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






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






3. Hypotheses based on what has been observed.






4. 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






5. A government with a one house legislature.






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






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






8. 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.






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






10. 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






11. Basically - density and quality of civil society






12. Traditionally measured as capacity and autonomy






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






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. 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






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






18. 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.






19. 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






20. 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?






21. 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






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






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






24. 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






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. 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






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






28. 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






29. Any identity that significantly shapes our political decisions






30. Charismatic - Rational-legal - Traditional/patrimonial






31. Shared sets of meanings






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






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






34. Also known as interpersonal trust & tolerance






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






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






37. Use of method of inference to create generalizeable explanations






38. The making of collectively binding decisions






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






40. 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






41. Force + Legitimacy






42. All voluntary associations/all secondary associations






43. 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






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






45. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






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






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






48. Concentration vs. dispersal of power

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49. 19th - in the United States and Western Europe.






50. how many seats are allotted to each electoral district