Political Science 6 Multiple Choice Questions Flashcards
According to Blood and Debt, in Latin America
There were not enough wars for states to develop
Wars came too early in Latin America’s independence for states to benefit
War encouraged the rise of administratively strong states
Latin America became dependent on internal (domestic taxes) for survival
Wars came too early in Latin America’s independence for states to benefit
A state is ___________________.
A set of rules for determining who will have access to power
a group of people who perceive themselves as sharing a sense of belonging and who often have a common language, culture, and set of traditions
an administrative apparatus that develops and administers laws and generates and implements policy in a specific territory
The group of people who exercise power within a given territory
an administrative apparatus that develops and administers laws and generates and implements policy in a specific territory
Which statement best expresses the relationship between economic development and state development?
states that can rely primarily on import/export (customs) taxes are more likely to be strong
states with a lot of oil are more likely to be strong
Strong states are less likely to develop economically
states in countries that have gone through an industrial revolution are more likely to be strong
states in countries that have gone through an industrial revolution are more likely to be strong
Federalism is a political system in which
a state’s power is constitutionally divided among more than one level of government
subnational units are completely subordinated to the national state
subnational units have more power than the national state
there are three branches of government
a state’s power is constitutionally divided among more than one level of government
Which of the following is NOT a similarity between state development in India and Nigeria?
ethnic diversity
Initial establishment of a democratic political constitution
The development of a strong and legitimate political party
British colonial experience
The development of a strong and legitimate political party
The origin of most states in the world today is
imitation
war
creation by a nation
colonial export
colonial export
Which of the following states is strongest according to the World Governance Indicators?
Brazil
Germany
China
The U.K.
Germany
According to War and the State in Africa,
There have been too many wars in Africa for its countries to develop strong states
Africa has developed strong states due to war
The lack of interstate wars and external threats contributes to weak states in Africa
African states have become dependent on internal (domestic) sources of tax revenu
The lack of interstate wars and external threats contributes to weak states in Africa
Brazil today is an example of a
very strong state
failed state
moderately strong state
very weak state
moderately strong state
Comparative politics is the study of
elections and voting
the relationships between states
the domestic politics of other countries
war
the domestic politics of other countries
Under fascism, the state’s primary role is to
promote economic development
advance the interests of the nation
respond to citizen preferences
protect the working class
advance the interests of the nation
On which of the following ideas would fascism and socialism most likely agree?
state ownership of the means of production
the leading role of the state in most aspects of human life
the rejection of rationality
the importance of class struggle
the leading role of the state in most aspects of human life
Which of the following is essential to liberal democracy?
extensive government services to ensure equality of opportunity
separation of powers
alternation in power
meaningful competition
meaningful competition
In successful modernizing authoritarianism,
working class people usually enjoyed special privileges
positions of policy-making responsibility usually went to friends and kinsmen of the leader
Charismatic strongmen usually held power
technocrats (experts) played an important role in designing policy
technocrats (experts) played an important role in designing policy
Populist leaders assert
the supremacy of the nation over the individual
the supremacy of majority interests (the people) over minorities
the supremacy of one ethnic group over another
the supremacy of the working class
the supremacy of majority interests (the people) over minorities
Which of the following is an example of social democracy?
Sweden
The United Kingdom
India
Russia
Sweden
One example of a long-standing electoral authoritarian regime is
Mexico under the PRI
India before 1975
Nazi Germany
The Soviet Union
Mexico under the PRI
Under which type of democracy would citizens typically have the most rights and responsibilities?
participatory democracy
liberal democracy
social democracy
populism
social democracy
Which is the best method of distinguishing between an electoral authoritarian country and a democracy?
the quality of elections
minority rights
extent of economic development
the holding of elections
the quality of elections
A key difference between socialism and social democracy is
whether citizens enjoy extensive civil liberties
whether the state monopolizes the means of production
whether elections are competitive
all of the above
all of the above
Assigning citizenship based on birth within a national territory is called
jus soli
jus sanguinis
civic nationalism
cultural nationalism
jus soli
Which of the following institutions has tended, historically, to encourage moderation of the Hindu-Muslim cleavage?
