PoliSci First Exam Q

First-order civil divisions in the United States are represented by __________.

states.

The term "judicial activism" refers to a court's tendency to __________.

strike down laws

The meaning of the word "state" typically used in political science is:

what is commonly referred to as a country

A modern liberal would argue that markets __________.

require regulation to function properly.

Which of the following concepts did Machiavelli contribute to the study of politics?

role of power in politics

A process of devolution involves __________.

shifting some powers from central government to component units.

What is essentially the opposite of capitalism?

socialism

The subfield of international relations most directly includes the study of __________.

conflict and international law

Define legitimacy, authority and sovereignty.

Legitimacy is the mass feeling that the government's rule is rightful and should be obeyed. Sovereignty is the authority of a state to govern itself; a national government's ability to be boss of its own turf. Authority is the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.

A written document outlining the structure of a political system is a __________.

constitution

Federalism is the balancing of power between a nation's central government and __________.

its autonomous subdivisions.

The ability of courts to decide if laws are constitutional is called __________.

judicial review.

Which ideology prefers virtually no government involvement in anything other than personal and national security?

libertarianism

Which of the following would highlight a major disadvantage of a unitary system?

local officials unable to make basic decisions without the express consent of the central government

Explain the difference between a "nation" and a "state."

A nation is a population with a sense of self, a shared history, culture, and often language. A state is a governmental structure, usually sovereign and powerful to enforce its rule over a specific territory. States typically create nations.

Define "public goods." Provide 2-3 examples of public goods that government provide.

A public good is something that benefits all members of a community but that no one can be prevented from using. If a public good is available to any, it is available to all. Three examples of a public good would be infrastructure, clean water, and a social service sector.

Define "ideology" and explain at least two functions they serve.

An ideology is a belief system that purports that society can be improved by following certain doctrines; usually ends in "ism". Ideologies cement together movements, parties, and revolutionary groups. Ideologies 1) give society a "goal" of how something should work and 2) provide a method for the most appropriate way to achieve the arrangement.

Which of the following would be expected in a state that practices constitutionalism?

Citizens' individual rights are guaranteed.

Socialist thought sees society as consisting of:

Classes

Identify three current challenges for states. (Hint: Challenges from above or below)

From "above", there are challenges that transcend boundaries due to globalization, such as environment or human rights. From "below" would be issues with autonomy, or pressure from parts seeking authority, or questions about boundaries.

Why would a country such as Great Britain not have a formal written constitution?

Great Britain's unique history established customs and legal practices that made a written constitution unnecessary.

Which thinker had a dark view of human nature, believing that humanity without a civil society would be "war of all against all"?

Hobbes

A modern liberal would most likely support which of the following policy proposals?

Increase regulations on the banking sector.

The most influential socialist writer was:

Karl Marx

Which of these was the first to establish judicial review?

United States

The nation is:

a cultural and often linguistic grouping of people who feel they belong together.

An ideology consists of __________.

a set of plans to improve society

What entity in the contemporary world has "ultimate sovereignty?"

a state.

Which of the following is the best example of theory? a. People join groups because of an innate desire to be with others who have similar views. b. Democratic governments last longer than non-Democratic governments. c. Republicans are older, on average, than Democrats. d. Corruption is rampant in government.

a) People join groups because of an innate desire to be with others who have similar views.

Political institutions represent established and durable patterns of __________ in a country.

authority.

Which statement accurately describes the relationship between classical liberalism and modern conservatism? a. Modern conservatism is a more radical ideology than classical liberalism. b. Modern conservatism retains many of the principles of classical liberalism. c. Classical liberalism is deeply opposed to the tenets of modern conservatism. d. Classical liberalism generated the opposition that gave rise to modern conservatism.

b. Modern conservatism retains many of the principles of classical liberalism.

Federal governments cannot always demand policy change in their component states, but they are often able to exert their influence in other ways. What would be an example of this dynamic?

b. withholding grants from states that refuse to adopt a national policy standard

Aristotle's view that, like herd animals, humans naturally live in groups is most related to which kind of explanation for political power?

biological

Which of the following best expresses the difference between political scientists and ideologues? a. Political scientists argue for changes to political systems, while ideologues want to keep the system as it is. b. Ideologues argue for changes to political systems, while political scientists want to keep the system as it is. c. Political scientists are concerned with real conditions, while ideologues focus on how conditions should be. d. Ideologues are concerned with real conditions, while political scientists focus on how conditions should be.

c). Political scientists are concerned with real conditions, while ideologues focus on how conditions should be.

A subset of society that is organized and active but is neither controlled by the government nor focused on private concerns such as the family is called:

civil society

A political scientist who studies the politics of several Eastern European countries following the fall of the Soviet Union would, most specifically, be considered an expert in the subfield of __________.

comparative politics

Which statement explains how civil rights differ from human rights? a. Civil rights are more difficult to enforce than human rights. b. Civil rights relate to voting while human rights relate to individual choice. c. Civil rights block government mistreatment while human rights grant resources to individuals. d. Civil rights only arose with the advent of modern democracy but are essential for ensuring human rights.

d. Civil rights only arose with the advent of modern democracy but are essential for ensuring human rights.

A state that is able to control and tax its entire territory would be considered __________.

effective.

Political scientists use __________ data to look for patterns and eventually form theories.

empirical

Which of these is an extreme form of nationalism?

fascism.

According to Karl Marx, a communist system is one where the government __________.

is rendered unnecessary.

In what way does the U.S. Constitution differ from most other constitutions?

it is shorter and more vague than other constitutions.

Single-member districts produce winners on the basis of __________.

plurality

The subfield of __________studies major thinkers and attempts to define the good polity.

political theory

The ability to shape others' behavior is known as __________.

power

The Founding Fathers particularly embraced Locke's idea of the right to __________, which Locke felt was a primary reason why humans created civil society.

private property

The phenomenon of "groupthink" is a form of __________ power in which leaders spend so much time together that they all believe the same things to be true. e

psychological

Compared to FPTP, proportional representation means that the country's legislature more accurately reflects __________.

public opinion and party strength

In the United States, a modern conservative is most likely to support government action that __________.

supports traditional Christian values

Classic conservative ideology emphasizes:

the importance of the maintenance of an ordered community and common values

Weak states are characterized by __________.

the penetration of crime into politics.

Political scientists build __________ by making connections among empirical data.

theories

First-past-the-post (FPTP) countries tend to have __________ systems.

two party

It is dangerous for a country to keep introducing new constitutions because this __________.

undermines the legitimacy of government and the rule of law

Describe three points of disagreement between modern liberalism and classical liberalism.

Classic liberalism expelled government from the marketplace; modern liberalism believes in "freedom from" and thus believes some regulation is necessary. Modern liberalism is more pro-heavy taxing for things like wage and hour laws, unemployment and health insurance, and educational opportunities; classic liberalism was very against heavy taxing. Classic liberalism wanted government out of banks and finance (government is best that governs least); modern liberalism allows government to regulate in order to counter the "boom and bust" effect on a capitalist society.

Which of the following was an influential conservative thinker?

Edmund Burke

Imagine a system where there is significant control of industry but there are few welfare benefits paid out to citizens. Which of the following labels would best apply, given the circumstances?

statism