Comparative Politics Practice Exam
Course Introduction
Comparative Politics explores the systematic study and comparison of political systems from around the world. This course examines key political concepts, institutions, processes, and behavior within a variety of countries, analyzing similarities and differences among political regimes, governance structures, policy-making, and citizen participation. Through comparative analysis, students gain insights into topics such as democratization, authoritarianism, political culture, political parties, and public policy, enabling a deeper understanding of global political dynamics and the factors that shape government performance and societal outcomes.
Recommended Textbook
Politics in America 2014 Elections and Updates Edition 10th Edition by Thomas R. Dye
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18 Chapters
1885 Verified Questions
1885 Flashcards
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Politics: Who Gets What,When and How 1
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105 Verified Questions
105 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Totalitarianism differs from authoritarianism in allowing no __________.
A)elections
B)personal freedom
C)political parties
D)veto over legislation
Answer: B
Q2) What is one of the principles that make up the definition of democracy?
A)decision making by tyranny of the majority
B)equal protection under the law for every individual
C)opportunity for chosen representatives to participate in public decisions
D)the promise of equal outcomes for all
Answer: B
Q3) Which of the following governments has the MOST control over the everyday lives of its people?
A)authoritarianism
B)totalitarianism
C)a monarchy
D)a limited government
Answer: B
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Page 3
Chapter 2: Political Culture: Ideas in Conflict
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105 Verified Questions
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Sample Questions
Q1) Values are widely shared views about who should govern,for what ends,and by what means.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) Political assassinations and the forced resignation of a president are examples of conflict over fundamental values in America.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q3) __________ was the most influential political ideology in the founding of the United States.
A)Classical liberalism
B)Conservatism
C)Populism
D)Socialism
Answer: A
Q4) Class conflict is not widespread in America because of a general belief in social __________.
Answer: mobility
Page 4
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Chapter 3: The Constitution: Limiting Governmental Power
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105 Verified Questions
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Sample Questions
Q1) Under the Articles of Confederation,Congress relied on ________ as a major source of funding.
A)foreign loans
B)loans from wealthy patriot investors
C)income taxes
D)sales tax
Answer: B
Q2) State ratifying conventions have been used only once,for the Twenty-First Amendment's repeal of Prohibition.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q3) Which of the following plans proposed proportional representation in both the House of Representatives and the Senate?
A)Ohio
B)Virginia
C)New Jersey
D)Massachusetts
Answer: B
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Page 5
Chapter 4: Federalism: Dividing Governmental Power
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105 Verified Questions
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Sample Questions
Q1) The power to regulate commerce within a state belongs to the __________ government(s).
Q2) Which of the following did Roosevelt's Aid to Families with Dependent Children create for low-income mothers and children?
A)a federal entitlement to health care
B)a federal entitlement to welfare
C)an unfunded mandate for school choice
D)an unfunded mandate for housing assistance
Q3) Federal mandates are direct judicial orders requiring state governments to comply with the Constitution.
A)True
B)False
Q4) In the 1980s and 1990s,the Republican Party led calls for __________,which demanded that the national government return administrative authority to state governments.
A)nullification
B)devolution
C)interposition
D)secession
Q5) Explain two problems of competitive federalism.
Page 6
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Chapter 5: Opinion and Participation: Thinking and Acting in Politics
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Sample Questions
Q1) What is the essential link between opinion and policy?
A)party affiliation
B)personal persistence
C)political knowledge
D)political participation
Q2) When did Congress outlaw literacy tests altogether as a prerequisite to voter registration?
A)1870
B)1954
C)1970
D)1990
Q3) What was the aim of the 15th Amendment?
A)to make it unlawful for registrars to apply unequal standards in voter registration procedures
B)to make it unlawful for registrars to reject applications because of immaterial errors
C)to extend the vote to former African American slaves without property
D)to extend the vote to former African American slaves and prohibit voter discrimination on the basis of race
Q4) Trace the expansion of the right to vote.
Page 7
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Chapter 6: Mass Media: Setting the Political Agenda
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105 Verified Questions
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Internet was deliberately designed to __________.
A)rigidly control which computers could connect to it
B)require computer expertise to communicate
C)be controlled by a handful of media elites
D)operate without any central authority or organization
Q2) How does political polarization of the media impact our political system?
Q3) Political conflict is mostly carried out in __________.
A)Congress
B)caucuses
C)local political debate
D)the mass media
Q4) __________ protect reports from being forced to reveal their sources.
A)Shield laws
B)Equal-time rules
C)Prior restraint laws
D)Sullivan rules
Q5) Public awareness of a candidate is often referred to as __________ recognition.
Q6) Although the new forms of media are challenging it,___________ is still the most powerful communication medium.
