Iranian president Rouhani won the presidency in 2013 running on a platform promising to

Iranian president Rouhani won the presidency in 2013 running on a platform promising to
 
  a. reverse many of the liberal changes implemented under former president Ahmadinejad.
  b. take a hard line on Israel saying that it should be wiped off the face of the earth.
  c. reduce poverty and promote social justice.
  d. stand up to the United States on the issue of Iran's nuclear program.
  e. strengthen the rule of law and fix the economy.

 Q. 2

When one says that Russia suffers from a resource curse, one means that
 
  a. the country's rich deposits of natural resources shelter it from some disruption but also makes it difficult to untangle economic and political power.
   b. the country lacks the necessary natural resources to develop economically.
  c. the country's dependence on export revenue from energy resources makes it highly susceptible to boom-and-bust cycles.
   d. the country has vast natural resources but lacks the capital to gain access to them.
  e. the country's vast energy reserves are mainly located in areas that are difficult to get to.

 Q. 3

The Eurasian Union refers to
 
  a. a trade union between Russia and China.
  b. a customs union between Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan that Russia envisions as growing into a political and economic organization, which will connect it to non-European Union countries.
   c. a consultative body that unites former Soviet Republics.
  d. a security pact between Russia and several Central Asian states.
  e. a proposed economic and political union between Russia, the Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

 Q. 4

Russia has sought to re-establish itself as a respected regional leader by
 
  a. actively interfering in the internal politics of its neighbors.
  b. establishing regional organizations to strengthen the relations between Russia and other former Soviet republics.
  c. increasing trade with its neighboring former Soviet republics.
  d. adopting stances at the United Nations that correspond to the interests of its neighbors.
  e. joining the European Union.

 Q. 5

Which of the following statements about the media in Russia is TRUE?
 
  a. The Internet has replaced television as the main source of information for Russians.
  b. Russia ranks as the most dangerous country for journalists in the world.
  c. A recent survey revealed that 69 percent of Russians acknowledged government censorship in the main Russian TV channels and 77 percent felt that a greater diversity of views expressed in TV media would be desirable.
  d. The Internet has been used as a medium to create a sustained opposition movement.
  e. The Russian government has used the Internet to create relatively efficient e-portals for its services as well as to disseminate its interpretations of news events.

 Q. 6

Which of the following is NOT an example of Russia's restrictions on the role of interest groups?
 
  a. Increased government supervision of such groups
  b. Channeling public activism through official forums like the Civic Forum and the Public Chamber
  c. Restricting the activities of foreign noncommercial nongovernmental organizations operating in the country
  d. The arresting of prominent opposition figures
  e. Not permitting independent trade unions to be formed