Comparative Government Final (India)

1. The majority of seats in the Lok Sabha were won in the 2004 and 2009 elections by which of the following political party or parties? a. Congress and allies b. BJP and allies c. Left Front d. None of these choices

a. Congress and allies

1. Unlike the regime in Great Britain, India's regime is a ________ system. a. Federal b. Authoritarian c. Unitary d. Parliamentarian

a. Federal

1. Similar to the UK, India uses which of the following electoral systems to elect its parliament? a. First-past-the-post, single member districts b. Proportional representation, multi-member districts c. Bloc voting for national political parties d. Single, non-transferable vote

a. First-past-the-post, single member districts

1. Along with Mohandas Gandhi, ________ was considered one of the two most important leaders of the independence movement, and also served as the first prime minister of India. a. Jawaharlal Nehru b. Rajiv Gandhi c. Indira Gandhi d. Atal Vajpayee

a. Jawaharlal Nehru

1. Several hundred people from the __________ religion were killed in 1981 after a government assault on the ________ Temple. a. Sikh; Golden b. Sikh; Taj Mahal c. Hindu: Bronze d. Hindu: Ayodhya

a. Sikh; Golden

1. Largely because of Mohandas ("Mahatma") Gandhi's leadership and that of other leaders in the movement for independence, what innovative tactics did the movement develop that enabled the relatively powerless people of India to gain independence from powerful Britain? a. non-violent resistance on a mass scales, including strikes, marches, and boycotts of goods b. violent urban guerrilla attacks on government offices, combined with sabotage of railroads and other rural infrastructure. c. asymmetrical warfare. d. targeted political assassination.

a. non-violent resistance on a mass scales, including strikes, marches, and boycotts

1. The majority of seats in Lok Sabha were won in the 2014 election and 2019 election (after the textbook was completed) by which of the following political party or parties? a. Congress and allies b. BJP and allies c. Left Front d. None of these choices

b. BJP and allies

1. Which party is associated with the independence movement and was long the dominant force in Indian politics? a. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) b. Indian Congress Party (Congress) c. Channa Dal party (CDP) d. None of the above.

b. Indian Congress Party (Congress)

1. Which Prime Minister invoked Emergency Rule in India, and in what year? a. Jawaharlal Nehru in 1958 b. Indira Gandhi in 1975 c. Rajiv Gandhi in 1985 d. Indira Gandhi in 1999

b. Indira Gandhi in 1975

1. The Islamic religion first reached India as a result of the ________ conquest. a. Chinese b. Mughal c. Mongol d. Persian

b. Mughal

1. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the main ________ party in India. a. Liberal and broad-based b. Nationalist and Hindu-based c. Nationalist and Muslim-based d. Radical and Christian-based

b. Nationalist and Hindu-based

1. Which of these was NOT one of the results of Indian independence in 1947- 48? a. violence while partitioning the country into India and Pakistan b. the death of Indira Gandhi c. the decline of British political influence in the entire south Asian region d. strong feelings of national identity among most Indians

b. the death of Indira Gandhi

1. The Lok Sabha is: a. the upper house of Parliament, which is more powerful than the lower house. b. the lower house of Parliament, which is more powerful than the upper house. c. the Supreme Court, which has the power of judicial review. d. the Executive Council, which dominates the lawmaking system.

b. the lower house of Parliament, which is more powerful than the upper house.

1. Since the book went to press in early 2017, a. India has undergone a sharp economic recession and has seen a decrease in average income. b. the two major political parties, the Bhaharatiya Janat Party (BJP) and Indian National Congress Party agreed to form a grand coalition to fight corruption and make policymaking more efficient. c. Prime Minister Modi and the BJP won an outright majority of seats in the Lok Sabha in the 2019 election, but Modi has been criticized for reducing environmental protections and economic benefits for poor people. d. India has been mired in a war with Pakistan, which has cost thousands of lives of Indian soldiers and civilians.

c. Prime Minister Modi and the BJP won an outright majority of seats in the Lok Sabha in the 2019 election, but Modi has been criticized for reducing environmental protections and economic benefits for poor people.

1. In 1858, the British Parliament passed the Government of India Act, thus: a. giving the British East India Company's the power to govern India. b. withdrawing Britain from India and granting the country independence. c. putting most of India under the direct control of the British government. d. splitting the country into India and Pakistan.

c. putting most of India under the direct control of the British government.

1. Although the BJP itself is a relatively new political party since the 1980s, its roots lie in: a. Christianity, as taught by the Jesuits who came to convert Hindus. b. technical advancement, as brought on by the Industrial Revolution. c. the revival of Hindu fundamentalism, begun in the early twentieth century. d. radical Muslim fundamentalism, stretching back to the Prophet Mohammad.

c. the revival of Hindu fundamentalism, begun in the early twentieth century.

1. While the relative weakness and slow growth of the Indian economy especially through the 1980s is hard to ignore, there have been the following encouraging developments in the last two decades, such as: a. a "Green revolution" in agricultural production, which essentially eliminated famine. b. growth of a large and highly-educated middle class. c. expansion of the telecommunications system to reach isolated citizens. d. All of these statements are true

d. All of these statements are true

1. The Lok Sabha is even weaker than the House of Commons as a legislative body because: a. members lack staff, offices, and other facilities that would help them work efficiently. b. the opposition to the ruling government has been fragmented, hindering coalition building that would help provide leverage to counter the majority party coalition. c. there is more turnover, which leaves few experienced members. d. All of these statements are true.

d. All of these statements are true.

1. Today, India: a. has one of the world's largest militaries. b. is one of the poorest countries in the world in average income. c. is one of the world's top ten largest economies in overall output (GDP). d. All of these statements are true.

d. All of these statements are true.

1. The Indian political regime and democratic electoral system is similar to which of the following established democracies? a. Netherlands b. Federation c. United States d. Great Britain

d. Great Britain

1. Despite being in the substantial majority throughout the country, which religious group has many members who considers itself to be the subject of oppression? a. Christians b. Muslims c. Sikhs d. Hindus

d. Hindus

1. The current Prime Minister, Narendra Modi: a. is the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) b. is a strong supporter of Hindu nationalism and has been credibly accused of discriminating against Muslims and Sikhs and not cracking down on violence against them. c. is a reformer who has cracked down on corruption by some government officials and put in place policies that have accelerated economic growth. d. all of the above. e. none of the above.

d. all of the above.

1. When she was Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi's way of governing politically can be best characterized as: a. coalitional, working with other parties effectively. b. democratic, seeking more public participation regardless of which party benefitted. c. socialist and communist, using democratic centralism. d. authoritarian, not trusting others and seeking to centralize power in the Prime Minister's office.

d. authoritarian, not trusting others and seeking to centralize power in the Prime Minister's office.

1. The Constitution of India, which is highly democratic, is also one of the ________ in the world. a. most amendable b. simplistic c. shortest d. longest

d. longest

1. The people known as dalits (or "untouchables") are: a. members of the merchant caste. b. members of the highest caste. c. members of the priestly caste. d. outside the caste system and considered below caste.

d. outside the caste system and considered below caste.