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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. 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






2. Charismatic - Rational-legal - Traditional/patrimonial






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






4. Efficiency vs. representativeness


5. A government with a one house legislature.






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






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






8. All voluntary associations/all secondary associations






9. 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






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






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






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






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






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






15. monopoly over the legitimate use of force






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






17. 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






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






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






20. 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.






21. 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.






22. 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






23. Force + Legitimacy






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






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






26. Also known as interpersonal trust & tolerance






27. Shared sets of meanings






28. 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






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






30. Traditionally measured as capacity and autonomy






31. how many seats are allotted to each electoral district






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. Basically - density and quality of civil society






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






35. 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.






36. The making of collectively binding decisions






37. Hypotheses based on what has been observed.






38. 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






39. 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






40. Concentration vs. dispersal of power


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






42. 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






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






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






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






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






47. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






48. 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






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






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