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Chapter 7: Political Parties: Organizing Politics
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Sample Questions
Q1) In some countries,legislative bodies are elected by __________ representation,whereby all voters cast a single ballot for their party of choice and legislative seats are apportioned to the parties based on the percentage of votes their party gained compared to the total votes cast.
Q2) According to Figure 7.10,activists in the Democratic Party today are most likely to be identified as __________.
A)liberal
B)moderate
C)conservative
D)independent
Q3) What key issue led to the dissolution of the Whig party?
A)malfeasance in office
B)the Mexican-American War
C)post-Civil War Reconstruction
D)slavery in the South
Q4) Which of these is the best example of a single-issue party?
A)the Prohibition Party
B)the Reform Party
C)the Bull Moose Party
D)the American Independent Party
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Chapter 8: Campaigns and Elections: Deciding Who
Governs
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105 Verified Questions
105 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) A(n)__________ is the perception of popular support for a program or policy based on the margin of electoral victory won by a candidate who proposed it during a campaign.
Q2) Party affiliation is more important in presidential elections than in congressional elections.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Voters go to precincts and straw vote for the presidential nominee in which caucus state?
A)New Hampshire
B)Iowa
C)Florida
D)Texas
Q4) Incumbents are people who are __________.
A)challenging the person holding the office
B)entering politics for the first time
C)elected for the first time
D)seeking reelection
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Q5) What kinds of campaign finance receive little or no scrutiny?
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Chapter 9: Interest Groups: Getting Their Share and More
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Sample Questions
Q1) In the early 20th century,the main focus of most women's organizations was to
A)obtain the vote
B)change divorce laws
C)make abortion legal
D)demand equal pay
Q2) How does grassroots lobbying differ from other efforts by interest groups to influence governmen?
A)Grassroots lobbying focuses on cultivating relationships with elected officials more than other forms of advocacy.
B)Grassroots lobbying is more effective than other forms of advocacy.
C)Grassroots lobbying is more heavily regulated than other forms of advocacy.
D)Grassroots lobbying focuses on influencing public opinion to support groups' goals more than other forms of advocacy.
Q3) According to the theory of __________,political power is distributed across a wide range of diverse and competing interest groups.
Q4) One way that interest groups can influence court cases they are interested in is by filing a(n)__________ or friend of the court brief.
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Page 11
Chapter 10: Congress: Politics on Capitol Hill
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104 Verified Questions
104 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) In the House of Representatives,the __________ decides who will speak on the floor and rules on points of order.
A)majority leader
B)majority whip
C)minority leader
D)Speaker
Q2) The presiding officer of the Senate is the vice president; in the vice president's absence,however,the __________ presides.
A)the majority whip
B)the majority leader
C)the minority whip
D)the president pro tempore
Q3) You are a freshman member of the House of Representatives and want to represent your district to the best of your ability.You know that being on the right committee is crucial.What committee(s)would you most like to be on,and why? When and how might you become chair? What advantages will being on a committee offer you and your constituents? With what obstacles will you have to contend? Be sure to consider how your particular district affects your choices.
Q4) A lesser punishment in the Congress than expulsion is official __________.
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Chapter 11: The President: White House Politics
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104 Verified Questions
104 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following includes the president's closest aides and advisers?
A)White House staff
B)the armed forces
C)the Cabinet
D)Executive Office of the President
Q2) Which president is associated with the founding of the nation?
A)Benjamin Franklin
B)George Washington
C)John Quincy Adams
D)Patrick Henry
Q3) Refer to the "What Do You Think?" box on page 414.Which is an example of a highly subjective key?
A)The incumbent hasn't experienced a major scandal.
B)The incumbent party's candidate has charisma.
C)The incumbent administration did not have any major failure in foreign affairs.
D)There is not a significant third-party challenge.
Q4) George Washington's nurturing of patriots living behind British lines to supply him with information on Redcoat troop movements is an example of a(n)__________ activity.
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Chapter 12: The Bureaucracy: Bureaucratic Politics
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Sample Questions
Q1) In recent years,privatization and outsourcing has __________.
A)increased at the federal level
B)decreased at the federal level
C)decreased at the state level
D)received greater public support
Q2) __________ refers to the authority of administrators in the federal bureaucracy to make choices concerning the best way to implement policies and spend money.
A)Adjudication
B)Discretion
C)Division of labor
D)Independence
Q3) Cabinet departments employ about what percentage of all federal workers?
A)20 percent
B)40 percent
C)60 percent
D)80 percent
Q4) Should federal bureaucrats be granted discretion in the implementation of public policies?
Q5) The president appoints,but cannot dismiss,officials who serve on __________.
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Chapter 13: Courts Judicial Politics
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Sample Questions
Q1) What are the two types of jurisdiction courts can have?
