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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. 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






2. Use of method of inference to create generalizeable explanations






3. The making of collectively binding decisions






4. The opportunity to choose among alternative candidates and positions






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






6. how many seats are allotted to each electoral district






7. Utility: self-interest - but what constitutes self-interest? Material self-interest? Economics - Politics. Example: vote maximization - The gospel Failures of rationality - Really incomplete information & satisfaction - Intransitivity and other cogni






8. 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.






9. monopoly over the legitimate use of force






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






11. Concentration vs. dispersal of power

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12. The organized study of government and politics. It borrows from the related disciplines of history - philosophy - sociology - economics - and law.






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






14. 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?






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






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






17. A civil war (...) in which one party is the state - the insurgents win - the insurgents have a lot of popular support - and the insurgents implement 'wholesale political change'






18. A historical exploration of the major contributions to political thought from the ancient Greeks to the contemporary theorists. It also involves the philosophical and speculative consideration of the political world.






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






20. 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






21. A non-meritocratic system in which jobs and contracts are distributed according to partisan support - (The U.S. 'spoils system' of the 19th century')






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






23. Situation of stability - no party has incentive and ability to undermine the regime (Causes: cultural or economice - or military culture) - (Int'l Factors: U.S. foreign policy - Soviet foreign policy - Changes to Catholic doctrine - EU accession - G






24. Shared sets of meanings






25. Regime where the rulers are accountable to the ruled.






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






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






28. Basically - density and quality of civil society






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






30. You see a puzzle - You come up with a potential explanation (a 'theory') - You test it with evidence (data drawn from the 5 senses) - You share the results with others and get their feedback - Repeat steps 2 through 4 until you publish






31. Historical origins. A reaction to liberalism - Central assumption: 'The highest good of society [is] the maintenance of ordered community and of common values' (p. 28) One of the 3 big idealogies






32. Process tracing through case studies. Requires a well-developed theory and minute examination ('process tracing')






33. Analyzing the data that has been collected and offering plausible general principles that can be drawn from what has been observed.






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






35. America's two ideologies (Liberal and Conservative) are two versions of classic liberalism






36. equality in political decision making: one vote per person - with all votes counted equally






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






38. Selective incentives - Small group size - Social (solidary) incentives - Homogeneity - Others? Duty and altruism? Love?






39. A government with a one house legislature.






40. Think of this as gender as outcome; what factors - esp. political ones - lead to changes in gender roles? Key finding: politics does matter - especially who has an organized voice. Formal rules - number/identity of parties - etc.






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






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






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






44. Utility maximization - Preferences: Comparability/Completeness - Transitivity - Probability - Incomplete information and uncertainty about future - Mathematical modeling






45. 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






46. Historical origins. A response to the old feudal order and the rise of modern capitalism - 'The highest good of society [is] the ability of the members of that society to develop their individual capacities to the fullest extent' (p. 26) One of the 3






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






48. The identities that can become political are those formed very early in life or perhaps vaguely racial/genetic. Struggles to explain (rapid) cultural change - or which identities become politicized






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






50. In social movements - rational choice and culture come together - Culture: the sense of a righteous - popular will that has been subverted ('framing'/'grievance') - Motivates collective action - But also determines the choice of organization and tact