Comparative Politics Exam Solutions
Course Introduction
Comparative Politics is the study of political systems, processes, and institutions across different countries to identify patterns, similarities, and differences. This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts and methodologies used to systematically analyze how various societies govern themselves, considering factors such as political culture, state structure, electoral systems, party systems, and policy-making. Through comparing case studies from democracies, authoritarian regimes, and hybrid systems, students develop a deeper understanding of the dynamics that shape political outcomes globally, fostering analytical skills essential for understanding the complexities of world politics.
Recommended Textbook
Political Science An Introduction 13th Edition by
Michael G. Roskin
Available Study Resources on Quizplus
18 Chapters
1439 Verified Questions
1439 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/1905
Page 2
Chapter 1: Politics and Political Science
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/37968
Sample Questions
Q1) The subfield __________studies major thinkers and attempts to define the good polity.
A)public administration
B)comparative politics
C)public policy
D)political theory
Answer: D
Q2) Aristotle, the founder of the __________ , called politics "the master science."
Answer: discipline
Q3) How can Politics be treated as a science?
Answer: a. Include a discussion of how some political scientists have tried to become more like natural sciences.
b. Discuss how political scientists attempt to quantify data, manipulate data statistically, and attempt to validate hypotheses.
c. Discuss how political science is an empirical discipline.
d. Discuss how political scientists build scholarship based on reason, balance, supporting evidence, and that much of this scholarship is based on theory.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 3
Chapter 2: Theories
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
79 Verified Questions
79 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/37969
Sample Questions
Q1) The idea that prior to reauthorization, adjustments might be made to an educational program based on demands from parents, teachers, and students is consistent with systems theory.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) Which of the following most undermines the potential benefits of the behavioral approach?
A)Public opinion in Northern Canada
B)European democratic governments
C)Southwestern voting patterns in the United States
D)The current conflicts in the Sudan
Answer: D
Q3) Seymour Martin Lipset wrote __________.
A)The Prince
B)Arthashastra
C)Social Contract
D)Political Man
Answer: D
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 4
Chapter 3: Political Ideologies
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/37970
Sample Questions
Q1) How can nationalism be dangerous, even in a country like the United States? Give an example.
Answer: a. Indicate an understanding of nationalism. This is an exaggerated belief in the greatness and unity of one's country.
b. Indicate that this can lead to an "us against them" mentality. It can lead to divisions, and can even lead to wars.
c. Discuss how regional divisions could divide a nation. In the United States, there are divisions across states or from one region to another. Occasionally, some people have suggested that one or more states leave the union (though this is extremely unlikely to happen).
d. Discuss how nationalism can lead to people failing to question what government is doing. Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, many people who questioned the president or the idea of going to war were labeled as unpatriotic.
Q2) The fact that socialism exists in a number of countries supports the ideas of Francis Fukuyama.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 5
Chapter 4: States
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/37971
Sample Questions
Q1) Warlords, militias, and other gun wielders often take the place of the national government in __________.
Q2) Which of the following, if True, might keep a failed state from disappearing?
A)Increasing taxation power
B)Revenue from natural resources being collected by leaders
C)Expansion of territory
D)Monetary aid from other nations
Q3) In __________, representatives are elected based on their party's percentage of the vote.
A)proportional representative systems
B)majoritarian systems
C)single-member districts
D)multi-member districts
Q4) Germany has a __________ of government because the local governments have only the autonomy granted to them by the national government.
Q5) The d'Hondt mathematical formula is often used to determine seats based on the percentage of votes in __________ systems.
Q6) Single-member districts with plurality elections tend to produce __________ parties.
Page 6
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 5: Constitutions and Rights
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/37972
Sample Questions
Q1) A written document outlining the structure of a political system is a __________.
A)statute
B)constitution
C)state duma
D)basic law
Q2) The issue of what role government should take in preserving cultural uniqueness is the basis for __________.
A)immigration
B)multiculturalism
C)cultural pluralism
D)ethnicism
Q3) Which of the following might you infer from a constitution that is relatively long and detailed?
A)The constitution is probably relatively new.
B)The constitution is probably relatively old.
C)The constitution is probably relatively vague.
D)The constitution is probably relatively restrictive on rights.
Q4) __________ is the unwillingness of judges to overturn statutes passed by the legislature.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 7
Chapter 6: Regimes
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/37973
Sample Questions
Q1) Explain how Russia might be described as a kleptocracy.
A)The executive is relatively powerful; the parliament is weak; the oil and gas sectors are under both private and government control, as is most of the popular media, aiding in the support of a middle class.
B)The executive is extremely powerful; the parliament is weak; the oil and gas sectors are under private control, as is most of the popular media, creating a diverse and complex economy.
C)The executive is extremely powerful; the parliament is weak; the oil and gas sectors are under government control, as is most of the popular media, leaving a select few to get rich.
D)The executive is relatively powerful; the parliament is relatively powerful; the oil and gas sectors are under government control, but the popular media is not, leaving a select few to get rich.
Q2) Though some specify term limits, most democratic systems allow for __________.
