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IB Global Politics SL study materials
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IB Global Politics SL practice questions

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Question 1Power, sovereignty and international relations

Which concept describes a state's legal authority to govern its territory and population without external interference?

  1. Legitimacy
  2. Hegemony
  3. Sovereignty Correct answer.
  4. Anarchy

Explanation

Sovereignty is the defining legal attribute of statehood: exclusive authority over a defined territory and the people within it, recognised by other states. Anarchy describes the absence of a central authority above states, hegemony describes dominance by one power, and legitimacy concerns the acceptance of rule rather than its legal basis.

Question 2Power, sovereignty and international relations

In international relations theory, what does the term 'anarchy' mean?

  1. Constant war between all states
  2. Collapse of a state's domestic government
  3. Rule by a single dominant power
  4. Absence of a central authority above states Correct answer.

Explanation

Anarchy in IR theory describes the structure of the international system: there is no world government with authority over sovereign states. It does not mean chaos or permanent war, which is a common misconception the other options reflect.

Question 3Power, sovereignty and international relations

Which of the following is generally regarded as a defining criterion of statehood under the Montevideo Convention?

  1. A defined territory Correct answer.
  2. A written constitution
  3. Membership of the United Nations
  4. Nuclear weapons capability

Explanation

The Montevideo Convention lists four criteria for statehood: a permanent population, defined territory, government, and capacity to enter relations with other states. UN membership and constitutional form are not criteria, and military capability is irrelevant to legal statehood.

Question 4Power, sovereignty and international relations

Which term describes the ability of one state to shape outcomes in the international system through material capabilities such as military force and economic weight?

  1. Hard power Correct answer.
  2. Structural violence
  3. Soft power
  4. Complex interdependence

Explanation

Hard power refers to influence achieved through coercion or payment, resting on military and economic capabilities. Soft power works through attraction, structural violence concerns indirect harm embedded in social structures, and complex interdependence describes dense transnational linkages.

Question 5Power, sovereignty and international relations

Which body carries primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security under the UN Charter?

  1. The Security Council Correct answer.
  2. The General Assembly
  3. The Economic and Social Council
  4. The International Court of Justice

Explanation

Article 24 of the UN Charter confers on the Security Council primary responsibility for international peace and security, and its decisions can be binding on member states. The General Assembly debates and recommends, the ICJ adjudicates disputes, and ECOSOC coordinates economic and social work.

Question 6Power, sovereignty and international relations

What distinguishes a nation from a state?

  1. A nation is a community sharing identity, whereas a state is a political-legal unit Correct answer.
  2. A state is defined by shared ethnicity
  3. A nation always possesses sovereignty
  4. A nation must control a defined territory

Explanation

A nation is a group bound by shared identity such as language, culture, or history, while a state is a sovereign political and legal entity. Nations need not control territory or hold sovereignty, and states are not defined by ethnic homogeneity.

Question 7Power, sovereignty and international relations

Which of the following best describes 'global governance'?

  1. A single world government with binding legislative powers
  2. The dominance of international law over domestic law
  3. The sum of formal and informal arrangements that manage shared transnational problems Correct answer.
  4. A treaty creating a permanent alliance of democratic states

Explanation

Global governance refers to the overlapping formal institutions, regimes, norms, and informal practices through which collective transnational problems are addressed. It is not a world government, an alliance, or a claim that international law automatically overrides domestic law.

Question 8Power, sovereignty and international relations

Which of the following is an example of an intergovernmental organisation?

  1. A multinational corporation
  2. The World Trade Organization Correct answer.
  3. Amnesty International
  4. The International Committee of the Red Cross

Explanation

Intergovernmental organisations are created by agreement among states and their members are states; the WTO is one such body. Amnesty International and the ICRC are non-governmental organisations, and a multinational corporation is a private commercial actor.

Question 9Power, sovereignty and international relations

A state refuses to allow foreign inspectors into a facility, arguing that the matter falls within its domestic jurisdiction. Which principle is it invoking?