proportional representation
Federalism along linguistic lines
consociationalism
Presidentialism
Federalism along linguistic lines
Samuel Huntington argued that the world could be divided into eight major “civilizations” based largely on
ideology
language group
race
religion
religion
Explicit power sharing between specific ethnic groups which provides each with some amount of power in the central government is called
managed democracy
federalism
centripetalism
consociationalism
consociationalism
Laicite refers to
advocating for the right to exist as a separate state
the right of a group to partially govern itself within a larger state
advocating that religion should play no part in the public realm
having an official state religion
advocating that religion should play no part in the public realm
Primordialism rejects the idea that
cultural beliefs are the basis of more or less immutable identities
identities are constructed by multiple actors
conflict between groups is inevitable
strong group identities are natural
identities are constructed by multiple actors
Which of the following factors is most strongly associated with the likelihood of conflict?
religion
ethnicity
security dilemma
intersectionalit
security dilemma
Constructivism means that individuals are free to choose any identity they wish.
True
False
False
Instrumentalism implies that
identity cleavages are more politically salient when elites mobilize them
identities are deeply embedded in the human psyche
identities are most politically salient when they involve religion
identities are more politically salient when they involve land
identity cleavages are more politically salient when elites mobilize them
Cultural nationalism identifies membership in the nation as a reflection of
birthplace
a common language
common ancestry
commonly held values and myth
common ancestry
Which of the following executives can dissolve the parliament?
the prime minister of Russia
the prime minister of the U.K.
the president of Germany
the president of Brazil
the prime minister of the U.K.
Asymmetric federalism refers to
situations where the taxation power is concentrated in the national government
situations where the state governments have more power than the national government
situations where states are divided along ethnic and linguistic lines
situations where some local/state governments enjoy more powers and privileges than others
situations where some local/state governments enjoy more powers and privileges than others
Horizontal accountability refers to the ability of
citizens to hold the government accountable
the government to hold citizens accountable
one state to check the power of another
state institutions to hold each other accountable
state institutions to hold each other accountable
The power of the prime minister in India is most strongly checked by
the opposition parties in the parliament
the cabinet
His or her own party
federalism
federalism
In which system can a vote of no confidence remove the chief executive?
Social democracy
Presidential
Semi-presidential
Parliamentary
Parliamentary
In a parliamentary system, the prime minister also
is a member of parliament
has a fixed term
can declare laws unconstitutional
is elected by the majority of the voters
is a member of parliament
In which of the following does the president have to get an absolute majority of the vote?
Brazil
All of the above
Mexico
the United States
Brazil
Which of the following is an example of a principal-agent problem?
the problems politicians face in getting voters to vote for them
the problems elected leaders have in ensuring that bureaucrats carry out their wishes
the problems courts have in getting citizens to abide by their decisions
the problems presidents and prime ministers have when ‘cohabitation’ occurs
the problems elected leaders have in ensuring that bureaucrats carry out their wishes
Examples of semipresidential systems include
France and Russia
Israel and Russia
Brazil and France
The United States and Mexico
France and Russia
In the Westminster model of parliamentarism,
tea is served promptly at four
voters vote for the prime minister directly
one party typically controls a majority in the legislature
the largest party typically forms a coalition to elect the prime minister
one party typically controls a majority in the legislature
Match each country to its electoral system
SMD Plurality
SMD Majoritarian
Mixed
countries
France
Germany
The UK
SMD Plurality - The UK
SMD Majoritarian - France
Mixed - Germany
Match each country with its electoral system
Proportional Representation–open list
Proportional Representation–closed list
Mixed
countries
Brazil
Israel
Mexico
Proportional Representation–open list - Brazil
Proportional Representation–closed list - Israel
Mixed - Mexico
According to Downs,
Parties in two-party systems should converge toward the center
Parties in two-party systems tend to become highly polarized
Voters are not rational
Parties care more about ideological purity than about getting elected.
Parties in two-party systems should converge toward the center
Duverger’s law predicts that
SMD-plurality rules are likely to result in multiple parties in the legislature
Representation of minority interests will be stronger in two-party systems
SMD-plurality electoral rules are likely to produce two-party systems
The parties in two-party systems are likely to converge toward the cente
SMD-plurality electoral rules are likely to produce two-party systems
According to Chhibber and Nooruddin, which Indian states provide more public goods?
