Democracy and Authoritarianism
Exam Materials
Course Introduction
This course explores the fundamental differences between democratic and authoritarian forms of governance, examining their historical origins, ideological underpinnings, and the mechanisms through which power is acquired, maintained, and contested. Students will analyze case studies from around the world to understand how various political, social, and economic factors contribute to the emergence and persistence of democracies and autocracies. Key topics include political institutions, rule of law, civil liberties, the role of the military, leadership dynamics, and citizen participation. Through critical readings and discussions, the course also considers contemporary challenges facing both systems, such as populism, technology, and shifting global power structures.
Recommended Textbook
Essentials of Comparative Politics Fifth Edition by Patrick H. ONeil
Available Study Resources on Quizplus 11 Chapters
385 Verified Questions
385 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/2403 Page 2
Chapter 1: Introduction
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
35 Verified Questions
35 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/47788
Sample Questions
Q1) The substance of politics is inevitably bound up in the struggle between:
A)individual freedom and collective equality.
B)individual rights and collective responsibilities.
C)equality of opportunities and equality of outcomes.
D)liberty versus security.
E)revolutionary versus evolutionary change.
Answer: A
Q2) In which of the following ways did behavioralism differ from modernization theory?
A)It was more of a method than a general hypothesis.
B)It was more in touch with real-world concerns than theory.
C)It put less of an emphasis on empirical research.
D)It demonstrated a more narrow geographic range of interest.
E)It put greater emphasis on the evolution of political institutions.
Answer: A
Q3) How strongly is democracy institutionalized in your country? Has its level of institutionalization changed over time, and how difficult would it be to de-institutionalize democracy? What formal structures support its institutionalization?
Answer: Answer :Answers will vary.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 3
Chapter 2: States
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
35 Verified Questions
35 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/47789
Sample Questions
Q1) The shorthand term for the combination of regime, state, and government is:
A)nation.
B)people.
C)country.
D)territory.
E)federalism.
Answer: C
Q2) Thomas Hobbes believed that people gave up their rights to the coercive power of the state in order to:
A)seek greater equality between peoples.
B)have the power to elect their leaders.
C)gain religious freedom.
D)escape anarchy.
E)escape authoritarianism.
Answer: D
Q3) How is power typically divided in a federal system? What conditions in a country are most likely to lead to a system of asymmetric federalism?
Answer: Answer :Answers will vary.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 4
Chapter 3: Nations and Society
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
35 Verified Questions
35 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/47790
Sample Questions
Q1) Why might the term patriotic fail to characterize the Palestinian people?
A)Palestinians have a very low sense of national identity, a core component of patriotism.
B)Patriotism refers to pride in one's state, and Palestinians lack a formal state.
C)Palestinians have low levels of ethnic cohesion, a core component of patriotism.
D)Patriotism refers to the pursuit of sovereignty, which most Palestinians believe to be an impossibility for their people.
E)Most Palestinians have rejected formal citizenship in their state in the name of political protest.
Answer: B
Q2) Ethnic identity can be defined as:
A)a set of institutions that bind people together through a common culture.
B)a set of biological elements that separate people by race.
C)a set of linguistic differences between otherwise similar people.
D)a set of economic differences interconnected with cultural values.
E)geographic differences between people.
Answer: A
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 4: Political Economy
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
35 Verified Questions
35 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/47791
Sample Questions
Q1) Social democracy can be defined as a system that:
A)attempts to balance freedom and equality.
B)favors equality over freedom.
C)favors freedom over equality.
D)opposes both freedom and equality.
E)favors environmental concerns over freedom and equality.
Q2) In the United States, the government cannot take a citizen's property without just cause and compensation.This is an example of:
A)democracy.
B)capitalism.
C)a property right.
D)a weak state.
E)social democracy.
Q3) The Gini index is one way that social scientists measure:
A)total national wealth.
B)the amount of economic inequality in a society.
C)the environmental impact of development.
D)the distribution of public goods.
E)public health relative to national wealth.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 6
Chapter 5: Democratic Regimes
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
35 Verified Questions
35 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/47792
Sample Questions
Q1) The ability of constitutional courts to strike down legislation even in the absence of a specific court case is known as ________ review.
A)abstract
B)concrete
C)hypothetical
D)preemptive
E)proactive
Q2) In which of the following ways does a parliamentary system differ from a presidential one?
A)Prime ministers serve for shorter fixed terms than presidents.
B)Prime ministers must command a majority to stay in office; presidents do not.
C)Election dates are more easily altered in presidential systems than in parliamentary systems.
D)Presidents are more easily removed from office than prime ministers.
E)Prime ministers are directly elected by the people, while presidents must be elected indirectly through an electoral college.
Q3) Why might a country develop or choose a semi-presidential system? How do the power, office, and responsibilities of the president and prime minister differ in such a system?
