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






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






3. 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






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






5. 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.






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






7. 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






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






9. Also known as interpersonal trust & tolerance






10. how many seats are allotted to each electoral district






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






12. 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)






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






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






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






16. 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






17. 19th - in the United States and Western Europe.






18. Concentration vs. dispersal of power

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






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






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






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






23. Efficiency vs. representativeness

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






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






26. 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.






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






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






29. monopoly over the legitimate use of force






30. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






31. Hypotheses based on what has been observed.






32. Basically - density and quality of civil society






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






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






35. 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






36. A government with a one house legislature.






37. 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






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






39. 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






40. 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






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






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






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






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






45. Use of method of inference to create generalizeable explanations






46. 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






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






48. 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






49. 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






50. Any identity that significantly shapes our political decisions