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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. 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






2. 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.






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






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






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






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






7. Basically - density and quality of civil society






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






9. Efficiency vs. representativeness

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






11. Traditionally measured as capacity and autonomy






12. Also known as interpersonal trust & tolerance






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






14. 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






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






16. Force + Legitimacy






17. 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






18. 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






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






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






21. 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






22. 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)






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






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






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






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






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






29. monopoly over the legitimate use of force






30. 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?






31. Charismatic - Rational-legal - Traditional/patrimonial






32. 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






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






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






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






36. 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






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






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






39. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






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






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






42. All voluntary associations/all secondary associations






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






44. 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






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






46. 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






47. 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






48. The opportunity to choose among alternative candidates and positions






49. how many seats are allotted to each electoral district






50. Any identity that significantly shapes our political decisions