Contemporary Comparative Politics
Midterm Exam
Course Introduction
Contemporary Comparative Politics explores the systematic study and analysis of political systems, institutions, and processes across countries in the modern era. The course introduces students to key theoretical frameworks and methodological tools for comparing political dynamics globally, focusing on themes such as democratization, political culture, governance, policy-making, and social movements. By examining case studies from diverse regions, students gain insights into the similarities and differences that shape political outcomes in varying contexts. The course encourages critical thinking about current global challenges, including authoritarian resurgence, populism, and the impact of globalization on state structures and civil society.
Recommended Textbook
Introduction to Comparative Politics 6th Edition by Mark Kesselman\
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Introducing Comparative Politics
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Q1) In comparative politics, the term state refers to
A) subnational units of government like Missouri.
B) the total area of a country.
C) the key political institutions in a country.
D) the government in power in a country.
E) a group of people with a common ethnicity.
Answer: C
Q2) A critical juncture is
A) a period of economic instability.
B) an important historical moment when political actors make decisions that shape institutions and future outcomes.
C) an event that triggers a war or revolution.
D) when the leadership of a country changes.
E) the border between two traditionally hostile countries.
Answer: B
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Chapter 2: Britain
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Q1) Which of the following is TRUE of the Liberal Democrats?
A) They are insignificant in British politics.
B) They are emerging as an alternative to the two major parties.
C) They have won the prime minister position once since World War II.
D) They alternate power with the two major parties.
E) They are a socialist party.
Answer: B
Q2) Electoral reforms introduced by the coalition government will
A) make positions in the House of Lords fully elected.
B) make the position of prime minister a directly elected position.
C) stagger elections for the House of Commons, so that only one-third is up for election at any one time.
D) establish fixed terms of four years for the regional assemblies.
E) establish a fixed term of five years for House of Commons members subject to dissolution by a majority of MPs.
Answer: E
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4
Chapter 3: France
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Q1) It is often said that the French semipresidentialist system combines both the advantages and disadvantages of presidentialism and parliamentarianism. First, describe the major features of the French system. Second, assess its relative strengths and weaknesses, paying particular attention to issues such as the balance of power (both within the executive and between the executive and legislature), representation, accountability and effectiveness. Finally, assess recent political reforms that affect this system and how these may impact on it.
Answer: Student answers may vary.
Q2) All of the following are true of the UMP party EXCEPT
A) the party's base is composed of the elderly, business executives, shopkeepers, professionals, farmers, the wealthy and the highly educated.
B) it has a socialist ideology.
C) it is the majority party in the National Assembly and the party of President Sarkozy. D) it was created to support de Gaulle's personal leadership.
E) when it was created, it incorporated many smaller parties from the center-right.
Answer: B
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Chapter 4: Germany
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Q1) Germany attained both industrial development and democracy later than its European neighbors Britain and France. What are the benefits and liabilities for Germany being an economic and political latecomer?
Q2) The official name of the German constitution is the
A) German Constitution.
B) Basic Law.
C) Founding Document.
D) Bonn Constitution.
E) Constitution of the Unified Lander of Germany.
Q3) In his kulturkampf, Bismarck sought to
A) remove Germany's education and cultural institutions from the Catholic Church and place them under the state.
B) transform Germany into a democracy.
C) extend Germany's colonial empire.
D) strengthen Germany's defenses.
E) minimize state interference in the country's economy.
Q4) Assess the statement that the move towards a five-party system has disrupted the way German political parties traditionally go about their business.
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Chapter 5: Japan
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Q1) Between 1955 and 2009, all but three of Japan's prime ministers came from the
A) Liberal Democratic Party.
B) Social Democratic Party.
C) Democratic Party of Japan.
D) Republican Party of Japan.
E) Liberal Party.
Q2) The 1960 political episode that brought down the Liberal Democrat government of Kishi Nobusuke involved the government's decision to
A) allow the United States to base nuclear weapons in the country.