Hindu states
States with multiparty systems
States where the Communist Party governs
States with two-party competition
States with two-party competition
Multiple, competing, non-hierarchical interest group arrangements are best characterized as
consociationalism
corporatism
chaos
pluralism
pluralism
In which country are two rounds of voting normally required to select the chief executive?
The U.K.
Israel
Mexico
Brazil
Brazil
In which type of system is the representation of women likely to be strongest?
Proportional representation–open list
Proportional Representation–closed list
SMD-plurality
SMD majoritarian
Proportional Representation–closed list
In which of the following party systems is government instability most likely
atomized multiparty
two and a half party
limited multiparty
dominant party
atomized multiparty
Social movements typically
employ professional lobbyists
rely on unconventional protest to seek policy change
are highly organized
are progressive
rely on unconventional protest to seek policy change
Which group was most affected by the framing of the BLM protests?
Democrats
All groups were equally affected
Republicans
Independents
Independents
According to POS, protests should be most likely
at very low levels of political openness
at intermediate levels of political openness
when the movement cannot find elite allies
at very high levels of political openness
at intermediate levels of political openness
Relative deprivation is a group or individual’s belief that they are ______
too political
facing an existential security threat
poor
not getting their share of something relative to what they should have
not getting their share of something relative to what they should have
Which of the scholars below noted that a crucial ingredient for successful revolution is a state in crisis, often one that has been weakened by international events?
Kathleen Bruhn
James Davies
Ted Robert Gurr
Theda Skocpol
Theda Skocpol
According to the threat literature, under which conditions is success most likely?
Highly threatening demand and high disruption
Limited disruption with a highly threatening demand
High disruption, with a limited and specific demand
Limited and specific demand with limited disruption
High disruption, with a limited and specific demand
Bolivia’s water war was triggered by
the sale of the municipal water concession to a private company, which raised rates
climate change
municipal flooding in Cochabamba
the construction of a new dam
the sale of the municipal water concession to a private company, which raised rates
The C in WUNC stands for
Capacity
Conservatives
Charisma
Commitment
Commitment
What is the difference between a political and a social revolution?
Whether a social movement or armed group of citizens is involved
Whether social media is involved
Whether the social structures are transformed
Whether the political regime is transformed
Whether the social structures are transformed
A contemporary example of a violent social movement is
BLM
the Bazaaris
Boko Haram
Deng Xiao Ping
Boko Haram
All social movements are progressive
True
False
False
The breakdown of which of the following types of regimes was historically most likely to lead to stable democracy?
personalist
theocracy
one-party
military-authoritarian
military-authoritarian
To what does the concept of the “dictator’s dilemma” refer?
inability to govern without electoral support
the type of messaging or public relations the ruler should employ to consolidate rule without exaggerating unrealistically
the ruler’s uncertainty about how much support he has, as a result of repression
the amount of repression a ruler should employ to weaken the opposition
the ruler’s uncertainty about how much support he has, as a result of repression
In the specific case of Mexico under the PRI, which of the following were benefits of holding elections?
gathering information about the opposition
bolstering the legitimacy of the regime
all of the above
providing a mechanism for circulation of elites
all of the above
GONGOs refer to ______.
state-controlled interest organizations
foreign funded interest organizations
grassroots organizations
unions
state-controlled interest organizations
Which of the following types of authoritarian rule has the shortest average life span?
personalistic authoritarianism
one-party rule
military authoritarianism
theocratic rule
military authoritarianism
Which of the following tactics depended on the PRI’s control of the electoral registry?
shaving
autocalificacion
Raton loco
tacos
shaving
Russia under Vladimir Putin can best be described as which of the following types of authoritarian regimes?
military authoritarian
theocratic
one-party
electoral authoritarian
electoral authoritarian
Local elections in China
challenge the national authority of the Communist Party
are competitive and free multiparty elections
have no effect
can remove unpopular local leader
can remove unpopular local leader
Mobutu’s Zaire is a classic example of
a liberal democracy
a strong one-party state
a personalist dictator
a military-authoritarian regime
a personalist dictator
Iran is best classified as an example of
an electoral authoritarian regime with theocratic elements
a military-authoritarian regime
a liberal democracy
a personalist dictatorship
an electoral authoritarian regime with theocratic elements
The phenomenon of democratic backsliding
is the result of military coup
does not occur in consolidated democracies like the United States
always results in authoritarian government
may occur slowly and almost imperceptibly at the hands of democratically elected leader
may occur slowly and almost imperceptibly at the hands of democratically elected leader
In terms of democratic consolidation, the “two-turnover” test refers to ______.
