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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. Situation where all fully qualified citizens have an equal say






2. Force + Legitimacy






3. Use of method of inference to create generalizeable explanations






4. 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)






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






6. A consciously derived - coherent set of beliefs that offers a comprehensive political program






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






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






9. 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






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






11. 19th - in the United States and Western Europe.






12. 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.






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






14. A government with a one house legislature.






15. 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.






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






17. Any identity that significantly shapes our political decisions






18. 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






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






20. Hypotheses based on what has been observed.






21. Also known as interpersonal trust & tolerance






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






23. 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






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






25. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






26. 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






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






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






29. The making of collectively binding decisions






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






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. 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






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






34. Charismatic - Rational-legal - Traditional/patrimonial






35. 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






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






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






38. Efficiency vs. representativeness


39. 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






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






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






43. The opportunity to choose among alternative candidates and positions






44. Basically - density and quality of civil society






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






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






47. 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






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






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






50. 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