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






2. The use of force by states or non-state actors to achieve political goals






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






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






5. Political parties - Interest groups - Social movements






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






7. 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






8. 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






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






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






11. Force + Legitimacy






12. Charismatic - Rational-legal - Traditional/patrimonial






13. Basically - density and quality of civil society






14. 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






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






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






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






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






19. 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?






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






21. Shared sets of meanings






22. monopoly over the legitimate use of force






23. Concentration vs. dispersal of power

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






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






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






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






28. A government with a one house legislature.






29. 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.






30. how many seats are allotted to each electoral district






31. 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






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






33. Traditionally measured as capacity and autonomy






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






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






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






37. Also known as interpersonal trust & tolerance






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






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






41. 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'






42. All voluntary associations/all secondary associations






43. 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






44. 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.






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






46. The opportunity to choose among alternative candidates and positions






47. 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.






48. 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






49. 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






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