B) seek membership in the anti-communist U.S.-dominated Asian-Pacific Defense Pact
C) seek closer ties to the Soviet Union.
D) publicly apologize to China for the "rape of Nanking."
E) continue to allow U.S. troops to be stationed in Japan.
Q3) The term "twisted" Diet refers to
A) no party being able to form a governing coalition.
B) different parties having control of the two houses of parliament.
C) the convoluted rules process in the parliament.
D) the upside down authority between the parliament and the executive.
E) numerous parties winning seats and thus leading to unstable coalitions.
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Page 7
Chapter 6: India
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Q1) Which fundamental contradiction is embedded in India's constitution?
A) Civil rights versus the need to protect order
B) Democratic governance versus authoritarian institutions
C) Presidents versus prime ministers
D) Parliamentary sovereignty versus judicial review
E) Religious freedom versus caste protection
Q2) Which of the following does NOT explain the conflict in Kashmir?
A) Indo-Pakistani relations
B) India's undemocratic practices in Kashmir
C) British politics of divide and rule
D) Kashmir's strategic location
E) The presence of a mixture of Hindu and Muslim populations in Kashmir
Q3) The Communist Party of India
A) advocates nationalization of key industries and a return to centralized economic planning.
B) is a loosely organized party with little discipline among its members.
C) has never managed to be a significant political force.
D) is a social democratic party.
E) is a social federalist party.
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Page 8
Chapter 7: The United States
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Q1) Distributive policies
A) take resources from one group and allocates them to a more disadvantaged group.
B) tend to receive less public support than do redistributive policies.
C) are exemplified by programs that help the poor.
D) tend to receive more public support than do redistributive policies.
E) All of the above statements are true.
Q2) Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A) A key American economic principle is that economic success is tied to a free market.
B) Government intervention in economic matters is limited by its commitment to the principle of laissez-faire.
C) U.S. policymakers have tended to cede power to private actors who are not necessarily concerned with the impact of their activities upon the broader economy.
D) In comparison to other advanced democracies, the United States has a freer market.
E) All of the above statements are true.
Q3) Who votes and who does not in the United States? What are the implications of this for American democracy?
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Chapter 8: Russia
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Q1) It may be argued that history has had a tremendous negative effect on Russia's political transition. Citing specific examples, illustrate how several historical factors have inhibited the development of democracy in Russia.
Q2) Which of the following is NOT true?
A) Despite privatization, public or semipublic ownership of firms continues in some economic sectors including television, energy, and telecommunications.
B) While private clinics and hospitals have emerged, a state-run system of medical care is still in place.
C) A large portion of the country's housing is municipally owned.
D) Russia's universities remain largely public institutions funded chiefly through the state.
E) The executives of most public and semipublic institutions, especially those in the economic sector, are appointed through politically independent boards.
Q3) How have Russian leaders adapted their country's policies to their country's loss of superpower status? What have been the main policy directions Russia has taken to forge a new international role for itself?
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Chapter 9: Brazil
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Q1) Which of the following is TRUE of Brazil?
A) It is larger than the continental United States.
B) Its population is concentrated in the southern and southeastern regions.
C) It is rich in natural resources, including oil, and arable land.
D) It occupies about two-thirds of South America.
E) All of the above statements are true.
Q2) The policy that led to the transition from military to democratic rule was called
A) glasnost.
B) "the great awakening".
C) abertura.
D) coronelismo.
E) machismo.
Q3) Which of the following types of civil society groups is NOT seen in Brazil?
A) Organizations promoting women's rights
B) Organizations promoting the rights of indigenous peoples
C) Organizations dedicated to addressing racial discrimination
D) Professional associations
E) Nongovernmental organizations
Q4) Discuss how the Brazilian state is a mixture of professionalism and clientelism.
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Chapter 10: Mexico
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Q1) Which of the following is TRUE?
A) Amerindians comprise the largest group in Mexico.
B) The largest indigenous group in Mexico are the Aztecs.
