Intro to Political Networks Flashcards
How can we best explain node behaviour and ties in a political network.
By explaining ties and node behavior based on the relationships between other nodes and ties in the network, taking into account contextual, indirect, and feedback effects.
The key to network analysis is that we’re looking at a broader context
Which of the following best describes the concept of contextual effects in political networks?
A) The influence of direct ties on a node’s behavior.
B) How a node’s behavior is affected by the broader network in which it is embedded.
C) The feedback loop created when a node’s actions influence its own future behavior.
D) The role of centrality in determining network power dynamics.
B) How a node’s behaviour is affected by the broader network in which it is embedded
Indirect effects in network analysis refers to …
The influence that spreads through intermediary nodes and connections
What is a feedback effect in the context of political networks?
The cyclical influence where a node’s actions affect the network and in turn influences that node again
In Butts’ (2009) foundational work on network analysis, what are the primary elements that define a network?
A) Clusters and connectivity.
B) Actors and actions.
C) Nodes and edges.
D) Ties and structure.
C) Nodes and edges
According to Lazer (2011), how have technological advancements impacted the study of political networks?
They have made it easier to analyse and model complex political networks
Which of the following is NOT a core concept in Brandes et al (2013) description of network science?
A) Small-world networks.
B) Decentralized systems.
C) Direct ties between nodes.
D) Hierarchical diffusion models.
D) Hierarchical Diffusion models
What does the study of indirect effects help to explain?
The influence of one node on another through intermediary nodes
Graph theory is critical to network analysis because….
It helps model the structure and properties of networks
According to Butts (2009), why is understanding the structure of a network critical?
The structure shapes the overall behaviour and properties of the network
In Butts (2009), which of the following is a key challenge in studying dynamic networks?
A) The inability to identify central nodes.
B) The difficulty in modeling evolving relationships and changes over time.
C) The lack of real-world examples of network evolution.
D) Networks only evolve in random patterns, making them unpredictable.
B) The difficulty in modelling evolving relationships and changes over time
Lazer (2011) argues that network analysis is becoming more relevant in political science because:
A) Political interactions are becoming increasingly complex and interconnected.
B) Traditional political theories no longer apply to modern politics.
C) Network analysis relies heavily on qualitative methods.
D) The study of networks has always been central to political science.
A) Political interactions are becoming increasingly complex and interconnected
One of the key applications of network analysis in political science, as discussed by Lazer (2011), is:
A) Predicting the collapse of governments based solely on economic data.
B) Measuring the impact of foreign direct investment on political stability.
C) Understanding how social movements and political information spread through networks.
D) Developing purely random models of voter behavior
C) Understanding how social movements and political information spread through networks
Lazer (2011) mentions the importance of centrality in political networks. What does centrality refer to?
A) The geographic center of political power.
B) The least connected members in a political system
C) The economic status of nodes in the network.
D) The most connected or influential actors within a network.
D) The most connected or influential actors within a network
In Brandes et al (2013), describe processes on networks as a key concept. Which of the following is an example of a process that can occur on a political network?
A) The geographic expansion of a nation-state.
B) The diffusion of political ideas or influence across a network.
C) The isolation of peripheral nodes with no direct ties.
D) Random clustering of nodes without any interaction.
B) The diffusion of political ideas or influence across a network
