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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. Any identity that significantly shapes our political decisions






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






3. Concentration vs. dispersal of power


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






5. Traditionally measured as capacity and autonomy






6. Efficiency vs. representativeness


7. 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






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






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






10. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






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






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






13. 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






14. how many seats are allotted to each electoral district






15. Also known as interpersonal trust & tolerance






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






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






18. 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






19. 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.






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






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






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. Basically - density and quality of civil society






24. A government with a one house legislature.






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






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






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






28. Use of method of inference to create generalizeable explanations






29. 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?






30. 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'






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






32. 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






33. Hypotheses based on what has been observed.






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






35. 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






36. Charismatic - Rational-legal - Traditional/patrimonial






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






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






39. 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






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






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






42. 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






43. Force + Legitimacy






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






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






46. 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






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






48. 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






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






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?