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






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






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






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






5. Concentration vs. dispersal of power

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






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






8. Shared sets of meanings






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






10. Efficiency vs. representativeness

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11. 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






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






13. 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.






14. 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






15. 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






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






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






18. 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






19. Basically - density and quality of civil society






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






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






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






23. Any identity that significantly shapes our political decisions






24. 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?






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






26. 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






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






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. Political violence by non-state actors against civilian targets






30. 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






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






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






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






34. monopoly over the legitimate use of force






35. Use of method of inference to create generalizeable explanations






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






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






38. 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






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






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






41. A government with a one house legislature.






42. 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.






43. 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.






44. 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'






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






46. All voluntary associations/all secondary associations






47. 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






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






49. 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






50. how many seats are allotted to each electoral district