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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. Regime where the rulers are accountable to the ruled.






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






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






4. 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






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






6. Any identity that significantly shapes our political decisions






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






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






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






10. how many seats are allotted to each electoral district






11. Efficiency vs. representativeness


12. 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






13. Charismatic - Rational-legal - Traditional/patrimonial






14. 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)






15. 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.






16. 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.






17. 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






18. All voluntary associations/all secondary associations






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






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






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






22. 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






23. 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.






24. 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






25. 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






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






27. 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.






28. Traditionally measured as capacity and autonomy






29. The opportunity to choose among alternative candidates and positions






30. 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






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






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






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






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






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






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






37. A government with a one house legislature.






38. monopoly over the legitimate use of force






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. Situation where all fully qualified citizens have an equal say






41. Basically - density and quality of civil society






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






43. 19th - in the United States and Western Europe.






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






45. 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






46. Force + Legitimacy






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






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






49. 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?






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