36 exam-style questions on Debates on rights and justice: diverse perspectives — topic TS1.3 of Thematic Study 1: Rights and justice in the IB Global Politics syllabus — with answers and explanations. Samples below; the full set is free with an account.
Civil and political rights, such as freedom of speech and the right to vote, are commonly classified as which category of rights?
Answer: First-generation rights
First-generation rights are civil and political; second-generation rights are economic, social and cultural; third-generation (solidarity) rights are collective, such as self-determination.
A post-conflict society sets up hearings where perpetrators publicly acknowledge their crimes, victims tell their stories, and reconciliation is prioritised over punishment. Which model of justice does this reflect?
Answer: Restorative justice
Restorative justice centres on repairing harm and rebuilding relationships between victims, offenders and communities, in contrast to retributive justice's focus on proportionate punishment.
The 'Asian values' argument of the 1990s claimed that international human-rights standards overemphasise individual liberties at the expense of community and order. This argument is an example of which perspective?
Answer: Cultural relativism
The Asian values debate is a classic relativist claim: that rights should be interpreted through local cultural and social priorities rather than a single universal standard.
Under the third pillar of the Responsibility to Protect, coercive military action to stop mass atrocities requires authorisation by which body?
Answer: The UN Security Council
R2P foresees timely and decisive collective action only through the Security Council under the UN Charter, which is why vetoes by permanent members are a central criticism of the doctrine.
The African Union has criticised the International Criminal Court for indicting mostly African leaders during its first two decades. This criticism relates most directly to which debate about international justice?
Answer: Whether justice is applied selectively, reflecting power inequalities
The charge of selectivity or neo-colonial bias questions the legitimacy of international justice, arguing powerful states escape scrutiny while weaker ones are targeted.
During the Cold War, Western states tended to prioritise civil and political rights while socialist states emphasised economic and social rights. Which outcome of 1966 institutionalised this divide?
Answer: The adoption of two separate covenants: the ICCPR and ICESCR
Ideological disagreement over which rights mattered most led the UN to adopt two covenants in 1966 instead of a single binding bill of rights.
That was 6 of 36 Debates on rights and justice: diverse perspectives questions.
Practise all 36 freeOutlineAO1 · 1–3 marks
A brief account or summary: the main points in two or three sentences, no evaluation.
ExplainAO2 · 3–8 marks
Give reasons or causes: say what happens AND why, linking each step with 'because' or 'so that'.
StateAO1 · 1–3 marks
One word or one short sentence. No explanation, no working: the mark is for the fact itself.
36 Debates on rights and justice: diverse perspectives questions — free with an account. Spaced repetition, streaks and full exam simulations included.
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