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






2. Shared sets of meanings






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






4. 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)






5. Also known as interpersonal trust & tolerance






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






7. Force + Legitimacy






8. 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.






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






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






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






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






13. Use of method of inference to create generalizeable explanations






14. A non-meritocratic system in which jobs and contracts are distributed according to partisan support - (The U.S. 'spoils system' of the 19th century')






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






16. 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






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






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






19. 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






20. Basically - density and quality of civil society






21. 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






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






23. Concentration vs. dispersal of power


24. 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






25. Hypotheses based on what has been observed.






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






27. The making of collectively binding decisions






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






29. how many seats are allotted to each electoral district






30. 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.






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






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






33. The opportunity to choose among alternative candidates and positions






34. 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






35. 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






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






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






38. 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.






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






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






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






42. 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?






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






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






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






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






47. All voluntary associations/all secondary associations






48. 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






49. 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






50. Charismatic - Rational-legal - Traditional/patrimonial