one party must win the founding election, and then a different party must win a later election
at least two parties must run for office
Two elections in a row must be held
One leader replaces another as head of state
one party must win the founding election, and then a different party must win a later election
Which of the following factors is NOT empirically associated with stable democracies?
a large middle class
cultural values of tolerance and compromise
a majority Muslim population
lower ethnic diversity
a majority Muslim population
Modernization theory argues that ______.
Democracy is most likely to be present where countries have a high degree of inequality.
Democracy is most likely to be present where countries have a majority Muslim population
Democracy is most likely to be present where countries have a reasonably wealthy economy and a large middle class
Democracy is most likely to be present where countries have a democratic political culture
Democracy is most likely to be present where countries have a reasonably wealthy economy and a large middle class
Which of the following elements are important to a negotiated transition?
a period of liberalization
all of the above
divisions within the authoritarian regime
the emergence of a democratic opposition
all of the above
Which of the following theories best explains Brazil’s history of military coups?
the breakdown of ISI
Neopatrimonialism and officers who pursue their personal and ethnic group interests
Professionalized and institutionalized military defending its interests
all of the above
Professionalized and institutionalized military defending its interests
Over the last fifteen years,
the number of democracies has remained fairly stable but their quality has improved
the number of democracies has remained fairly stable, but their quality has declined
The number of democracies has grown dramatically
the number of democracies has declined dramatically
the number of democracies has remained fairly stable, but their quality has declined
Compared to the 1970s,
the number of democracies remained fairly stable but their quality declined
the number of democracies has grown dramatically
the number of democracies has declined dramatically
the number of democracies remained fairly stable but their quality improved
the number of democracies has grown dramatically
Many people argue that high levels of inequality and a shrinking middle class should
lead to democratic transitions
have no effect on democracy
improve the prospects for stable democracy
weaken the prospects for stable democracy
weaken the prospects for stable democracy
Which of the following best represents the relationship between capitalism and democracy?
Capitalism guarantees democracy
Capitalism undermines democracy
Capitalism is not necessary for democracy
Capitalism is necessary but not sufficient for democracy
Capitalism is necessary but not sufficient for democracy
Match each country to the appropriate welfare state model
social democratic
Christian Democratic
Liberal
Sweden
Germany
U.S
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is
lending for infrastructure connecting developing countries to China
unrestricted foreign aid to developing countries
pro-democracy aid
investment in small-scale manufacturing
lending for infrastructure connecting developing countries to China
Coordinated market economies (CMEs) have ______.
a minimal role for government
conscious negotiations between the state, unions, and business
flexible labor markets
little use for unions
conscious negotiations between the state, unions, and business
Fiscal policy refers to the ______.
amount of money a government prints and puts into circulation
all of the above
interest rates set by the government
government’s budgetary policy (taxing and spending)
government’s budgetary policy (taxing and spending)
Germany uses a ______.
privately run health-care system
single-payer system
national health insurance system
market-based insurance system
national health insurance system
In LME systems, interest groups such as unions are typically organized in which fashion?
pluralism
socialism
corporatism
fascism
pluralism
Monetarism was first championed by ______.
Ronald Reagan
Bill Clinton
Milton Friedman
John Maynard Keynes
Milton Friedman
Which of the following types of states achieves the lowest average rates of poverty and inequality?
liberal welfare states
social democratic welfare states
pure market economies
Christian Democratic welfare states
social democratic welfare states
In which type of welfare state are tax rates the highest?
social democratic welfare states
liberal welfare states
neoliberal states
Christian Democratic welfare states
social democratic welfare states
Means-tested public assistance is ______.
distributed to all citizens more or less equally
most common in social democratic welfare states
the most expensive form of assistance
available only to those who fall below a certain income level
available only to those who fall below a certain income level