  1. Universal jurisdiction
  2. Non-interference in internal affairs Correct answer.
  3. Responsibility to protect
  4. Collective security

Explanation

The principle of non-interference, grounded in Article 2(7) of the UN Charter, protects matters essentially within a state's domestic jurisdiction from external intervention. Collective security concerns responding to aggression, universal jurisdiction concerns prosecuting certain crimes regardless of location, and R2P concerns protection from mass atrocities.

Question 10Power, sovereignty and international relations

A great power pressures a smaller state into changing its trade policy by threatening to withdraw development loans. Which form of power is being exercised?

  1. Soft power through attraction
  2. Structural violence
  3. Institutional legitimacy
  4. Coercive economic power Correct answer.

Explanation

Conditioning loans on policy changes is coercive economic power, since influence rests on threatened costs rather than attraction. Soft power would operate through appeal and shared values, institutional legitimacy concerns acceptance of rules, and structural violence concerns harm embedded in social arrangements.

Question 11Power, sovereignty and international relations

Which development most clearly illustrates the erosion of Westphalian sovereignty in practice?

  1. A state appointing its own ambassadors
  2. A state holding a national election for its legislature
  3. A state building a border wall to control migration
  4. A state ratifying a human rights treaty that allows individual petitions to a treaty body Correct answer.

Explanation

Accepting individual petition mechanisms means an external body can review a state's treatment of its own citizens, limiting the domestic-jurisdiction shield central to Westphalian sovereignty. Elections, border control, and diplomatic appointments are ordinary exercises of sovereignty rather than limits on it.

Question 12Power, sovereignty and international relations

A permanent member of the Security Council vetoes a draft resolution authorising humanitarian intervention. Which feature of the UN system does this illustrate?

  1. The great-power privilege built into the Security Council's design Correct answer.
  2. The compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ
  3. The binding authority of ECOSOC resolutions
  4. Weighted voting in the General Assembly

Explanation

The veto held by the five permanent members reflects the great-power accommodation built into the Security Council's design, allowing any one of them to block substantive resolutions. The General Assembly does not use weighted voting, ICJ jurisdiction is consent-based, and ECOSOC resolutions are not binding.

Question 13Power, sovereignty and international relations

Which statement best captures the realist view of international institutions?

  1. Institutions are irrelevant to any understanding of state behaviour
  2. Institutions independently shape state preferences and build lasting trust
  3. Institutions largely reflect the interests and power of their most powerful members Correct answer.
  4. Institutions have replaced states as the primary actors in world politics

Explanation

Realists treat institutions as largely epiphenomenal, reflecting the power and interests of dominant states rather than independently transforming state preferences. They do not claim institutions are wholly irrelevant, and they reject the idea that institutions have displaced states.

Question 14Power, sovereignty and international relations

A government loses effective control over much of its territory to armed groups but retains international recognition and a seat at the UN. Which description fits best?

  1. The state has lost de jure sovereignty but retains de facto sovereignty
  2. The state retains both de jure and de facto sovereignty intact
  3. The state has lost both de jure and de facto sovereignty
  4. The state retains de jure sovereignty but has weakened de facto sovereignty Correct answer.

Explanation

De jure sovereignty is the legal recognition of statehood, which persists through UN recognition, while de facto sovereignty is effective control over territory, which has clearly weakened. The scenario shows legal continuity alongside practical loss of authority.

Question 15Power, sovereignty and international relations

Which of the following best explains why small states can sometimes exert influence in the UN General Assembly?

  1. Permanent members control the agenda
  2. Resolutions are binding on all states
  3. Each member state has one vote, giving numerical majorities real weight Correct answer.
  4. Voting is weighted according to population and GDP

Explanation

The one-state-one-vote rule in the General Assembly allows coalitions of small states to command majorities and shape resolutions and agenda items. Voting is not weighted, permanent members sit on the Security Council rather than controlling the Assembly, and Assembly resolutions are generally non-binding.

Question 16Power, sovereignty and international relations

A state signs but does not ratify a treaty, yet changes its domestic law to comply with it. Which concept best describes the treaty's effect?