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 7
Chapter 6: Nondemocratic Regimes
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
35 Verified Questions
35 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/47793
Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following statements about one-party rule is accurate?
A)It forces party membership on nearly all citizens.
B)It is often combined with a corporatist regime.
C)It typically prevents the development of extreme forms of rule like totalitarianism.
D)It is most often associated with theocracy.
E)Single-party influence is rarely able to penetrate very far down into society.
Q2) Stalin's rule in the Soviet Union is mostly associated with which of the following concepts?
A)patrimonialism
B)rational-legal legitimacy
C)bureaucratic authoritarianism
D)personality cult
E)theocracy
Q3) What might explain why the popularity of nondemocratic rule has waned in recent decades? What could reverse this course? Why do illiberal regimes have such staying power?
Q4) Is authoritarianism a more efficient means of rule than democracy? Why or why not? Can it offer any benefits over democratic processes?
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 8
Chapter 7: Political Violence
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
35 Verified Questions
35 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/47794
Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following best represents the relationship between fundamentalism and political violence?
A)Fundamentalists tend to use guerrilla warfare directed against the state instead of terrorist violence against civilians.
B)Political ideologies can be categorized as fundamentalist more easily than as religious groups.
C)Fundamentalists that seek change in the political status quo almost always resort to violence.
D)Extreme forms of fundamentalism may use violence, but it is a mistake to associate fundamentalism directly with violence.
E)Fundamentalists tend to target civilians instead of state institutions when using violence.
Q2) States most often engage in state-sponsored terrorism as a means of:
A)encouraging domestic social unrest.
B)engaging in cosmic war.
C)influencing foreign policy.
D)attacking their own people by proxy.
E)silencing political dissent.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 9
Chapter 8: Developed Democracies
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
35 Verified Questions
35 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/47795
Sample Questions
Q1) In which of the following countries is increased multiculturalism most likely to be a source of explosive fear and negative reaction?
A)the United States
B)France
C)Mexico
D)Canada
E)Australia
Q2) Many suggest that developed democracies are undergoing significant social, political, and economic changes, becoming:
A)postmodern.
B)postrational.
C)postbureaucratic.
D)posthierarchical.
E)posthuman.
Q3) Is devolution a good thing? Should more power be sent down from state to local authorities? What might be the benefits or dangers of such a policy?
Q4) Describe how devolution and integration have become the greatest forces of change in developed democracies.Give a real-world example of each process.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 10
Chapter 9: Communism and Postcommunism
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
35 Verified Questions
35 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/47796
Sample Questions
Q1) Gorbachev's perestroika was concerned with:
A)institutional economic and political reforms.
B)military disarmament.
C)devolution and federalism.
D)encouraging public debate.
E)religious freedom.
Q2) Marx argued that once socialism had triumphed, the state would eventually:
A)grow in power.
B)become highly centralized.
C)grow despotic and have to be overthrown again.
D)wither away.
E)become confederal.
Q3) The "cabinet" of the Communist Party as developed in the Soviet Union is generally known as the:
A)nomenklatura.
B)Politburo.
C)general secretary.
D)bourgeoisie.
E)glasnost.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 11
Chapter 10: Developing Countries
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
35 Verified Questions
35 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/47797
Sample Questions
Q1) Countries that are experiencing rapid economic growth and democratization are generally known as ________ countries.
A)newly developing
B)middle income
C)less-developed
D)peripheral
E)trajectory
Q2) Inequality under imperialism was exacerbated by:
A)imperial obsessions with forefronting racial differences.
B)imperial obsessions with religious differences and conversion.
C)imperial obsessions with mass literacy.
D)imperial interest in suppressing nationalist sentiment.
E)the loss of native culture.
Q3) The untaxed, unregulated, and unprotected sector of the economy is known as the ________ economy.
A)informal
B)unrestricted
C)devolved
D)private
E)democratic
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 12
Chapter 11: Globalization and the Future of Comparative
Politics
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
35 Verified Questions
35 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/47798
Sample Questions
Q1) The experiences of the WTO in 1999 and 2008 suggest which of the following?
A)an increase in antiglobalization activism
B)the rapid weakening of state sovereignty
C)the increased power of the Internet to influence financial markets
D)the power of MNCs to derail trade liberalization talks
E)the increased power of NGOs to promote global human rights
Q2) Rather than a universal process of economic deepening across the globe, much of what we think of as globalization is simply the:
A)integration of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe into the world economy and political order since 1989.
B)integration of China into the global market.
C)liberalization of U.S.trade to allow more imports.
D)decline of oil prices.
E)rise of the Indian economy.
Q3) Will globalization overwhelm state sovereignty in the long run? Would this be a positive or negative development for the citizens in those states?
Q4) Is globalization unstoppable? What evidence suggests that it could (or could not) be reversed?
Page 13
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.