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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. Basically - density and quality of civil society






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






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






4. 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.






5. 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






6. monopoly over the legitimate use of force






7. 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






8. A government with a one house legislature.






9. 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'






10. 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?






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






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






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






14. 19th - in the United States and Western Europe.






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






16. Also known as interpersonal trust & tolerance






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






18. Traditionally measured as capacity and autonomy






19. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






20. The making of collectively binding decisions






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






22. 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






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






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






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






26. 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






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






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






29. Hypotheses based on what has been observed.






30. 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.






31. 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






32. Any identity that significantly shapes our political decisions






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






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






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






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






37. 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






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






39. The opportunity to choose among alternative candidates and positions






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






42. 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






43. 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






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






45. 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






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






47. Shared sets of meanings






48. 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






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






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