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






2. Efficiency vs. representativeness


3. Situation of stability - no party has incentive and ability to undermine the regime (Causes: cultural or economice - or military culture) - (Int'l Factors: U.S. foreign policy - Soviet foreign policy - Changes to Catholic doctrine - EU accession - G






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






5. Any identity that significantly shapes our political decisions






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






7. 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.






8. Hypotheses based on what has been observed.






9. 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?






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






11. The opportunity to choose among alternative candidates and positions






12. 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






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






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. All voluntary associations/all secondary associations






16. 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.






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






18. Basically - density and quality of civil society






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






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






21. Also known as interpersonal trust & tolerance






22. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






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






24. 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)






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






26. A government with a one house legislature.






27. monopoly over the legitimate use of force






28. Traditionally measured as capacity and autonomy






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






31. Force + Legitimacy






32. 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






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






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






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






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






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






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. Use of method of inference to create generalizeable explanations






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






41. 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






42. 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






43. 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






44. 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






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






46. 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.






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






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






49. 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






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