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CLEP Political Science

Subjects : clep, political-science
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. (Voluntary) allocation (production and distribution) of goods and services






2. An identity-based community - where the identity is strong enough that we think we should probably be sovereign...






3. Shorter-lived - Slightly less repressive - Ideology not so clear - In favor of capitalism - though with state involvement - Based more on Social Darwinism/racism/nationlsm - Conservatism run amok?






4. Think of this as 'gender as cause'. Gender roles change and/or mix of women in politics changes; what is the consequence? Key finding: having more women in public office changes the policy agenda - i.e. - more focus on women's issues






5. Basically - density and quality of civil society






6. The opportunity to choose among alternative candidates and positions






7. Comparative Politics - International Relations - American Politics - (normative) theory or Political Philosophy






8. 19th - in the United States and Western Europe.






9. Situation where all fully qualified citizens have an equal say






10. A political system controlled by rulers who deny popular participation in government






11. how many seats are allotted to each electoral district






12. A systematic study of the structures of two or more political systems (such as those of Britain and the People's Republic of China) to achieve an understanding of how different societies manage the realities of governing. Also considered are politica






13. Describes the principal characteristics of what has been studied.






14. Monarchies - Single-party regimes - Military regimes - Oligarchies - Theocracies - Personalistic regimes






15. Territorial monopoly over the legitimate use of force. Refers to the government + the people + the territory ('the country')






16. A formal document that sets up the basic rules of the political game






17. Ideology An ideology that seeks the active reshaping of minds of individuals and believes this can/must be done by force - Coercive mobilization - No social or political pluralism






18. A subset of culture - based on our ability to attach labels to ourselves and others - or to define ourselves in terms of the groups we belong to - Some political examples: Partisan identity - Class identity - Ethnic identity - National identity






19. A government with a one house legislature.






20. Process or moment of changing from one regime type to another Ex: Arab Springs (Causes: cultural or economice - or military culture) - (int'l factors: U.S. foreign policy - Soviet foreign policy - Changes to Catholic doctrine - EU accession - Globali






21. The rules about making the rules - often embodied in a constitution.






22. when you must get a minimum percent of votes to have your votes count or (sometimes) to retain your party registration






23. Concentration vs. dispersal of power

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24. The use of force by states or non-state actors to achieve political goals






25. Public administration (civil service). All (non-military) government workers not elected to their posts - but hired (United States beginning in 1880s)






26. About agency: we deserve freedom and need to be held meaningfully accountable






27. No or low citizen accountability ('subjects' rather than 'citizens') - Reciprocal relationship between leader and selectorate - Totalitarianism vs. authoritarianism






28. A consideration of how nations interact with each other within the frameworks of law - diplomacy - and international organizations such as the United Nations.






29. it works better in the long run - less risk/variability






30. The mathematical formula used to allocate the seats according to the vote - Plurality or 'first-past-the-post' - various PR formulas - such as D'Hondt - largest remainders - St. Lague - etc.






31. Force + Legitimacy






32. Political violence by non-state actors against civilian targets






33. All voluntary associations/all secondary associations






34. Energy or righteous zeal wins large numbers of participants - Nimble in framing issues and changing tactics






35. A basic plan that outlines the structure and functions of the national government. Clearly rooted in Western political thought - it sets limits on government and protects both property and individual rights.






36. Compiling a body of data based on direct observation that can be utilized both to explain what has been observed and to form valid generalizations.






37. An organization that seeks elective office - Currency/instrument: votes






38. Basically - synonymous for statistical method - Large numbers of observational data - 'Control' for confounding factors






39. Historical origins. Failure of liberalism to address shortcomings of capitalist industrialization; Marx - Central assumption: All persons are of equal value - but they cannot develop themselves alone






40. Identities are malleable - and anything can become politicized. Struggles to explain fundamental patterns in political identity or their grasp on our souls. Can't really explain which identities become politicized either






41. Any identity that significantly shapes our political decisions






42. Use of method of inference to create generalizeable explanations






43. A political organization that primarily uses lobbying - Currency/instrument: money - information - numbers






44. Tactics An organization that seeks to influence government through 'contentious' or 'disruptive' politics - Currency/instrument: show of force - numbers - brinkmanship - Organization A (non-hierarchical) network of organizations and individuals worki






45. Hard to amass resources (money and information) - Short-lived - The dilemma of formalization






46. Number of Parties 2 - Constitutional Review: Parliamentary supremacy - Number of chambers: Unicameral/weak bicameral - Federalism: Unitary






47. State of nature (collective action problem) - Hobbes' solution: the social contract






48. Warfare and military technology - Economic: development of trade and manufacturing and new financial/fiscal instruments - Cultural: Enlightenment - (There are also Environmental/geographic factors)






49. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






50. monopoly over the legitimate use of force