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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. Efficiency vs. representativeness

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2. Force + Legitimacy






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






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






5. Concentration vs. dispersal of power

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6. 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






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






8. The making of collectively binding decisions






9. 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'






10. 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.






11. All voluntary associations/all secondary associations






12. Traditionally measured as capacity and autonomy






13. 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






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






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






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






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






18. 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






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






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






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 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.






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






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






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






26. 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?






27. 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)






28. The opportunity to choose among alternative candidates and positions






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






30. 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






31. Shared sets of meanings






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






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






34. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






35. monopoly over the legitimate use of force






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






37. Any identity that significantly shapes our political decisions






38. 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






39. 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






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






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






42. 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






43. Also known as interpersonal trust & tolerance






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






45. Charismatic - Rational-legal - Traditional/patrimonial






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






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






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






49. 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






50. how many seats are allotted to each electoral district