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






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






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






4. Force + Legitimacy






5. Shared sets of meanings






6. 19th - in the United States and Western Europe.






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






8. 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






9. 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






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






11. The opportunity to choose among alternative candidates and positions






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






13. 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






14. Basically - density and quality of civil society






15. how many seats are allotted to each electoral district






16. 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






17. The making of collectively binding decisions






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






19. 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






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






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






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






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






24. 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






25. 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






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






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






28. 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.






29. 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






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






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






32. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






33. monopoly over the legitimate use of force






34. Any identity that significantly shapes our political decisions






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






36. 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?






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






38. Efficiency vs. representativeness


39. 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






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






41. 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






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






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






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






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






46. A government with a one house legislature.






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






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






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






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