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






2. 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






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






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






5. 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.






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






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






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






9. 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






10. 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?






11. Basically - density and quality of civil society






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






13. 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.






14. Hypotheses based on what has been observed.






15. A government with a one house legislature.






16. All voluntary associations/all secondary associations






17. 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






18. Also known as interpersonal trust & tolerance






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






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






21. Any identity that significantly shapes our political decisions






22. Use of method of inference to create generalizeable explanations






23. 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.






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






25. The making of collectively binding decisions






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






28. 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






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






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






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






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






33. A civil war (...) in which one party is the state - the insurgents win - the insurgents have a lot of popular support - and the insurgents implement 'wholesale political change'






34. monopoly over the legitimate use of force






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






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






37. 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






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






39. Efficiency vs. representativeness


40. Traditionally measured as capacity and autonomy






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






42. 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.






43. 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)






44. Force + Legitimacy






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






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






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






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






49. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






50. 19th - in the United States and Western Europe.