Political Science Midterm Exam
About how many people are estimated in absolute poverty worldwide? . 500 million . 1 million . 1 billion . 100 million
1 billion
What do Political Scientists mean when they describe a country's regime? . Participation and social inclusion is coordinated through collective action. . The emphasis is on elections open to everyone . The divine right of a monarch to rule . A form or type of governmental system, emphasizing rules and institutions
A form or type of governmental system, emphasizing rules and institutions
What is a referendum? . A popular vote (a direct vote) on a specific issue . A written testament to a candidate's skills and abilities . A congressional mandate . The process that precedes an impeachment
A popular vote (a direct vote) on a specific issue
A state that is controlled by religious leaders and imposes strict religious restrictions on its citizens is known as: . A democratic nation . A holy empire . A secular republic . A theocracy
A theocracy
Which economist was among the first responsible for the theory that underpins the market-led development approach? . Amartya Sen . John Maynard Keynes . Karl Marx . Adam Smith
Adam Smith
Adam Smith's concept of the "invisible hand" refers to: . The idea that government should not interfere with the operation of the market. . All of the above . The idea that government's role is to establish a rule of law and protect property rights. . The idea that society benefits from economic efficiency and expansion generated by individual gains.
All of the above
Which of the following is a type of authoritarian regime? . All of the above. . Personalistic dictatorships . Totalitarian regimes . Bureacratic-Authoritarian regimes
All of the above.
In recent years, stronger democratic international norms have put pressure on authoritarian states. This has contributed most directly to: . An increase in hybrid, or semi-authoritarian regimes . A rejection of international law . An increase in legitimacy for all regime types . An increase in authoriarianism
An increase in hybrid, or semi-authoritarian regimes
Which of the following factors is a feature unique to within-case comparison? . Analysis of probability in the case . Analysis of more than one variable in the case . Analysis of variation over time in the case . Analysis of similarities between cases
Analysis of variation over time in the case
Which country has the second highest GDP in the world? . United States . China . Japan . Germany
China
"A space in society outside of the organization of the state, in which citizens come together and organize themselves" refers to what? . Representative Democracy . Civil Society . Participatory Society . Democratic Society
Civil Society
Tocqueville and Fukuyama attribute these three societal characteristics to economic prosperity: . Institutionalism, path dependence, and state-directed development . Civil Society, social capital, and trust . Life expectancy, education, and income . Geography, demographics, and sovereignty
Civil Society, social capital, and trust
Which of the following is not considered to be a measure of development? . Environmental Sustainability . Reduced Poverty . Economic Growth . Civility and trust between citizens in a society
Civility and trust between citizens in a society
Which of the following would be the best characterization of historical-institutional accounts of regime types? . Coalitions of actors at different historical moments may help account for the persistence or collapse of regime types. . History is written by the winners, and therefore is largely for the institutionalized. . The institutions that most affect history are comprised of political elites who act rationally when faced with challenges by the masses. . Political history is largely characterized by institutions that have become more democratic and less authoritarian over time.
Coalitions of actors at different historical moments may help account for the persistence or collapse of regime types.
Action taken by individuals and groups to pursue their ends in formally or informally coordinated ways, often in pursuit of some common or public good is called: . Collective action . Revolution . Democratization . Grassroots organization
Collective action
The process through which a new democratic order becomes institutionalized is: . Consolidation . Transition . Direct Democracy . Democratization
Consolidation
Hypotheses that are generated starting with general ideas and testing whether these work on specific examples are called: . Inductive Reasoning . Deductive Reasoning . Comparative Checking . Analyzing Deviant Cases
Deductive Reasoning
Which of the following would constitute a very worrying economic problem when people stop buying because they are expecting prices to fall in the future? . Hyperinflation . All of the above . Deflation . Underemployment
Deflation
A collapse of democracy is called: . Democratic breakdown . Authoritarianization . Authoritarian persistence . Reverse democratization
Democratic breakdown
What is the name given to the initial shift from an authoritarian to a democratic regime? . Deauthoritarianization . Democratic consolidation . Democratic transition . Democrifying
Democratic transition
Which of the following would not necessarily be an indicator of a state having high capacity? . Properly functioning bureaucracy . Established monopoly on the use of force . Demonstrated economic growth . Maintenance of the rule of law
Demonstrated economic growth
In an analysis of cause and effect, the _____ is outcome, and the _____is the cause. . Dependent variable, Independent variable . Independent variable, Dependent variable . Sine, Cosine . Similarity, Difference
Dependent variable, Independent variable
The most plausible explanation for variations in development of South Korea and North Korea is probably which of the following? . Differences in economic and political institutions. . Differences in long-run cultural heritage . Differences in geography . Differences in religion and natural resources
Differences in economic and political institutions.