C) Although about 30 percent of Mexicans claim Amerindian descent, only about 6 percent speak an indigenous language other than Spanish.
D) One of the country's largest indigenous groups, the Maya, live primarily in the central regions of Mexico.
E) None of the above statements is true.
Q2) Emiliano Zapata's plan for agrarian reform, which became a cornerstone of the 1917 Constitution, was called the Plan de ______________.
A) Cientificos
B) Ejidatorios
C) Tierra
D) Ayala
E) Zapata
Q3) In what ways does the actual distribution of power differ from the model outlined in the Constitution? What are the main reasons for such discrepancies? How has the ongoing democratization progress affected such discrepancies?
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Chapter 11: South Africa
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Q1) The post-apartheid regime has sought to pay greater attention to environmental concerns. This is indicated by all of the following EXCEPT
A) "co-management" agreements between historically dispossessed communities and the National Parks Board.
B) plans to build a new nuclear reactor about 30 miles from Cape Town in order to provide cleaner energy.
C) tighter regulations on the mining industry.
D) opening up fishing grounds to impoverished villages so long as they keep the size of their catches within sustainable limits.
E) the inclusion of specific clauses in the constitution concerning environmental health and ecological sustainability.
Q2) The Democratic Party/Democratic Alliance (DA)
A) was formed in 1990 when the Progressives absorbed a group of breakaway Inkatha parliamentarians.
B) has positioned itself as the party of business and free enterprise.
C) made its electoral gains at the expense of smaller parties , like the ANC.
D) supports Afrikaner irredentism.
E) is the governing party of East Cape Town.
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Page 13
Chapter 12: Nigeria
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Q1) Clientelism is the practice by which a particular group receives disproportionate policy benefits or political favors from a political patron, usually at the expense of the larger society. In Nigeria, patrons are typically linked to clients by any of the following ties EXCEPT
A) ethnicity.
B) culture.
C) religion.
D) ideology.
E) All of the above represent ties through which patrons and clients are tied together in Nigeria.
Q2) The rise of multiethnic parties in the Fourth Republic has had what kind of effect?
A) It has forced elites to bargain and compromise.
B) It has widened the circle of corruption.
C) It has eased ethnic tensions.
D) It has increased the national appeal of parties.
E) It has had all of these effects.
Q3) Since the 1970s, Nigeria's economy has been dominated by the export of a single product. What have been the political and economic impacts, both negative and positive, of this?
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Page 14
Chapter 13: Iran
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Q1) How many political prisoners were executed in the first two decades of the Islamic Republic?
A) 500
B) 5000
C) 10,000
D) 20,000
E) 25,000
Q2) The leader of the Islamic Revolution was
A) Reza Shah
B) The Ayatollah Khomeini.
C) Muhammad Mosaddeq.
D) Mehdi Bazargan.
E) Mahud Ahmadinejad.
Q3) When describing the legislature, the constitution uses the term qanun (statutes) rather than shari'a (divine law) to
A) distinguish between civil and family law.
B) distinguish between religious and civil law.
C) distinguish between Islamic law and western law.
D) compromise between hardliners and reformists.
E) gloss over the issue of whether laws come from God or the people.
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Chapter 14: China
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Q1) The National People's Congress, China's legislature
A) is directly elected by voters and provides an important check on the Chinese Communist Party.
B) has recently become more influential in the country's political process but remains basically a rubber stamp for policies decided by the top leaders of the Chinese Communist Party.
C) has not met for several years because the Chinese Communist Party considers it a threat.
D) consists solely of members of the Chinese Communist Party, none of whom ever dissent from the party line.
E) is the most important source for policy in the Chinese government.
Q2) All of the following were important parts of the economic reforms launched by Den Xiaoping EXCEPT
A) a growth of the role of private industry.
B) reducing the role of the state in the economy.
C) a large increase in foreign trade and investment.
D) the abolition of all state-owned enterprises.
E) Xiaoping policies included all of the above.
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