Introduction to International Relations Final Exam Study Guide

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Instructions The final exam will be two hours long and consist of four (of five) identifications, three (of four) short answer questions, and one essay taken directly from this study guide. The ide... ntifications are worth 5 points each for a total of 20 points, the short answer questions are worth 15 points each for a total of 45 points, and the essay is worth 35 points. You must bring your own blue book and pen. Part I: Identifications The identifications are intended for you to demonstrate your understanding not just of the definition but of the relevance of basic concepts, events, and theories in IR. For the identifications, I am looking for you to do the following: 1) Define/explain the term as it is used in this class. (Googling these terms and repeating dictionary/Wikipedia definitions is not a great strategy.) 2) Explain the relevance or importance of the term for understanding IR. (How does it fit into the broader themes of the class? What are its causes or consequences? What principle does it illustrate or what event does it help explain?) 3) Where relevant, give an example. 4) Be as specific as possible! Concrete and proper nouns are preferable to abstract and vague ones. Example of an identification that would receive full credit: Balancing refers to actions taken by states to offset the power of more powerful states. According to realists, balancing is one way in which states can pursue power in international politics and can be either internal (building up one’s military) or external (forming an alliance with other less powerful states against a more powerful state). An example of balancing is British intervention on behalf of Greece during their struggle for independence in the 1820s. [note: lots of other possible examples here] [Show More]

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