Referendums, plebiscites, citizen assemblies, and community councils can all be considered to be part of: . Minimal definition of democracy . Democratization . Representative democracy . Direct democracy
Direct democracy
Culture is best described as: . Stagnant . Personal . Dynamic . Regional
Dynamic
In the market-state state debate, which of the following is an argument characteristic to proponents of state-intervention? . Economic success is caused by strong states with quality state intervention . Policy matters only for international trade . Too much state involvement leads to poor economic performance. . Reducing the size of the state and its role in the economy is the best way to ensure growth
Economic success is caused by strong states with quality state intervention
The procedural definition of democracy: . Emphasizes the minimal standards for democracy in a country . Varies by region . All of the above . Deals exclusively with political rights
Emphasizes the minimal standards for democracy in a country
Which type of arguments do scholars of comparative politics usually make? . Political arguments . Ethical arguments . Normative arguments . Empirical arguments
Empirical arguments
Modern states engage in taxing and spending, which is sometimes referred to as: . Fiscal policy . Monetary policy . Socialist policy . Social policy
Fiscal Policy
Development can be measured in different ways. The most common development measure used is: . Degree of Democracy . Literacy Rates . GDP . Infant Mortality
GDP
Samuel Huntington observes that the phenomenon of democracy: . Is the only viable option for economic growth . Is impossible to establish in certain regions . Can only develop effectively when developed gradually . Has come in waves throughout history
Has come in waves throughout history
How could a positive correlation between ice cream sales and violent crime be explained in order to show there is no causation? . Even criminals love ice cream. . Ice cream sales increase to console victims of violent crime. . Ice cream sales and violent crime are linked by another variable . Ice cream sales and violent crime rates only correlate sometimes.
Ice cream sales and violent crime are linked by another variable
Who proposed the theory that each country fit into a specific role in the world economy? . Liza Wedeen . Immanuel Wallerstein . Alex de Tocqueville .Daron Acemoglu
Immanuel Wallerstein
The Human Development Index (HDI) gives a broad view of development and well-being by measuring: . Income, healthcare accessibility, and educational attainment rates . Income equality, life expectancy, and educational measures. . Inflation, life expectancy, and educational measures . Income, life expectancy, and educational measures
Income, life expectancy, and educational measures
What is the name given by economists to a situation in which prices are rising? . Income inequality . Inflation . Intergenerational income elasticity . Gini coefficient
Inflation
Which of the following polities could be considered an example of a theocracy? .The United States .Iran .Brazil .Russia
Iran
Which theorist argued that capitalism would lead to an international crisis of inequality? . Adrian Toomes . Karl Marx . Adam Smith . John Maynard Keynes
Karl Marx
Which of the following authors is most closely associated with the idea of the state "exerting a monopoly on the legitimate use of force"? . Douglass North . Max Weber . Robert Bates . Daron Acemoglu
Max Weber
The theory that traces democracy to broad social changes and economic development is known as: . Democratization Theory . Consolidation Theory . Development Theory . Modernization Theory
Modernization Theory
The argument that private property rights influence development might be considered which of the following types of theory? . New Institutionalism . Reductionism . Geographic Determinism .Statism
New Institutionalism
Which of the following countries exemplifies what one would call the "resource curse", or when a country chronically underperforms economically despite being home to abundant natural resource(s)? . Nigeria . Cuba . Afghanistan . Haiti
Nigeria
The ways politics and economics interrelate and affect one another is called: . Political economy . Domestic relations . Civil society . Free markets
Political Economy
Freedom of speech and free and fair elections are most often associated with: . Personalistic Dictatorships . Political Rights and Civil Liberties . Theocratic Regimes . Authoritarian Regimes
Political Rights and Civil Liberties
Some scholars point to poverty and inequality as the reason for the persistence of authoritarianism. Which of the following statements about poverty and authoritarianism is false? . Authoritarian regimes can bring about economic growth, thus improving living standards. . Poverty does not exist in authoritarian regimes due to their socialist nature . Income inequality can create divisions in society that can be manipulated by authoritarian regimes to maintain power. . Many authoritarian regimes have persisted in countries with low-income inequality.
