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






3. 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






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






5. 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






6. Traditionally measured as capacity and autonomy






7. 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






8. 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.






9. Efficiency vs. representativeness

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






11. Force + Legitimacy






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






13. Individual rationality does not always lead to collective rationality - Walking on the grass - Policy implementation is problematic - Voting; protests; interest groups; etc. are underprovided (Olson's point)






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






15. Also known as interpersonal trust & tolerance






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






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






18. The making of collectively binding decisions






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






20. The opportunity to choose among alternative candidates and positions






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






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






23. 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






24. Hypotheses based on what has been observed.






25. 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?






26. Shared sets of meanings






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






28. 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.






29. 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






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






31. 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.






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






33. Basically - density and quality of civil society






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






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






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






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






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






39. 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






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






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






42. how many seats are allotted to each electoral district






43. Concentration vs. dispersal of power

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






45. 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.






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






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






48. A government with a one house legislature.






49. 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






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