  1. Soft law influence on state behaviour Correct answer.
  2. Collective security authorisation
  3. Hard law enforcement by an international court
  4. Universal jurisdiction

Explanation

Unratified treaties can still shape behaviour through soft law effects, as states align domestic policy with emerging norms even without binding obligation. Hard law enforcement requires entry into force and a court with jurisdiction, collective security concerns peace enforcement, and universal jurisdiction concerns criminal prosecution.

Question 17Power, sovereignty and international relations

Which concept describes the situation in which states are affected by decisions made in one policy area, such as trade, through dense transnational channels linking multiple issues?

  1. Complex interdependence Correct answer.
  2. Bipolarity
  3. Collective security
  4. Sovereign equality

Explanation

Complex interdependence, associated with Keohane and Nye, describes multiple channels connecting societies, the absence of hierarchy among issues, and reduced usefulness of military force. Bipolarity concerns the distribution of power, collective security concerns joint responses to aggression, and sovereign equality is a legal principle.

Question 18Power, sovereignty and international relations

A state invokes the responsibility to protect in arguing for action against mass atrocities in another state. Which claim is consistent with the R2P framework?

  1. Sovereignty always shields a state from any external scrutiny
  2. R2P authorises unilateral regime change without multilateral approval
  3. R2P applies only to natural disasters
  4. Sovereignty entails responsibility, and the international community may act if a state manifestly fails to protect its people Correct answer.

Explanation

R2P holds that sovereignty carries a responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity, with the international community acting if a state manifestly fails. It does not abolish sovereignty, authorise unilateral regime change, or apply only to disasters.

Question 19Power, sovereignty and international relations

Which of the following best describes 'structural power' in international relations?

  1. The ability to veto a single UN resolution
  2. The ability to attract others through cultural exports
  3. The ability to win a single military engagement
  4. The ability to set the rules and frameworks within which others operate Correct answer.

Explanation

Structural power is the capacity to shape the frameworks, rules, and institutions within which other actors make choices, as opposed to winning particular contests. Winning a battle or casting a veto is an instance of relational power, and cultural attraction is soft power.

Question 20Power, sovereignty and international relations

A state joins a regional organisation that requires it to accept majority voting on certain economic rules. What does this illustrate?

  1. A pooling of sovereignty in exchange for collective benefits Correct answer.
  2. A complete loss of legal statehood
  3. The exercise of hard power by the regional organisation
  4. The rejection of global governance

Explanation

Accepting majority voting in defined areas is a pooling of sovereignty, in which states accept constraints on independent decision-making in return for collective gains. The state remains legally sovereign, the organisation is not exercising hard power in the coercive sense, and joining is participation in governance rather than rejection of it.

Question 21Power, sovereignty and international relations

Which statement most accurately distinguishes the International Court of Justice from the International Criminal Court?

  1. The ICJ hears disputes between states, while the ICC prosecutes individuals for grave crimes Correct answer.
  2. Both courts prosecute individuals for war crimes
  3. Both courts hear only disputes between states
  4. The ICJ prosecutes individuals, while the ICC hears disputes between states

Explanation

The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the UN and settles contentious cases between states, with jurisdiction based on consent. The ICC is a separate treaty-based court that prosecutes individuals for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression.

Question 22Power, sovereignty and international relations

A state argues that its use of force was lawful because it acted in self-defence. Which provision of the UN Charter is it invoking?

  1. Article 2(4)
  2. Article 24
  3. Article 51 Correct answer.
  4. Article 99

Explanation

Article 51 preserves the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence against armed attack until the Security Council takes measures. Article 2(4) prohibits the threat or use of force, Article 99 lets the Secretary-General bring matters to the Council, and Article 24 sets out the Council's primary responsibility.

Question 23Power, sovereignty and international relations

Which argument best explains why some scholars claim that globalisation has not diminished the state but transformed it?

