International Relations Flashcards
7 cards from real OTEE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 International Relations flashcards as text
Which international agreement, signed in 2015, aimed to limit Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief?
Answer: Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)
The JCPOA, agreed between Iran and the P5+1 (US, UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany), limited Iranian uranium enrichment and granted IAEA inspections in exchange for lifting international sanctions.
What distinguishes a 'proxy war' from a conventional interstate conflict?
Answer: Third-party actors fight on behalf of sponsoring states that avoid direct combat
A proxy war occurs when competing powers support opposing sides in a conflict — using local groups or states as proxies — to advance their interests while avoiding direct military confrontation with each other.
The Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) is an international effort designed to:
Answer: Interdict shipments of weapons of mass destruction and related materials
PSI, launched by the US in 2003, is a global coalition of over 100 countries that cooperate to interdict sea, air, and land shipments of WMD materials before they reach state or non-state actors of concern.
Which geopolitical concept, developed by Halford Mackinder, identified the central Eurasian landmass as the strategic 'Heartland'?
Answer: The Heartland Theory
Mackinder's Heartland Theory (1904) argued that whoever controls the Eurasian heartland controls the 'World Island,' and thus the world — emphasizing continental land power over maritime power.
Under the UN Charter, Article 51 permits states to use military force only when:
Answer: Acting in individual or collective self-defense against an armed attack
Article 51 of the UN Charter preserves the inherent right of self-defense if an armed attack occurs, until the Security Council takes measures necessary to maintain international peace and security.
The concept of 'strategic ambiguity' in US policy toward Taiwan means:
Answer: The US neither confirms nor denies whether it would defend Taiwan militarily
Strategic ambiguity describes the US policy of not explicitly stating whether it would militarily defend Taiwan, intended to deter both Chinese attack and Taiwanese unilateral declarations of independence.
Which summit-level diplomatic mechanism provides the primary forum for coordinating economic policy among the world's major industrial democracies?
Answer: G7
The G7 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK, and US, plus the EU) is the premier forum for major industrial democracies to coordinate on economic, security, and global governance issues.