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






2. Concentration vs. dispersal of power

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






4. monopoly over the legitimate use of force






5. 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






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






7. All voluntary associations/all secondary associations






8. 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






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






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






11. 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






12. 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






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






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






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






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






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






19. The opportunity to choose among alternative candidates and positions






20. Traditionally measured as capacity and autonomy






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






22. 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.






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






24. Hypotheses based on what has been observed.






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






26. 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






27. 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






28. 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.






29. 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






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






31. 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






32. 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?






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






34. Efficiency vs. representativeness

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






36. 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






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






38. 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






39. 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






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






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






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






43. A government with a one house legislature.






44. 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






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






46. Charismatic - Rational-legal - Traditional/patrimonial






47. 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






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






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






50. 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.