Theme 1. The subject and method of international relations

The basic questions of the theme:

1. The object, subject and structure of international relations

2. The laws of formation and development of international relations

3. Methodology of international relations.

Answer the questions:

1. When do international relations appear? When did the term «international relations» appear?

2. Who introduced the concept of «International relations» in the sphere of science?

3. What is the object of international relations?

4. What is the subject of international relations?

5. What elements of the system of international relations belong to basic ones? How do these elements differ?

6. What are the basic features of international relations?

7. What are the basic types of the systems of international relations?

8. Characterize the system of single veto as the type of the system of international relations.

9. Characterize the system of balance of powers as the type of the system of international relations.

10. What is the difference between flexible bipolar system of international relations and inflexible bipolar system of international relations?

11. What are the basic characteristic features of the universal type of the system of international relations?

12. What are the peculiarities of the hierarchical system as the type of the system of international relations?

13. What type of the system of international relations presupposes the domination of one super country?

14. What type of the system of international relations can characterize modern civilization?

15. What is the meaning of the terms “law” and “principle”?

16. What principles are general (universal) in the system of international relations?

17. What is methodology and method?

18. What methods exist in the study of international relations?

19. What do the methods of situation analysis presuppose?

20. How do the methods of explication and prognoses differ?

Choose the correct variant:

1. The object of international relations is:

a. the national state, as the subject of the world community;

b. the world community which includes different isolated formations, first of all, the states;

c. non-state and overstate organizations which regulate contacts between different countries ;

d. big private companies, as the main subject of economic relations;

e. there are no correct variants;

2. What is the subject of international relations?

a. a system of contacts between transnational corporations;

b. a system of contacts between national enterprises of the country;

c. a system of contacts between integration groupings;

d. a system of international communication;

e. all variants are correct;

3. Which elements don’t belong to the system of international relations?

a. international economic relations;

b. international political relations;

c. international cultural relations;

d. all variants are correct;

e. there are no correct variants;

4. What is ”principle” in the system of international relations?

a. tendencies which define the mainstream of development of this or that object;

b. certain phenomenon which is sure to occur;

c. norms of behavior set by law;

d. there are no correct variants;

e. all variants are correc;t

5. The universal principles of the system of international relations are the following:

a. national interests set up the basis of international policy

b. state is the main operating subject of international relations;

c. state policy exists in two forms (internal and external);

d. all variants are correct;

e. А) and С) are correct variants;

6. What is methodology in the system of international relations:

a. ability of the subject of international relations to perform certain action;

b. science about the participants of the system of international relations;

c. science about methods and means of activity;

d. science about methods of creation of some certain system;

e. there are no correct variants;

7. What is “method”?

a. the basic means of formation of the system of international relations;

b. direction of society development;

c. scientific way of cognition (knowledge) of the world;

d. set of accumulated principles, ways to achieve a purpose;

e. B) and D) are correct variants;

8. Supervision over the participants of the system of international relations belongs to

a. the group of methods of situation analysis;

b. the group of explication methods;

c. the group of methods of prognoses;

d. the group of methods of analysis of decision-making process;

e. there are no correct variants;

9. At what stage of decision-making is the model of rational choice formed?

a. at the first;

b. at the second;

c. at the third;

d. at the fourth;

e. at the fifth;

10. Who introduced the term “international relations” in the field of science?

a. R.Aron;

b. J. Bentam;

c. D.Siter;

d. Jh. Rozenow;

e. there are no correct variants;

11. International relations are:

a. a set of scientific branches;

b. a method;

c. a system;

d. historically developed type of connection;

e. all variants are correct;

12. What was the basis of formation for bipolar and multipolar systems?

a. economic relations;

b. development of diplomatic relation;

c. development of democracy;

d. political realism;

e. formation of international public organizations;

13. Kaplan’s typology of international systems includes:

a. 2 types of systems;

b. 3 types of systems;

c. 4 types of systems;

d. 5 types of systems;

e. 6 types of systems;

14. The system of single veto is characterized by:

a. opportunity to block the system by its participant;

b. multipolarity;

c. authoritativeness;

d. application of cumulative blocking forces;

e. existence of a superstate;

15. State policy as the dominate sphere of life-activity of the state exists and develops in two forms:

a. internal and international;

b. external and internal;

c. external and economic;

d. economic and international;

e. domestic economic and foreign economic;

16. Analysis of the situation as a method of studying of international relations presupposes the use of:

a. sums of methods and procedures of interdisciplinary character applied to get the data;

b. visual determination of the situation;

c. analysis of external and internal policy;

d. analysis of economic development;

e. analysis of the state system;

17. The analysis of decision-making process is:

a. a set of all methods of prognosis;

b. dynamic change of the system analysis of international policy;

c. consecutive process in which all the subjects of international relations take part;

d. most often applied method for formation of information base;

e. all variants are correct;

18. What is the theory of games?

a. blocking of the system of international relations by its participants;

b. a set of all interests and purposes of participants of international relations;

c. the theory of decision-making in a concrete social context;

d. one of the forms of conflict display;

e. А) and B) are correct variants;

19. Which of these methods is a method of prognosis:

a. experiment;

b. supervision;

c. modeling;

d. content-analysis;

e. invent-analysis;

20. When did the discipline (subject) “International relations” appear at European universities:

a. in XVIII century;

b. in 1910^th;

c. in 1920^th;

d. in 1930^th;

e. in 1940^th.