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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. 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






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






4. The opportunity to choose among alternative candidates and positions






5. 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






6. A government with a one house legislature.






7. 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






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






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






10. All voluntary associations/all secondary associations






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






12. 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)






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






14. Basically - density and quality of civil society






15. 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.






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






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






18. 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






19. 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






20. Force + Legitimacy






21. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






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






23. 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.






24. Efficiency vs. representativeness


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






26. Concentration vs. dispersal of power


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






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






29. The making of collectively binding decisions






30. 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'






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






32. 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






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






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






35. Use of method of inference to create generalizeable explanations






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






37. Charismatic - Rational-legal - Traditional/patrimonial






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






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






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






41. 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






42. 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






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. 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.






45. 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?






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






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






48. 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.






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






50. 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