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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 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.






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






3. 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






4. monopoly over the legitimate use of force






5. 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






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






7. 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






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






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






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






11. 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






12. The opportunity to choose among alternative candidates and positions






13. A government with a one house legislature.






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






15. 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






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






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






18. 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






19. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






20. Charismatic - Rational-legal - Traditional/patrimonial






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






22. 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






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






24. Force + Legitimacy






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






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






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






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






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






30. 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






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






32. 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






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






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






35. 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






36. 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)






37. 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






38. 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






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






40. 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.






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






42. All voluntary associations/all secondary associations






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






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






45. 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.






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






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






48. Also known as interpersonal trust & tolerance






49. Shared sets of meanings






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