Case Study Application practice questions.

A student writing a Paper 2 essay on sovereignty refers to a real-world case. Which use of the case is the MOST analytical?

• Retelling the chronology of events in the case in detail
• Linking the case to a claim about how sovereignty is being eroded
• Listing several similar cases without commentary
• Quoting a memorable statement made by a politician involved in the case

Answer: Linking the case to a claim about how sovereignty is being eroded

Analysis means using the case as evidence for a claim about a concept (here, sovereignty), not describing events or name-dropping examples.

Which case would BEST support the claim that intergovernmental organizations can constrain state sovereignty?

• A state voluntarily signing a bilateral free-trade agreement with a neighbour
• A national referendum on constitutional reform
• An NGO running a social media awareness campaign
• A WTO ruling obliging a member state to change its trade policy

Answer: A WTO ruling obliging a member state to change its trade policy

A binding WTO ruling shows an IGO limiting a state's freedom of action, which is exactly what the claim asserts; the other cases involve voluntary or domestic action.

A state accepts strict policy conditions attached to an IMF loan because it depends on the funds. Which key concept of global politics does this case MOST directly illustrate?

• Interdependence
• Identity
• Sustainability
• Self-determination

Answer: Interdependence

Conditionality shows mutual reliance combined with power asymmetry between borrower and lender — a classic illustration of interdependence in the global economy.

An essay claims that humanitarian intervention always undermines sovereignty. Which case would work BEST as a counterclaim example?

• A unilateral armed invasion widely condemned by the UN Security Council
• A state closing its borders during a pandemic
• An R2P-authorized intervention with regional-organization consent
• A cyberattack attributed to a foreign government

Answer: An R2P-authorized intervention with regional-organization consent

An intervention conducted with multilateral authorization and regional consent suggests intervention and sovereignty can be reconciled, directly challenging the word 'always' in the claim.

A student generalizes from one case of successful peace negotiations to conclude that mediation always works. What is the MAIN methodological weakness?

• The case is too recent to be discussed in an exam
• One atypical case cannot support a universal claim
• Peace negotiations are not a political issue
• Mediation is a concept from economics, not politics

Answer: One atypical case cannot support a universal claim

Generalizability is limited when conclusions rest on one case; the case may be exceptional, so universal claims require comparison across multiple cases.

A powerful state ignores a ruling of the International Court of Justice without facing serious consequences. Which theoretical perspective does this case MOST strongly support?

• Realism: states obey international law only when it suits them
• Liberalism, since institutions successfully constrained the state
• Constructivism, since the ruling changed the state's identity
• Marxism, since the ruling redistributed global wealth

Answer: Realism: states obey international law only when it suits them

Realists argue that in an anarchic system powerful states follow international rules selectively; non-compliance without consequences fits this prediction.