Test your basic knowledge |

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. Any identity that significantly shapes our political decisions






2. All voluntary associations/all secondary associations






3. 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






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






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






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






7. 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






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






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






10. 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






11. 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.






12. 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






13. 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






14. 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






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






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






17. Concentration vs. dispersal of power

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /var/www/html/basicversity.com/show_quiz.php on line 183


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






19. monopoly over the legitimate use of force






20. 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.






21. Hypotheses based on what has been observed.






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






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






24. 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






25. Charismatic - Rational-legal - Traditional/patrimonial






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






33. 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'






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






35. The opportunity to choose among alternative candidates and positions






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






37. 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






38. 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.






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






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






41. Basically - density and quality of civil society






42. Efficiency vs. representativeness

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /var/www/html/basicversity.com/show_quiz.php on line 183


43. 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






44. 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






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






46. Shared sets of meanings






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






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






49. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






50. 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?