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






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






3. Concentration vs. dispersal of power

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






5. 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'






6. how many seats are allotted to each electoral district






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






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






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. 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






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






12. All voluntary associations/all secondary associations






13. monopoly over the legitimate use of force






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






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






16. The making of collectively binding decisions






17. 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)






18. 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






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






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






21. 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






22. 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






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






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






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






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






27. 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






28. 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.






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






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






31. The opportunity to choose among alternative candidates and positions






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






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






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






35. Basically - synonymous for statistical method - Large numbers of observational data - 'Control' for confounding factors






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






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






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






39. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






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






41. 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






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






43. 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






44. 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.






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






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






47. Any identity that significantly shapes our political decisions






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






49. Charismatic - Rational-legal - Traditional/patrimonial






50. 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