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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. Charismatic - Rational-legal - Traditional/patrimonial






2. The opportunity to choose among alternative candidates and positions






3. Force + Legitimacy






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






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






6. Use of method of inference to create generalizeable explanations






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






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






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






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






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






12. how many seats are allotted to each electoral district






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






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






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






17. 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






18. 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






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






20. 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.






21. 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?






22. 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






23. Traditionally measured as capacity and autonomy






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






25. Also known as interpersonal trust & tolerance






26. 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






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






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






29. 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






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






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






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






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






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






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






36. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






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






38. 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






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






40. Any identity that significantly shapes our political decisions






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






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






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






45. 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






46. A government with a one house legislature.






47. 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






48. The making of collectively binding decisions






49. 19th - in the United States and Western Europe.






50. 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.