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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. how many seats are allotted to each electoral district






2. Concentration vs. dispersal of power


3. 19th - in the United States and Western Europe.






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






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






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






7. 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






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






9. Traditionally measured as capacity and autonomy






10. 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






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






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






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






14. 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.






15. 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






16. A government with a one house legislature.






17. Hypotheses based on what has been observed.






18. 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






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






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






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






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






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






24. 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






25. 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






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






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






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






30. Also known as interpersonal trust & tolerance






31. 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






32. 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






33. The making of collectively binding decisions






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






35. Efficiency vs. representativeness


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






37. 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.






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






39. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






40. The opportunity to choose among alternative candidates and positions






41. 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






42. monopoly over the legitimate use of force






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






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






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. Shared sets of meanings






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






48. Basically - density and quality of civil society






49. 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'






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