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






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






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






4. 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?






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






6. Also known as interpersonal trust & tolerance






7. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






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






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






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






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






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






13. 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






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






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






16. 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.






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






18. A government with a one house legislature.






19. Any identity that significantly shapes our political decisions






20. Traditionally measured as capacity and autonomy






21. 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






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






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






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






25. 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.






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






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






28. 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






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






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






31. 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






32. 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)






33. 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






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






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






36. 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






37. 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






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






39. Efficiency vs. representativeness


40. 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






41. 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






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






43. 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






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. All voluntary associations/all secondary associations






46. how many seats are allotted to each electoral district






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






48. The opportunity to choose among alternative candidates and positions






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






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