POLS 2310: Chapters 5&6

Which of the following statements best represents the relationship between fundamentalism and political violence? a. Extreme forms of fundamentalism may use violence, but it is a mistake to associate fundamentalism directly with violence. b. Fundamentalists who seek change in the political status quo almost always resort to violence. c. Fundamentalists tend to target civilians instead of state institutions when using violence. d. Certain forms of political ideologies can be categorized as fundamentalist more easily than as religious.

a. Extreme forms of fundamentalism may use violence, but it is a mistake to associate fundamentalism directly with violence.

How does the international community affect democratization? a. Foreign investment and globalization may push countries toward democratizing. b. International affairs never influence domestic politics. c. Most democracies start because they are imposed upon by outside countries. d. Countries will often democratize in exchange for monetary payments.

a. Foreign investment and globalization may push countries toward democratizing.

In which of the following ways does a proportional representation (PR) system differ from a single-member district (SMD) system? a. In a PR system, voters are typically more willing to vote for smaller parties. b. In a PR system, votes cast for a candidate or party that does not win are essentially wasted. c. In a PR system, individual candidates win by a plurality vote instead of a majority vote. d. In a PR system, each constituency has only one representative.

a. In a PR system, voters are typically more willing to vote for smaller parties.

Why is the Magna Carta important in the evolution of liberal democracy? a. It established the idea that all people should enjoy due process. b. It created a direct democracy in Athenian Greece. c. It was the first document to abolish monarchy in Europe. d. It created the foundation of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness on which liberal democracy is based.

a. It established the idea that all people should enjoy due process.

Which of the following is an example of an initiative? a. The citizens collect signatures in order to get a new law legalizing marijuana usage added to the ballot. b. A court rules that a potential law is unconstitutional and should not be considered. c. The legislature decides to put a possible tax increase directly to the voters by adding it to the ballot. d. A candidate for president runs based on a popular idea for supporting climate change research.

a. The citizens collect signatures in order to get a new law legalizing marijuana usage added to the ballot.

Among those strains of religious fundamentalism that have led to terrorism, one commonality is a. a hostility to modernity. b. an appeal to liberty. c. a belief in a more even distribution of wealth. d. an emphasis on equality between the sexes.

a. a hostility to modernity.

What is meant by the term republicanism? a. a system that emphasizes separation of powers and representation of the public through elected officials b. a system that emphasizes conservative political values c. a system that has the ideology of liberalism with an emphasis on individual rights, participation, and freedom d. a system that values equality among individuals above freedom and individual rights

a. a system that emphasizes separation of powers and representation of the public through elected officials

Nihilism is in large part a belief that all institutions and values a. are essentially meaningless. b. are held responsible to embrace pacifism. c. are a gift from God. d. are equally valid.

a. are essentially meaningless.

Which of the following could be categorized as an individual explanation for political violence? a. humiliation b. ideology c. nationalism d. fundamentalism

a. humiliation

Nationalism that motivates people to commit political violence would be most consistent with which explanation? a. ideational b. individual c. intertemporal d. institutional

a. ideational

Over a decade, the people of a country experienced a slight expansion of their rights and economic conditions: women's suffrage was expanded, more political parties were allowed to organize and compete, and per capita income increased. A large middle class desired a continuation toward full democracy, yet the illiberal regime in power refused to enact additional reforms. Opposition groups formed and a popular, violent revolution began against the state. Which category best represents this overall process? a. relative deprivation b. elite preservation c. ideational d. institutional

a. relative deprivation

Studies of the relationship between economic conditions and terrorism find that a. there is not a strong correlation between economic deprivation and terrorism. b. there is a strong correlation between the poorest countries in the world and their rates of terrorism. c. terrorists almost always come from well-off families. d. terrorists almost always come from the working class.

a. there is not a strong correlation between economic deprivation and terrorism.

Terrorism can be best defined as the a. use of violence by nonstate actors against civilians in order to achieve a political goal. b. use of violence by states against other states in order to achieve a political goal. c. use of violence by nonstate actors against states in order to achieve a political goal. d. use of violence by states against civilians in order to achieve a political goal.

a. use of violence by nonstate actors against civilians in order to achieve a political goal.

