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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. 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






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






3. Traditionally measured as capacity and autonomy






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






5. Shared sets of meanings






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






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






8. 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.






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






10. Charismatic - Rational-legal - Traditional/patrimonial






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






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






13. Any identity that significantly shapes our political decisions






14. 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






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






16. 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






17. 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






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






19. Basically - density and quality of civil society






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






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






22. 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?






23. 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






24. Regime where the rulers are accountable to the ruled.






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






26. 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






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






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






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






30. 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






31. A government with a one house legislature.






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






33. Efficiency vs. representativeness


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






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. Describes the principal characteristics of what has been studied.






37. 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






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






39. Concentration vs. dispersal of power


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






41. 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






42. Use of method of inference to create generalizeable explanations






43. 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.






44. 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






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






47. 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.






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






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






50. 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)