  1. States have ceased to exist as legal entities in the international system
  2. Globalisation has made all states equally powerful
  3. States no longer make any domestic policy decisions
  4. States have adapted by creating new regulatory and coordinating institutions to manage global flows Correct answer.

Explanation

The transformation thesis holds that states respond to globalisation by developing new regulatory capacities, coordinating through international institutions, and reallocating authority rather than simply losing it. States clearly remain legal entities, power is unevenly distributed, and domestic policy-making continues.

Question 24Power, sovereignty and international relations

Two states dispute a maritime boundary. One accepts ICJ jurisdiction; the other refuses. What is the legal position?

  1. The Security Council can compel the state to appear before the ICJ
  2. The General Assembly can override the refusal by majority vote
  3. The ICJ cannot hear the case unless the other state consents or has accepted jurisdiction Correct answer.
  4. The ICJ can hear the case because one party consented

Explanation

ICJ contentious jurisdiction rests on consent, expressed through special agreement, treaty clauses, or optional clause declarations. One party's consent alone is insufficient, and neither the Security Council nor the General Assembly can compel a state to submit to the Court.

Question 25Power, sovereignty and international relations

Which scenario best illustrates the tension between humanitarian intervention and the principle of sovereign equality?

  1. A state hosts an international sporting event
  2. A coalition intervenes militarily without Security Council authorisation, claiming a moral duty to stop atrocities Correct answer.
  3. A state negotiates a bilateral trade agreement
  4. A state signs an extradition treaty with a neighbour

Explanation

Unauthorised intervention pits the protection of populations against the principle that all states are equally sovereign and free from external force without consent. Trade agreements, sporting events, and extradition treaties involve routine cooperation and do not raise the same tension.

Question 26Power, sovereignty and international relations

Which feature of the Westphalian settlement is most closely associated with the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other states?

  1. The establishment of universal jurisdiction over crimes against humanity
  2. The creation of a system of collective security enforced by a standing army
  3. The subordination of sovereign states to the authority of the papacy
  4. The recognition of each state's exclusive authority within its own territorial borders Correct answer.

Explanation

The Peace of Westphalia (1648) is conventionally treated as the origin of a system in which each state holds supreme authority over its own territory and is not subject to external interference. Non-interference follows from this mutual recognition of territorial jurisdiction rather than from enforcement mechanisms.

Question 27Power, sovereignty and international relations

Which of the following is the clearest example of hard power?

  1. A state imposing economic sanctions that restrict another state's exports Correct answer.
  2. A state broadcasting its values through an international news channel
  3. A state funding scholarships for foreign students to build long-term goodwill
  4. A state hosting an international cultural festival to improve its image

Explanation

Hard power refers to the capacity to coerce or induce through material means such as military force or economic pressure. Sanctions directly impose costs on another state, which distinguishes them from attraction-based instruments of soft power.

Question 28Power, sovereignty and international relations

In international relations, what does the term 'anarchy' mean?

  1. A condition of violent chaos and the collapse of public order
  2. A system in which states are unequal in their military capabilities
  3. The absence of a central authority above sovereign states Correct answer.
  4. The breakdown of diplomatic relations between two states

Explanation

In IR theory, anarchy describes the absence of a world government or overarching authority above states, not the presence of disorder. This structural condition is central to realist and neorealist accounts of why states must rely on self-help.

Question 29Power, sovereignty and international relations

Which of the following best describes a 'failed state'?

  1. A state whose economy has entered recession for two consecutive years
  2. A state that has refused to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
  3. A state whose government has lost effective control over much of its territory and cannot provide basic public goods Correct answer.
  4. A state that has been suspended from a regional organisation for non-payment of dues

Explanation

State failure is generally defined by the loss of effective authority over territory and population, including the inability to maintain order or deliver core services. Economic or membership problems alone do not establish state failure.

Question 30Power, sovereignty and international relations

What is meant by 'pooled sovereignty' in the context of regional integration?

