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CLEP Political Science

Subjects : clep, political-science
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
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  • 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. 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






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






4. 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.






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






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






7. 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






8. 19th - in the United States and Western Europe.






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






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






11. 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?






12. Charismatic - Rational-legal - Traditional/patrimonial






13. 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






14. 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






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






17. 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.






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






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






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






22. 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






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






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






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






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






27. equality in political decision making: one vote per person - with all votes counted equally






28. Basically - density and quality of civil society






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






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






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






32. how many seats are allotted to each electoral district






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






34. A government with a one house legislature.






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






36. Also known as interpersonal trust & tolerance






37. 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)






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






39. 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






40. 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






41. 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.






42. monopoly over the legitimate use of force






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






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






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






46. 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






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






48. The opportunity to choose among alternative candidates and positions






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






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