Which of the following accurately describes a component of a mixed electoral system? a. Voters are allowed two votes, one for a prime minister and one for a legislative representative. b. Voters are allowed two votes, one for a candidate and one for a party. c. Voters are allowed two votes, one for the upper house and one for the lower house. d. Voters are allowed two votes, but split ticket voting is not allowed.

b. Voters are allowed two votes, one for a candidate and one for a party.

One of the first ________ occurred in Greece, where small communities allowed people to directly participate in the affairs of government. a. republics b. democracies c. constitutional courts d. bicameral systems

b. democracies

Civil rights typically refers to the promotion of a. republicanism. b. equality. c. repression. d. civic duties.

b. equality.

When nonstate actors primarily target state institutions such as the military, it is considered ________. When nonstate actors primarily target civilians, it is instead considered ________. a. war crimes; guerrilla warfare b. guerrilla warfare; terrorism c. terrorism; war crimes d. guerrilla warfare; human rights violations

b. guerrilla warfare; terrorism

States most often engage in state-sponsored terrorism as a means of a. silencing political dissent. b. influencing foreign policy. c. engaging in cosmic war. d. encouraging domestic social unrest.

b. influencing foreign policy.

The ________ is typically viewed as the body in which national politics is considered and debated. The ________ is the branch that carries out the laws and policies of a state. a. constitutional court; executive b. legislature; executive c. constitutional court; legislature d. executive; legislature

b. legislature; executive

A national vote initiated by the government on a particular policy issue is commonly known as a a. ballot initiative. b. referendum. c. plebiscite. d. mass ballot.

b. referendum.

In the third phase of their evolution, such as in the work of Theda Skocpol, studies of revolutions have a. shifted their emphasis to the importance of elite planning. b. shifted their emphasis from the public to the state. c. shifted their emphasis from a more theoretical approach to becoming largely descriptive. d. shifted their emphasis to the role of the army in defending the state.

b. shifted their emphasis from the public to the state.

Which of the following statements best represents the relationship between fundamentalism and political violence? a. Certain forms of political ideologies can be categorized as fundamentalist more easily than as religious. b. Fundamentalists who seek change in the political status quo almost always resort to violence. c. Extreme forms of fundamentalism may use violence, but it is a mistake to associate fundamentalism directly with violence. d. Fundamentalists tend to target civilians instead of state institutions when using violence.

c. Extreme forms of fundamentalism may use violence, but it is a mistake to associate fundamentalism directly with violence.

In which of the following ways does a parliamentary system differ from a presidential system? a. Election dates are more easily altered in presidential systems than in parliamentary systems. b. Presidents are more easily removed from office than prime ministers. c. Prime ministers must command a majority to stay in office while presidents do not. d. Prime ministers are directly elected by the people while presidents are indirectly elected through an electoral college.

c. Prime ministers must command a majority to stay in office while presidents do not.

How did the rapid economic development of many Asian countries in the 1970s effect the study of democracy? a. It proved that a middle class was essential for democratization. b. It demonstrated that overall poverty is not an impediment to democratization. c. It demonstrated that elites were the driving force behind early democratization. d. It helped to discredit modernization theory.

d. It helped to discredit modernization theory.

Political violence may be less likely to occur in established democracies because there exists within the regime durable arrangements, such as periodic elections, that allow people to express discontent. This statement is most consistent with which explanation for political violence? a. ideational b. intertemporal c. individual d. institutional

d. institutional

In a particular voting district, an elected representative formed an especially close bond with her constituents, and during her past term she voted against the will of her party to better represent the people in her district. Using this observed relationship, a political scientist would most likely argue a. that mixed electoral systems are more representative than single-member district systems. b. that parliamentary systems are more representative than presidential systems. c. that more referenda and initiatives are needed to allow for greater participation by voters in the policy-making process. d. that single-member district systems are more representative than proportional representation systems.

d. that single-member district systems are more representative than proportional representation systems.

The idea of legal institutions to which everyone is subject to is known as a. the reign of democracy. b. the majority rule. c. the consent of the governed. d. the rule of law.

d. the rule of law.

War crimes and human rights violations can be defined as a. the use of violence by nonstate actors against civilians in order to achieve a political goal. b. the use of violence by civilians against states in order to achieve a political goal. c. the use of violence by nonstate actors against states in order to achieve a political goal. d. the use of violence by states against civilians in order to achieve a political goal.

d. the use of violence by states against civilians in order to achieve a political goal.