  1. The temporary suspension of sovereignty during a declared national emergency
  2. The transfer of sovereign authority from states to a shared institution in specific policy areas Correct answer.
  3. The acquisition of sovereignty by a territory seeking independence
  4. The equal sharing of sovereignty between a state and its former colonial power

Explanation

Pooling sovereignty occurs when states delegate decision-making authority to a common institution, accepting that some decisions will be made collectively rather than by each state alone. This is central to understanding bodies such as the European Union.

Question 31Power, sovereignty and international relations

Which of the following is a defining characteristic of a unipolar distribution of power?

  1. Several great powers cooperate through a concert system
  2. Non-state actors replace states as the main units of power
  3. One state possesses preponderant capabilities relative to all others Correct answer.
  4. Two blocs of states balance each other through rival alliances

Explanation

Polarity describes how capabilities are distributed among the major units of the system. Unipolarity exists when a single state's power is overwhelmingly greater than that of any rival.

Question 32Power, sovereignty and international relations

Which of the following best describes the principle of collective security?

  1. Each state builds sufficient arms to deter any potential aggressor independently
  2. An attack on one member is treated as an attack on all members, who respond collectively Correct answer.
  3. States agree to settle disputes through bilateral negotiations only
  4. Great powers are exempt from the rules that apply to smaller states

Explanation

Collective security rests on the idea that aggression against any member is a matter of concern to all, so members commit to a collective response. It differs from self-help balancing because it is institutionalised and universal in principle.

Question 33Power, sovereignty and international relations

Which of the following describes 'soft balancing'?

  1. Deploying troops to a contested border to deter an adversary
  2. Launching a pre-emptive strike against an adversary's military assets
  3. Forming a military alliance directed against a rising power
  4. Using institutions, diplomacy and economic ties to constrain a dominant power without direct military confrontation Correct answer.

Explanation

Soft balancing refers to non-military strategies, such as coalition-building in international institutions and diplomatic coordination, used to constrain a powerful state. It is distinguished from hard balancing, which relies on military build-up and alliances.

Question 34Power, sovereignty and international relations

A state's finance ministry automatically applies European Union regulations that it had no direct hand in drafting, because the rules were agreed by qualified majority. Which concept does this illustrate most directly?

  1. Sovereignty as absolute and indivisible control over all policy
  2. The exercise of hegemonic stability by a single dominant state
  3. The persistence of Westphalian non-interference in domestic affairs
  4. The pooling of sovereignty through supranational decision-making Correct answer.

Explanation

When a state is bound by rules adopted through majority voting in a supranational body, it has accepted limits on its unilateral decision-making. This is the practical meaning of pooled sovereignty in regional integration.

Question 35Power, sovereignty and international relations

A government signs an international human rights treaty but delays ratification for years, while domestic courts begin citing the treaty's standards. Which concept best captures this situation?

  1. The replacement of domestic law by supranational authority
  2. The complete rejection of international law by the state
  3. The influence of international norms on domestic politics before formal commitment Correct answer.
  4. The treaty having direct legal force despite non-ratification

Explanation

Even without ratification, international norms can shape domestic debate, judicial reasoning and bureaucratic practice, a process often described in constructivist scholarship as norm diffusion or socialisation. Formal legal obligation and normative influence are therefore distinct.

Question 36Power, sovereignty and international relations

A state's government argues that its sovereignty entitles it to restrict foreign journalists, while foreign governments and international bodies condemn the restriction. Which tension does this illustrate?

  1. The tension between sovereign autonomy and internationally recognised standards of free expression Correct answer.
  2. The tension between collective security and collective defence alliances
  3. The tension between bipolarity and multipolarity in the international system
  4. The tension between hard power and soft power in military strategy

Explanation

Sovereignty gives states legal authority over their territory, but international human rights norms set standards that can be invoked against how that authority is exercised. The case therefore illustrates the friction between autonomy and external normative expectations.

Question 37Power, sovereignty and international relations

Why can international institutions constrain powerful states even in a system without a world government?

