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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. 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






2. 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






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






4. monopoly over the legitimate use of force






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






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






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






8. All voluntary associations/all secondary associations






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






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






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






12. Efficiency vs. representativeness

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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. Regime where the rulers are accountable to the ruled.






15. 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.






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






17. The opportunity to choose among alternative candidates and positions






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






19. Concentration vs. dispersal of power

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






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






22. Traditionally measured as capacity and autonomy






23. 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






24. 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






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






26. 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






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






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






29. Use of method of inference to create generalizeable explanations






30. 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






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






32. 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.






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






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






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






36. 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.






37. A government with a one house legislature.






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






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






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






41. 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.






42. Also known as interpersonal trust & tolerance






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






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






45. 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






46. Hypotheses based on what has been observed.






47. 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






48. 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.






49. 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)






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