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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. All voluntary associations/all secondary associations






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






4. 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






5. Hypotheses based on what has been observed.






6. 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






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






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






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






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






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






14. A government with a one house legislature.






15. 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






16. Efficiency vs. representativeness


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






18. Also known as interpersonal trust & tolerance






19. Force + Legitimacy






20. 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






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






22. 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.






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






24. 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.






25. 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






26. 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






27. 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






28. Concentration vs. dispersal of power


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






30. Use of method of inference to create generalizeable explanations






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






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






33. 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






34. 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?






35. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






36. The opportunity to choose among alternative candidates and positions






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






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






39. 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.






40. how many seats are allotted to each electoral district






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






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






43. Traditionally measured as capacity and autonomy






44. 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.






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






46. monopoly over the legitimate use of force






47. 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






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






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






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