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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. Concentration vs. dispersal of power

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






4. 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






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






6. 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






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






8. 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






9. 19th - in the United States and Western Europe.






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






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






12. A government with a one house legislature.






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






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






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






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






17. The making of collectively binding decisions






18. Also known as interpersonal trust & tolerance






19. 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






20. Shared sets of meanings






21. 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.






22. monopoly over the legitimate use of force






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






24. 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






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






26. 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






27. 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.






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






29. Use of method of inference to create generalizeable explanations






30. 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.






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






32. 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)






33. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






34. 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.






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






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






37. 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






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






39. 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?






40. Traditionally measured as capacity and autonomy






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






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






43. Force + Legitimacy






44. All voluntary associations/all secondary associations






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






46. 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'






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






48. Charismatic - Rational-legal - Traditional/patrimonial






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






50. 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