  1. Institutions can revoke the sovereign status of non-compliant members
  2. Institutions generate information, reputational costs and expectations that raise the price of defection Correct answer.
  3. Institutions can impose binding military obligations that override national command
  4. Institutions possess independent enforcement capacity superior to that of states

Explanation

Institutionalist theory argues that institutions matter by monitoring behaviour, clarifying obligations and imposing reputational costs on those who break commitments. These mechanisms operate through state choices rather than through a superior enforcement authority.

Question 38Power, sovereignty and international relations

A state grants a foreign company the right to operate a port for fifty years under a contract governed by international arbitration. Which concept does this arrangement most directly illustrate?

  1. The delegation of aspects of economic sovereignty to private and transnational actors Correct answer.
  2. The exercise of collective security by regional organisations
  3. The replacement of the state by a global government
  4. The territorial expansion of the state through annexation

Explanation

Long-term concessions and investor-state arbitration transfer significant economic decision-making to private firms and transnational legal processes. This is often described as a diffusion or fragmentation of sovereignty rather than its disappearance.

Question 39Power, sovereignty and international relations

Which of the following best explains why the UN Security Council is often described as having a legitimacy deficit?

  1. Its membership and veto rights reflect the distribution of power in 1945 rather than in the present Correct answer.
  2. It operates entirely outside the authority of member states
  3. It has no permanent members with military capabilities
  4. It lacks any legal basis in the UN Charter

Explanation

Critics argue that the Council's composition, particularly the five permanent members and their veto, reflects the post-Second World War order and is unrepresentative of contemporary power and demographics. This gap between authority and representativeness underpins claims of a legitimacy deficit.

Question 40Power, sovereignty and international relations

What distinguishes a 'nation-state' from a 'multinational state'?

  1. A nation-state lacks international recognition, while a multinational state is always recognised
  2. A nation-state has no borders, while a multinational state has fixed borders
  3. A nation-state is a member of the UN, while a multinational state is not
  4. A nation-state contains a single dominant national community, while a multinational state contains several distinct national groups Correct answer.

Explanation

A nation-state is characterised by a close correspondence between the boundaries of a national community and those of the state, whereas a multinational state encompasses several national communities within one set of borders. Most contemporary states are in practice multinational to some degree.

Question 41Power, sovereignty and international relations

A state responds to a neighbouring state's human rights abuses by refusing to trade, while insisting that it is not interfering in internal affairs. Which concept best explains this position?

  1. Supranational delegation
  2. Humanitarian intervention
  3. Collective security
  4. Conditionality as a form of external pressure short of force Correct answer.

Explanation

Attaching conditions to trade or aid is a form of external pressure that stops short of military intervention, which allows states to claim they are not violating non-interference. It nonetheless influences another state's domestic conduct, blurring the line between internal and external affairs.

Question 42Power, sovereignty and international relations

Which of the following best illustrates the concept of 'structural power'?

  1. A state shaping the rules of global finance so that other states must adjust their policies to attract investment Correct answer.
  2. A state winning a vote in the UN General Assembly through a coalition of small states
  3. A state deploying troops to defend its own border against incursion
  4. A state hosting a summit that produces a non-binding declaration

Explanation

Structural power is the ability to shape the framework within which others must operate, such as the rules of the global economy, rather than winning particular disputes. It works by setting the terms of the game rather than by direct coercion.

Question 43Power, sovereignty and international relations

A state refuses to accept a ruling from an international tribunal, arguing that the tribunal exceeded the jurisdiction it was given. Which principle is the state invoking?

  1. Consent-based jurisdiction in international law Correct answer.
  2. Supranational authority
  3. The responsibility to protect
  4. Universal jurisdiction over piracy

Explanation

International adjudication generally rests on the consent of states, whether given through treaty clauses, ad hoc agreements or declarations. A state can therefore contest whether a tribunal had jurisdiction in the first place, which is distinct from disputing the merits of a ruling.

Question 44Power, sovereignty and international relations

Which of the following best explains why transnational advocacy networks can influence state behaviour?

  1. They can legally bind states through treaties they negotiate
  2. They command armed forces that states cannot resist
  3. They hold formal voting rights in the UN Security Council
  4. They generate and circulate information that raises the reputational costs of abusive practices Correct answer.

