which strategy best captures current U.S. policy?

9. Why do Miller and Yetiv view the Gulf War as capturing the three dimensions of the New World Order? Use Realism or Marxism to critique their view.

Choose one of the following two questions:

10. Some critics would say that “UNPROFOR helped the Bosnian Muslims just as UNAMIR helped the Tutsis.” Explain what is meant by this critique and whether it is most likely to come from a liberal or a realist. Provide a brief response using an opposing theoretical perspective.

11. The Korean War, Rwanda, Bosnia, Darfur—in each of these cases, the international community had a choice: either to intervene actively, or to be a spectator. Use two theories to explain the variation in the U.S response to these crises. Focus on two of these events.

Assigned readings on back page

Send mail to: mercer@u.washington.edu
Last modified: 6/03/2010 7:29 PM