Poverty does not exist in authoritarian regimes due to their socialist nature
National defense, basic infrastructure, and a healthy environment are examples of: . Welfare state services . Democratic tools . Market institutions . Public goods
Public Goods
The measure of income as adjusted to reflect the cost of living is called: . Purchasing power parity (PPP) . Consumer inflation percentage . Gini coefficient . Per capita GDP
Purchasing Power Parity (PPP)
Which if the following is not a hybrid or semi-authoritarian regime? . Competitive Authoritarianism . Representative Democracy . Illiberal Democracy .Electoral Authoritarianism
Representative Democracy
The profits of a French firm operating in Senegal add to the GDP of (this state) and the GNI of (this state): . Senegal, France . France, Senegal . Senegal, Senegal . France, France
Senegal, France
An illiberal democracy has ______________ but lacks ____________. . Some democratic features, guaranteed civil rights . Some authoritarian features, elections . Reasonably fair elections, basic social services . Leader accountability, protected political rights
Some democratic features, guaranteed civil rights
Unlike neoliberals, proponents of __________ believe that markets are unlikely to generate national wealth on their own. .Embedded autonomy .Laissez-faire liberalism .Capitalism .State interventionism
State interventionism
Proponents of a _________ definition of a democracy might argue that "countries can always undergo further democratization and that the question of democracy is not restricted to whether countries meet a minimum threshold". . Substantive . Qualitative . Evolving . Procedural
Substantive
Which aspect of development specifically considers a state's long-term access to resources? . Sustainability . Satisfaction and Happiness . Cultural Development . Gender Relations
Sustainability
At times, security interests have prevailed over the pursuit of democracy. During which of the below listed time periods in the twentieth century did major international powers privilege security around the world than on the promotion of democracy? . The Civil Rights Era . The Gilded Age . The Great Depression . The Cold War
The Cold War
What does the presence of an intervening variable signify? . The effect of variable X on variable Y is mediated through variable Z . Variables X and Y are independent . The effect of variable X on variable Y is dependent on correlation . Variable Z has no effect on variable X
The effect of variable X on variable Y is mediated through variable Z
"Regime maintenance" refers to: . The cutting of the provision of basic services in order to fund the regime budget . The provision of political information for the electorate in a delegative democracy . The efforts made by a regime to remain in power . The periodic rotation of officials in charge of an authoritarian regime
The efforts made by a regime to remain in power
Which of the following is true about the cases Most-Different-Systems designs? . The outcomes should differ . The outcomes should be similar . All variables in the analysis are similar . All variables in the analysis are constant
The outcomes should be similar
What do political scientists mean when they talk about the "state-society relationship"? . States and societies sometimes share overlapping territories. . Societies and states are social entities existing on parallel tracks. . The state is a political organization that is embedded in society, and the extent to which it is autonomous from various groups differs from case to case. . The state is a political organization that is embedded in society, and there is a standard, proportional relationship between a society's size and a state's strength.
The state is a political organization that is embedded in society, and the extent to which it is autonomous from various groups differs from case to case.
The welfare state that emerged in the Twentieth Century is based on which of the following principles? . The elderly and vulnerable should look primarily to private actors for support . The state should serve economic and social functions to maintain the population's welfare . People who are on welfare are abusing the system and they should compete in the labor market . The United States had "fared well" and should be emulated
The state should serve economic and social functions to maintain the population's welfare
Nazi Germany and present-day North Korea are examples of what type of authoritarian regime? . Theocratic . Totalitarian . Competitive Authoritarian . Personalistic Dictatorship
Totalitarian
Which country would be an example of a constitutional monarchy? . France . United States . United Kingdom . Germany
United Kingdom
Which of the following countries exemplifies a core country under the modern world systems theory? . Nigeria . Indonesia . United States . Mexico
United States
If a country were to have a Gini coefficient of 0.95, it would be a _________ country. . Very unequal country . Slightly unequal country . Very equal country . Slightly equal country
Very unequal country
The "bellicist theory of the state" refers to the belief that states are created by _________. . War . Revolution . Trade . Geographical boundaries
War
Which of the following would be the best example of a good comparative politics question? . Who makes up Congress? . What are the flaws of the Congress? . Why is Congress used in the United States? . What is the job of Congress?
Why is Congress used in the United States?
In the ________________ theoretical approach to comparative politics, the emphasis is on the power of institutions to shape the behavior of individuals, and how this operates over time. . cultural development . most-similar systems design . new institutionalism . historical institutionalism
historical institutionalism
Among African countries, wealth is low, poverty is high, and democracy is scarce. Wealth and democracy demonstrate a ___ correlation, while poverty and democracy demonstrate a ____ correlation. . hypothetical/true . negative/positive . positive/negative . true/hypothetical
positive/negative