Explanation

Transnational advocacy networks influence outcomes by gathering information, framing issues and publicising abuses, which can impose reputational and political costs on governments. Their power is persuasive and informational rather than coercive or legal.

Question 45Power, sovereignty and international relations

In what sense can a state be said to exercise sovereignty when it accepts a World Trade Organization ruling against it?

  1. It has transferred all economic authority to a global government
  2. It has lost sovereignty because an external body has overridden its will
  3. It is exercising sovereignty by complying with commitments it previously consented to Correct answer.
  4. It has invoked the responsibility to protect

Explanation

Sovereignty includes the capacity to make binding commitments and to accept the consequences of those commitments. Compliance with a WTO ruling can therefore be understood as an exercise of sovereign choice rather than its negation.

Question 46Power, sovereignty and international relations

Which of the following best distinguishes 'power as capability' from 'power as relationship'?

  1. Capability refers to material resources, while relational power refers to the ability to influence another actor's behaviour Correct answer.
  2. Capability refers to legitimacy, while relational power refers to military spending
  3. Capability refers to soft power, while relational power refers to hard power
  4. Capability refers to sovereignty, while relational power refers to anarchy

Explanation

The capability approach measures power through resources such as territory, population, military forces and economic output. The relational approach treats power as an outcome of interaction, focusing on who can get whom to do what.

Question 47Power, sovereignty and international relations

Some scholars argue that the rise of private military companies complicates the Weberian definition of the state. Why?

  1. Because the state no longer needs any armed forces of its own
  2. Because the legitimate monopoly on the use of force becomes shared with non-state commercial actors Correct answer.
  3. Because private companies can now grant diplomatic recognition
  4. Because international law no longer recognises state borders

Explanation

Weber defined the state partly by its claim to a legitimate monopoly on the use of force within a territory. Contracting military functions to private firms disperses that authority, raising questions about who exercises legitimate violence.

Question 48Power, sovereignty and international relations

Which argument most directly challenges the claim that sovereignty is being eroded by globalisation?

  1. States have adapted by developing new regulatory and coordinating capacities rather than losing authority Correct answer.
  2. International organisations now make most domestic laws
  3. Globalisation has made borders irrelevant to trade
  4. Globalisation has increased the number of international treaties states must sign

Explanation

The adaptation thesis holds that globalisation transforms how states govern rather than simply reducing their authority, as governments develop new regulatory tools and coordinating institutions. This challenges the zero-sum assumption that any international engagement necessarily diminishes sovereignty.

Question 49Power, sovereignty and international relations

Two states both claim sovereignty over an island. One proposes referring the dispute to the International Court of Justice, but the other has not accepted the Court's compulsory jurisdiction and declines. What follows?

  1. The Court can hear the case only if a permanent member of the Security Council supports it
  2. The Court must refer the dispute to the UN Security Council for a binding decision
  3. The Court can hear the case because sovereignty disputes fall automatically within its jurisdiction
  4. The Court cannot hear the case unless both states consent in some form Correct answer.

Explanation

The ICJ's jurisdiction in contentious cases depends on the consent of the parties, whether through special agreement, a treaty clause or declarations accepting compulsory jurisdiction. Without consent in some form, the Court cannot decide the dispute.

Question 50Power, sovereignty and international relations

Why might a realist and a liberal disagree about whether the UN Charter's prohibition on the use of force actually restrains states?

  1. Realists focus on domestic politics, while liberals focus on the international system
  2. Realists support collective security, while liberals oppose all international law
  3. Realists emphasise power and interest in explaining compliance, while liberals emphasise the constraining effect of rules and institutions Correct answer.
  4. Realists deny that the Charter exists, while liberals accept its legal status

Explanation

The disagreement is theoretical: realists expect states to violate legal restraints when vital interests are at stake, while liberals argue that rules and institutions shape calculations and can constrain behaviour. Both accept the Charter's existence but interpret its effects differently.