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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. 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






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






3. 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






4. 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






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






6. 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.






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






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






9. 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






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






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






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






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






14. 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






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






16. Charismatic - Rational-legal - Traditional/patrimonial






17. 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






18. Force + Legitimacy






19. Concentration vs. dispersal of power

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20. 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?






21. 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.






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






23. Basically - density and quality of civil society






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






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






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






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






28. 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






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






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






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






32. Efficiency vs. representativeness

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33. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






34. 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)






35. Traditionally measured as capacity and autonomy






36. Use of method of inference to create generalizeable explanations






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






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






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






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






41. 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'






42. Any identity that significantly shapes our political decisions






43. 19th - in the United States and Western Europe.






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






45. 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.






46. A government with a one house legislature.






47. 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






48. 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.






49. 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






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