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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. 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






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






3. how many seats are allotted to each electoral district






4. All voluntary associations/all secondary associations






5. 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






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






7. Hypotheses based on what has been observed.






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






9. 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






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






11. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






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






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






14. Efficiency vs. representativeness

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15. 19th - in the United States and Western Europe.






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






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






18. Shared sets of meanings






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. Use of method of inference to create generalizeable explanations






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






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






23. Charismatic - Rational-legal - Traditional/patrimonial






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






25. 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.






26. 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






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






28. 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






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






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






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






32. 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






33. 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






34. 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






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






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






37. Traditionally measured as capacity and autonomy






38. 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






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






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






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






42. 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






43. 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






44. Also known as interpersonal trust & tolerance






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






46. A government with a one house legislature.






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






48. 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)






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






50. 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