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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. 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.






2. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






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






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






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






6. Also known as interpersonal trust & tolerance






7. Hypotheses based on what has been observed.






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






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






10. The opportunity to choose among alternative candidates and positions






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






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






13. Efficiency vs. representativeness

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






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






16. 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






17. Ideology An ideology that seeks the active reshaping of minds of individuals and believes this can/must be done by force - Coercive mobilization - No social or political pluralism






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






19. 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






20. The making of collectively binding decisions






21. Any identity that significantly shapes our political decisions






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






23. A government with a one house legislature.






24. 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.






25. 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






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






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






28. Basically - density and quality of civil society






29. 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






30. how many seats are allotted to each electoral district






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






32. Concentration vs. dispersal of power

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






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






35. 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






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






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






38. 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






39. 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






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






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






42. 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






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






44. 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






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






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






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






48. 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






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






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