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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. Describes the principal characteristics of what has been studied.






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






3. Also known as interpersonal trust & tolerance






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






5. The opportunity to choose among alternative candidates and positions






6. Traditionally measured as capacity and autonomy






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






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






9. 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.






10. Concentration vs. dispersal of power


11. A government with a one house legislature.






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






13. 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






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






15. All voluntary associations/all secondary associations






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






17. Hypotheses based on what has been observed.






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






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






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






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






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






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






24. Basically - density and quality of civil society






25. 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






26. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






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






28. 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






29. Use of method of inference to create generalizeable explanations






30. 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






31. 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






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






33. 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.






34. 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






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






36. 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






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






38. 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)






39. 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?






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






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






42. 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






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






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






45. Shared sets of meanings






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






47. Charismatic - Rational-legal - Traditional/patrimonial






48. 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






49. how many seats are allotted to each electoral district






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