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






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






3. 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






4. 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.






5. Hypotheses based on what has been observed.






6. 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






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






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






9. 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






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






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






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






13. 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






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






15. 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.






16. Charismatic - Rational-legal - Traditional/patrimonial






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






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






19. 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






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






21. 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






22. monopoly over the legitimate use of force






23. All voluntary associations/all secondary associations






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






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






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






27. A historical exploration of the major contributions to political thought from the ancient Greeks to the contemporary theorists. It also involves the philosophical and speculative consideration of the political world.






28. 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.






29. how many seats are allotted to each electoral district






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






31. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






32. 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






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






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






35. 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






36. A government with a one house legislature.






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






38. 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






39. 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






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






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






42. 19th - in the United States and Western Europe.






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






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






45. Force + Legitimacy






46. 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?






47. The making of collectively binding decisions






48. Use of method of inference to create generalizeable explanations






49. Any identity that significantly shapes our political decisions






50. The opportunity to choose among alternative candidates and positions