A)reelection
B)institutionalized dynasties
C)opposition activity only just before the election
D)the selling of congressional seats
Q3) Niger's version of authoritarianism is of the __________ type.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 8
Chapter 7: Political Culture
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/37974
Sample Questions
Q1) What is the difference between elite and mass political culture?
A)Elites possess better education, higher income, and more influence, and they are much more interested in politics and are more participatory.
B)Elites possess equivalent education to their mass political culture counterparts, higher income, and more influence, and they are much more interested in politics and are more participatory.
C)Elites possess better education, higher income, but only nominal influence, but they are much more interested in politics and are more participatory.
D)Elites possess better education, higher income, and more influence, yet they are less participatory.
Q2) The 1959 and 1960 survey of 1,000 people in five countries, conducted by Almond and Verba, uncovered three political cultures.What were they?
A)Participant, subject, and parochial
B)Participant, object, and parochial
C)Voting, subject, and parochial
D)Participant, subject, and secular
Q3) How are families an example of an agent of socialization?
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 9
Chapter 8: Public Opinion
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/37975
Sample Questions
Q1) Because they have ideas and __________, the attentive public, although relatively few in number, has great impact on politics.
Q2) A __________ government cannot be one led through sheer violence and coercion.
A)fundamentalist
B)long-lasting
C)malevolent
D)military
Q3) What factors affect public opinion? Which factors appear to be most important? Which are least important? Are some factors closely related to others? Explain and provide examples of each factor.
Q4) Not only can polls keep track of public opinion, they can also __________.
A)alienate politicians
B)encourage people to run for office
C)cancel out public opinion
D)craft public opinion
Q5) What are the three aspects of Almond's "three publics," and why are they of significance?
Q6) __________ decisions tend to guide public opinion.
Q7) A "God gap" was brought into U.S.politics by the rise of the __________.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 10
Chapter 9: Political Communication
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/37976
Sample Questions
Q1) A nation's increased communication positively correlates with increased modernization.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Compare the influence of television on public opinion concerning the Vietnam and Korean Wars.
A)Televised bloodshed in both incidents incited public outrage.
B)Despite the televised bloodshed in Vietnam, the sheer body count swayed public opinion against the war.
C)Depicting droves of North Korean and Chinese soldiers, televised content in the Korean War rallied public support.
D)Television had no effect on either conflict.
Q3) In many ways, television coverage can be beneficial for incumbent candidates, particularly presidential ones.However, when an incumbent comes under fire, it can be equally detrimental.Compare and contrast the advantages of incumbency in the media.What hurdles does the president face? How can he use the media in his favor? Provide specific examples from past election cycles.
Q4) Explain the adversarial relationship between media and government.Provide an example.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 11
Chapter 10: Interest Groups
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/37977
Sample Questions
Q1) What makes interest groups especially powerful and influential? Why? Should anything be done to control the power and influence of interest groups? Why or why not.
Q2) __________ are only the latest iteration of well-funded interest groups.
A)Defense industry representatives
B)Super-PACs
C)Student organizations
D)Neo-conservative lobbyers
Q3) Describe how bureaucracies see their tasks.
A)With iconoclastic eyes, seeking to controvert typical government policies
B)With very conservative eyes, seeking to keep their agencies small and economical
C)As only work to be completed
D)As extremely crucial, demanding bigger budgets and more employees each year
Q4) Issues tend to be silenced by political candidates who attempt to appeal to as broad a segment of the voting public as possible, especially in __________ systems.
Q5) How is the example of the "subprime crisis" related to the skewing of political policy?
Q6) Right to Life is a __________ interest group.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 12
Chapter 11: Parties
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
79 Verified Questions
79 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/37978
Sample Questions
Q1) "Blue Dog Democrats" are __________.
A)Democrats who support clean coal
B)Democrats chided for being left of the party center
C)Democrats elected from conservative districts
D)independent candidates whose views align closely with the Democratic Party
Q2) Which late 20 century American president is responsible for making the Republican Party more coherently conservative?
A)Dwight D. Eisenhower
B)Richard Nixon
C)Gerald Ford
D)Ronald Reagan
Q3) By welcoming new groups into their ranks, parties __________.
A)rob those groups of their individual interests and concerns
B)give groups a pragmatic and psychological stake in the overall political system
C)establish a monocultural dependence on the party system
D)enhance political hegemony by disenfranchising voters outside of these groups
Q4) Describe party centralization and decentralization.Provide an example.
Q5) Analyze the method by which left-wing parties propose to level class differences.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 13
Chapter 12: Elections
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/37979
Sample Questions
Q1) What is the American voters' general response to the typically long ballot featuring a variety of local, state and national candidates, and often referendums, as well?
A)A display of extensive knowledge of the various campaigns
B)Excitement
C)Bafflement
D)Relative to international trends, record high time spent in the voting booth
Q2) Elections were called early and at opportune times by Margaret Thatcher in Britain.
A)True
B)False
Q3) How are elections won? In other words, what distinguishes candidates who win from those who lose? Have these factors changed over time? Are the current factors that influence electoral outcomes positive or negative for a democratic society? Explain and provide examples.
