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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. 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






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






3. how many seats are allotted to each electoral district






4. 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






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






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






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






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






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






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






11. Efficiency vs. representativeness

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12. 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'






13. All voluntary associations/all secondary associations






14. Identities are malleable - and anything can become politicized. Struggles to explain fundamental patterns in political identity or their grasp on our souls. Can't really explain which identities become politicized either






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






16. 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






17. 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






18. 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.






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






20. 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?






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






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






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






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






25. 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






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






27. 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






28. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






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






30. 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






31. 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






32. Shared sets of meanings






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






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






35. A government with a one house legislature.






36. The opportunity to choose among alternative candidates and positions






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






38. 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






39. 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






40. 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






41. 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






42. 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)






43. Traditionally measured as capacity and autonomy






44. Long-lived - Extreme lack of social pluralism - Well-defined ideology - Against capitalism - Based on Marxist arguments about class solidarity - economic determinism - Socialism run amok?






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






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






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






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






49. The making of collectively binding decisions






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