A)original and appellate
B)trial and appeals
C)constitutional and statutory
D)active and restrained
Q2) How many levels does the federal judiciary have?
A)two
B)six
C)four
D)three
Q3) The __________ Act of 1789 established the basic three-tiered structure of the federal court system.
A)Federal Courts
B)Appellate
C)Confirmation
D)Judiciary
Q4) __________ are cases brought into court by individuals on behalf of not only themselves but also of all other persons "similarly situated."
Q5) What do presidents look for in selecting a Supreme Court justice?
Q6) The circuit courts hear appeals from the __________ courts.
Page 15
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Chapter 14: Politics and Personal Liberty
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Sample Questions
Q1) The __________ Court,named after the Chief Justice presiding over the U.S.Supreme Court at the time,supported laws that deterred police misconduct.
A)Burger
B)Rehnquist
C)Warren
D)Kennedy
Q2) The preferred position means that First Amendment freedoms should only be abridged with great reluctance.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The exclusionary rule prohibits police from using illegally seized evidence at trial.
A)True
B)False
Q4) What did Abington School District v.Schempp find to be unconstitutional?
A)state-mandated Bible reading
B)forced sterilization
C)segregated education
D)discrimination against homosexuals
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Page 16
Chapter 15: Politics and Civil Rights
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Sample Questions
Q1) __________ upheld the right of private individuals-but not government-to discriminate in the provision of public accommodations.
Q2) The Supreme Court's decision in Lawrence v.Texas (2003)primarily enhanced the civil liberties of __________.
A)African Americans
B)Asians
C)American Indians
D)gays and lesbians
Q3) Which of the following accurately describes de facto segregation in the United States?
A)De facto segregation is now fairly common.
B)De facto segregation is directly caused by official actions.
C)De facto segregation did not exist during the civil rights movement.
D)De facto segregation by gender is unconstitutional.
Q4) Referring to the feature boxes,"Who's Getting What? The Stonewall Riots" and "The Game,the Rules,the Players: African American Politics in Historical Perspective," demonstrate how the pre-Stonewall gay rights movement compares to the approach to civil rights for blacks espoused by Booker T.Washington.
Q5) Jim Crow laws required __________ of African Americans and whites.
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Chapter 16: Politics and the Economy
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Sample Questions
Q1) In general,a recession does which of these?
A)generates a response by state governments
B)generates a response by the federal government
C)lasts at least a year
D)leads to higher inflation
Q2) What recommendations have been made to bring deficit spending under control? Which of the proposals do you think holds the most promise? Explain your rationale.
Q3) In 2008,Congress passed the ___________ to help stabilize the investment banking sector.
A)American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
B)Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
C)Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP)
D)Compromise Tax Package of 2010
Q4) Which of the following transactions would be counted in calculating the GDP?
A)a pension payment
B)a payment to Social Security
C)the purchase of a new car
D)the purchase of steel by the Ford Motor Company
Q5) The federal government uses fiscal policy when it raises ___________.
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Chapter 17: Politics and Social Welfare
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Sample Questions
Q1) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families provides funds for families in need of financial assistance.Therefore,it is considered a means-tested program.
A)True
B)False
Q2) A welfare program that contains an income eligibility threshold is likely a means-tested program.
A)True B)False
Q3) Which of the following best reflects the Republican view regarding national involvement in ensuring health care coverage?
A)Republicans have called for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act,colloquially known as Obamacare.
B)Republicans have called for improvements to the Affordable Care Act,colloquially known as Obamacare.
C)Republicans intend to replace the Affordable Care Act,colloquially known as Obamacare,with a single-payer system.
D)Republicans have avoided taking a position on health care.
Q4) Social Security payments have ___________ since the program was created.
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Chapter 18: Politics and National Security
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Sample Questions
Q1) Why was Operation Desert Storm considered a success by the American people,while Operation Iraqi Freedom was not?
A)Although President George H.W.Bush and President George W.Bush both acted unilaterally,the quick,decisive victory in Desert Storm brought approval from the American people,while the drawn-out occupation in Iraq brought disapproval.
B)President George H.W.Bush acted multilaterally and carried out the operation quickly and with few casualties,while President George W.Bush acted unilaterally and the operation became drawn out,resulting in many casualties.
C)Although far more people died during Desert Storm,most of them were Iraqi people,not U.S.military personnel,so Americans considered the operation successful.
D)President George H.W.Bush acted unilaterally in Desert Storm and the operation was quick and decisive,which made the American people feel safe,while President George W.Bush wasted time trying to secure approval,which made Americans feel their president was not a good decision maker.
Q2) U.S.foreign policy toward North Korea is largely driven by its __________ ambition.
Q3) __________ has the constitutional power to declare war.
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