Q4) The peak of U.S.voter turnout was in 1960 at __________ percent.
A)30
B)63
C)73
D)56
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 14
Chapter 13: Legislatures
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/37980
Sample Questions
Q1) Evaluate the work of today's legislators.To what extent are they responsible for creating laws?
Q2) Examine the committee system.How do committees function to create laws? What other roles do committees play in the process of legislative representation? Assess the advantages and disadvantages of these roles.
Q3) In the United States, the two houses have a total of about __________ subcommittees.
A)150
B)250
C)550
D)1,050
Q4) In U.S.House contests, more than __________ of incumbents win.
A)30%
B)50%
C)70%
D)90%
Q5) One good way to study something is to see how it changes over time, or a __________ study.
Q6) Analyze the decline of parliamentary power.
Q7) Explain the development of feudalism and the "balance of powers."
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 15
Chapter 14: Executives and Bureaucracies
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
81 Verified Questions
81 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/37981
Sample Questions
Q1) As the executive sees increased power, the __________ suffer a decrease.
A)cabinet
B)voters
C)legislatures
D)military
Q2) One who is not interested in or participating in politics is __________.
A)anti-political
B)anarchical
C)anti-establishment
D)apolitical
Q3) Explain the effects of having more regulations within a bureaucracy.
A)More bureaucrats emerge when more regulations are instilled, resulting in more corruption.
B)More regulations lead to more organization within bureaucracy, resulting in less corruption.
C)More regulations eliminate the need for as many bureaucrats, resulting in less corruption.
D)More corruption occurs when more regulations are instilled due to less bureaucrats being needed.
Q4) The __________ fiasco occurred under Reagan's presidency.
Page 16
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 15: Judiciaries
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/37982
Sample Questions
Q1) What legal agency in the United States generates reputation-based ratings of prospective federal judges?
A)Judicial Ratings Bureau
B)Federal Bureau of Judicial Review
C)American Bar Association
D)Office of Legal Assessment
Q2) Analyze the series of court decisions in 1962 and 1964 finding that unequal representation denied citizens their Fourteenth Amendment rights.
A)The Court ordered that state legislatures apply the principle of "one person, one vote" in redrawing electoral lines.
B)State legislatures were ordered to redraw district lines to better represent African Americans.
C)The Republican party was censured for excluding the black vote using voter ID laws. D)States were forced to add one representative per 100,000 people to better serve impoverished areas.
Q3) How does the opposition party oppose and sometimes block the president's Supreme Court nominations?
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 17
Chapter 16: Political Economy
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/37983
Sample Questions
Q1) Investigate what historically happens to conservatives when firms are supposedly "too big to fail."
A)Conservatives argue for expensive bail-out packages.
B)Most conservatives suggest letting the free market run its course.
C)Most argue against expensive stimulus packages.
D)They switch parties.
Q2) Why are many politicians wary about limiting Social Security and Medicare expenses?
A)Many would be left without enough to support them.
B)Caps to these program would undermine the welfare state.
C)It can cost them votes.
D)Both are primary social safety nets.
Q3) How does the American welfare state compare to those of other industrialized nations?
A)Much less is allocated to welfare in the United States.
B)Other nations allocate less to welfare than the United States.
C)The United States allocates about the same to welfare.
D)Few nations besides the United States maintain funds for welfare.
Q4) Some analysts call the federal __________ the best welfare program because it encourages people to work their way out of poverty.
Page 18
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 17: Violence and Revolution
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/37984
Sample Questions
Q1) As Russia was losing to Germany in World War II, the tsarist state collapsed, giving Lenin's small Bolshevik party a chance to grab power.
A)True
B)False
Q2) In the "extremists take over" stage of revolution, even revolutionary comrades who are deemed to have strayed from the True path are __________.
Q3) By the 1980s, many radical countries were trying to __________ their revolutionary systems.
A)crush
B)spread to other nations
C)back out of
D)further
Q4) Terrorism is difficult to fight because it falls between war and __________.
Q5) What is it that many experts believe could be the only solution to the problem of Islamist terrorism?
A)Infiltration of terrorist groups by covert operators
B)Totalitarian rule
C)Modernization
D)Pacification through military action
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 19
Chapter 18: International Relations
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/37985
Sample Questions
Q1) Distinguish between President Johnson's ability to govern domestic and foreign affairs.
A)Johnson was a master at generating foreign policy, but could almost never get a bill through congress.
B)Johnson authored a great deal of foreign and domestic legislation, little of which actually became law.
C)Johnson's foreign policy skills were quite keen, though Vietnam is seen as his greatest failure.
D)Johnson successfully implemented domestic policy, but made little headway in terms of foreign affairs.
Q2) Iraq's weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) were dismantled under UN supervision in the 1990s, but President Bush, convinced the country had revived its WMD programs, removed Iraq's weapons in 2003.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The Cold War created a __________ system that was clear but dangerous: the Western allies against the Soviets.
Q4) How can globalization sometimes breed resentment?
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 20