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






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






3. Concentration vs. dispersal of power


4. Use of method of inference to create generalizeable explanations






5. 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






6. 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.






7. 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.






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






9. 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






10. 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






11. 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






12. Any identity that significantly shapes our political decisions






13. Force + Legitimacy






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






15. 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






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






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






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






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






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






21. 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






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






23. 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






24. 19th - in the United States and Western Europe.






25. Charismatic - Rational-legal - Traditional/patrimonial






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






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






29. how many seats are allotted to each electoral district






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






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






32. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






33. The opportunity to choose among alternative candidates and positions






34. 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






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






36. 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)






37. Traditionally measured as capacity and autonomy






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






39. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






47. 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.






48. 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






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






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