MCQ on U.S. Strategy, Monroe Doctrine & Global Power Transition

---

Q1. The revival of the Monroe Doctrine in the 2025 U.S. National Security Strategy primarily signifies which of the following?

1. Reinforcement of hemispheric dominance in Latin America

2. Denial of external great-power influence in the Western Hemisphere

3. Withdrawal of the U.S. from NATO and European security commitments

Select the correct answer using the code below:

a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer: a) 1 and 2 only

Explanation:
The revived doctrine aims to:

• reinforce U.S. primacy in Latin America ✔

• deny Chinese and external influence ✔

However, it does not mandate NATO withdrawal (Statement 3 ❌).

---

Q2. The recent U.S. troop mobilisation in the Caribbean is best understood within the framework of which strategic doctrine?

a) Collective security
b) Offshore balancing
c) Containment policy
d) Extended deterrence

Correct Answer: b) Offshore balancing

Explanation:

Offshore balancing involves:

• prioritising dominance in home region

• reducing costly overseas deployments

• intervening selectively when core interests are threatened

This fits the Latin America consolidation strategy.

---

Q3. Which of the following developments are cited as indicators of the decline of the unipolar world order?

1. Russia’s annexation of Crimea (2014)

2. Weaknesses in enforcement of the rules-based order

3. Growing strategic autonomy among middle powers

a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer: d) 1, 2 and 3

Explanation:

All three reflect structural change:

• Crimea crisis exposed limits of Western coercion ✔

• Rules-based order challenged ✔

• Middle powers increasingly hedge & multi-align ✔

---

Q4. With reference to great-power competition, which of the following correctly describes the term “swing great power”?

a) A power that dominates multiple regions simultaneously
b) A power capable of decisively shifting the balance between rival superpowers
c) A power that remains neutral in international conflicts
d) A power whose economy determines global trade cycles

Correct Answer: b)

Explanation:

Russia is described as a swing great power because:

• it is militarily consequential

• not fully aligned with China or the West

• capable of tilting geopolitical balance

---

Q5. “Fluid multipolarity” refers to which of the following characteristics of the emerging world order?

1. Presence of multiple great powers

2. Rigid ideological blocs

3. Flexible and shifting alignments

4. Absence of stable institutional security structures

a) 1, 3 and 4 only
b) 1 and 2 only
c) 2, 3 and 4 only
d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Correct Answer: a) 1, 3 and 4 only

Explanation:

Fluid multipolarity involves:

• multiple great powers ✔

• flexible coalitions & hedging ✔

• instability in security frameworks ✔

Rigid blocs ❌ (that was Cold-War bipolarity)

---

Q6. In the triangular great-power dynamic discussed in the article, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. China is viewed as the primary systemic challenger to U.S. global primacy.

2. Russia seeks recognition of its influence in its immediate neighbourhood.

3. The U.S. attempts to pursue limited strategic accommodation with Russia to prioritise China.

a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer: d) 1, 2 and 3

Explanation:

All three reflect Realist power politics dynamics:

• China = structural challenger ✔

• Russia = revisionist regional power ✔

• U.S. explores space to avoid two-front confrontation ✔

---

Q7. Assertion–Reason Type

Assertion (A):
The U.S. is stepping back from full military commitment in Europe.

Reason (R):
Offshore balancing encourages regional actors to bear greater security responsibility.

a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
c) A is true but R is false
d) A is false but R is true

Correct Answer: a)

Explanation:

• Europe is expected to increase burden-sharing ✔

• Offshore balancing explains policy recalibration ✔

---

Q8. In the context of U.S.–China rivalry, which of the following best explains the comparison with 19th-century Europe?

a) Balance of power diplomacy among colonial empires
b) A rising power threatening to overtake an existing hegemon
c) Competition for religious ideological supremacy
d) Emergence of military alliances driven by cultural blocs

Correct Answer: b)

Explanation:

Parallel is drawn between:

• Rising Imperial Germany vs Britain (Pax Britannica)

• Rising China vs U.S.

This reflects a power-transition rivalry.

---

🧠 BONUS — One-Line Concept Recap

These questions help test:

• Offshore balancing

• Monroe Doctrine revival

• Decline of unipolarity

• Fluid multipolarity

• Swing great power concept

• Power-transition rivalry theory

• Middle-power hedging

All highly useful for GS-2 + Essay + Prelims.