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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. 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






2. 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






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






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






5. 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






6. 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.






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






8. Efficiency vs. representativeness


9. The making of collectively binding decisions






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






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






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






13. Charismatic - Rational-legal - Traditional/patrimonial






14. Number of Parties 2 - Constitutional Review: Judicial Review - Number of chambers: bicameral - Federalism: Federal






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






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






17. Hypotheses based on what has been observed.






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






19. A consciously derived - coherent set of beliefs that offers a comprehensive political program






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






21. Any identity that significantly shapes our political decisions






22. 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






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






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






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






26. 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






27. 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.






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






29. Long-lived - Extreme lack of social pluralism - Well-defined ideology - Against capitalism - Based on Marxist arguments about class solidarity - economic determinism - Socialism run amok?






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






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






32. Also known as interpersonal trust & tolerance






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






34. how many seats are allotted to each electoral district






35. 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.






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






38. Public vs. private goods - Non-exclusivity. The owner can't deny access - Inexhaustability. The good is never used up - Jointness of supply. Its existence depends on our combined contribution; truly 'collective' - Free riding. We generally fail to co






39. 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






40. 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.






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






42. Force + Legitimacy






43. 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






44. 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'






45. 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






46. The set of relationships among parties in a country - Often categorized by the effective number of parties.






47. 19th - in the United States and Western Europe.






48. Concentration vs. dispersal of power


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






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