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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. 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






2. A government with a one house legislature.






3. Shared sets of meanings






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






5. 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.






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






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






8. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






9. Use of method of inference to create generalizeable explanations






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






11. The making of collectively binding decisions






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






13. Hypotheses based on what has been observed.






14. The opportunity to choose among alternative candidates and positions






15. Force + Legitimacy






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






17. 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






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






19. 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






20. 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






21. monopoly over the legitimate use of force






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






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






24. 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.






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






26. how many seats are allotted to each electoral district






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






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






29. 19th - in the United States and Western Europe.






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






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






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






34. 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






35. 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'






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






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






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






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






40. Charismatic - Rational-legal - Traditional/patrimonial






41. Concentration vs. dispersal of power


42. 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






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






44. (Voluntary) allocation (production and distribution) of goods and services






45. All voluntary associations/all secondary associations






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






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






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






49. Traditionally measured as capacity and autonomy






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