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






2. Use of method of inference to create generalizeable explanations






3. 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






4. 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






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






6. Traditionally measured as capacity and autonomy






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






8. 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.






9. 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.






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






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






12. 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






13. 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






14. Efficiency vs. representativeness

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15. monopoly over the legitimate use of force






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






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






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






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






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






21. Shared sets of meanings






22. The making of collectively binding decisions






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






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






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






26. Basically - density and quality of civil society






27. 19th - in the United States and Western Europe.






28. Hypotheses based on what has been observed.






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






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






31. 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






32. 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.






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






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






35. The opportunity to choose among alternative candidates and positions






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






37. Concentration vs. dispersal of power

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






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






40. 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






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






42. 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






43. how many seats are allotted to each electoral district






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






45. 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






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






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






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






49. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






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