Political Theory
Pre-Test Questions
Course Introduction
Political Theory explores fundamental questions about government, power, justice, liberty, and the role of individuals in society. The course examines classical and contemporary texts and ideas, tracing the evolution of political thought from ancient to modern times. Students engage with key concepts such as rights, equality, democracy, and authority through analysis of influential thinkers including Plato, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Rousseau, Marx, and Rawls. Through critical discussion and written assignments, the course fosters the skills needed to evaluate political arguments and understand their relevance in addressing contemporary social and ethical issues.
Recommended Textbook
Political Science An Introduction 13th Edition by Michael G. Roskin
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1439 Verified Questions
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Chapter 1: Politics and Political Science
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Sample Questions
Q1) Corruption involves using public office for private gain.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) The famous Milgram study that asked subjects to administer pretend electrical shocks is associated with what explanation of power?
A)Biological
B)Psychological
C)Cultural
D)Rational
Answer: B
Q3) Which of the following statements would best reflect the views of German Philosopher Hegel?
A)Sometimes elections are impossible to predict.
B)Politicians behave in an irrational manner.
C)Political Science can be useful in explaining why people vote a certain way.
D)Predicting political outcomes is usually random.
Answer: C
Q4) A leader is said to have __________ when he or she can get others to obey them.
Answer: authority
Page 3
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Chapter 2: Theories
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Sample Questions
Q1) __________ favor social and economic change to help the poor.
A)Conservatives
B)Leftists
C)Bourgeoisie
D)Zeitgeists
Answer: B
Q2) If __________ were alive, he might suggest that poor academic performance in schools could be attributed to a society that does not promote education and provides few resources devoted to schools.
A)John Locke
B)Jean-Jacques Rousseau
C)Thomas Hobbes
D)Machiavelli
Answer: B
Q3) Rational-choice theorists argue that behavior cannot be predicted.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q4) Hobbes imagined a __________ society.
Answer: civil
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Chapter 3: Political Ideologies
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Sample Questions
Q1) According to Marx, which of the following would be a utopia?
A)Clearer class divisions
B)Life where benefits are provided equally
C)The triumph of capitalism
D)Little power for the proletariat
Answer: B
Q2) The Communist Manifesto was written by __________.
A)Edmund Burke
B)John Locke
C)Karl Marx
D)T)H. Green
Answer: C
Q3) Which of the following assisted Germany and Italy in their war efforts?
A)Disenchantment with socialism
B)Appeals to the citizens based on extreme nationalistic views
C)Unequal distribution of resources domestically and abroad
D)A revolt against the dominant world powers
Answer: B
Q4) China's new ideological deployments might best be termed __________.
Answer: authoritarian capitalism
Page 5
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Chapter 4: States
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Q1) Which of the following might lead you to believe Great Britain has a quasi-unitary system of government?
A)Scotland has gained autonomy over some policy areas.
B)Scotland remains under British control on all matters.
C)Great Britain has a federal system of government.
D)Great Britain has a confederal system of government.
Q2) Based on what you know, which of the following is likely the case for Swiss cantons?
A)Cantons can be altered by the central government.
B)Cantons are only found near the capital.
C)Cantons have a significant amount of autonomy.
D)Cantons only have those powers granted to them by the central government.
Q3) Political institutions are the working structures of government.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Differentiate between primary and secondary sources? What are potential drawbacks of some sources?
Q5) Contrast unitary and federal systems of government.Identify a strength and weakness of each system.
Q6) What are some advantages of America's federal system of government?
Page 6
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Chapter 5: Constitutions and Rights
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Sample Questions
Q1) How do American free speech rights compare to European nations?
A)In America, free speech rights are more extensive than in Europe.
B)In America, free speech rights are less extensive than in Europe.
C)In America, free speech rights are about the same than in Europe.
D)In America, free speech is prohibited unless it presents a "Clear and Present Danger."
Q2) The right to vote is usually viewed as a(n) __________ right.
A)human
B)civil
C)economic
D)natural
Q3) Based on your text, which provision might be in Germany's constitution?
A)Guaranteed support for private schools
B)Limitations on government involvement in economic matters
C)Limitations on government involvement in social matters
D)Provisions that provide support for the unemployed
Q4) Explain the debate over multiculturalism.
Q5) __________ is the unwillingness of judges to overturn statutes passed by the legislature.
Q6) Distinguish between constitutions and statutes.
Page 7
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Chapter 6: Regimes
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Q1) The collapse of Communist regimes shows the role of the __________ in a Negative sense.
A)middle classes
B)dictator
C)church
D)economy
Q2) The U.S.congress reluctantly voted for the 2008 and 2009 financial bailouts, as opinion ran against those bailouts, abandoning the __________ theory to act as trustees for the public good.
Q3) Oil exports retard democracy because they concentrate __________ in the hands of a few.
A)wealth and power
B)knowledge and wealth
C)power and knowledge
D)ideology and wealth
Q4) What happened to democracy in formerly colonized nations after World War II?
A)Democracy was relatively quickly replaced by authoritarianism.
B)Democracy flourished.
C)Libertarianism quickly replaced democracy.
D)Religious political movements began to strongly flavor democracy.
Page 8
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Chapter 7: Political Culture
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Sample Questions
Q1) The ability to function in business and governance using only one language has contributed to China's recent economic growth.
A)True
B)False
Q2) What source of socialization works through the use of parades with flags and soldiers, proclamations of top leaders, and hosting prestigious sporting events such as the Olympics?
A)Government
B)Civil society
C)Education
D)Powerful subculture
Q3) There are differences among ethnic, religious, and regional groups, even among __________ Americans.
Q4) What are the two sides of the "culture wars" in America, and why does such a schism exist?
Q5) The rule of anticipated reactions theory explains why U.S.voter turnout is the lowest of all industrialized democracies.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 8: Public Opinion
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Q1) There is no __________ to control(ling) the broadcasting of polls.
A)constitutionally legal way, to date
B)desire among citizens
C)way, at all
D)benefit
Q2) How does the manner or way of asking questions impact polling?
Q3) Some nations, like France, bar publishing polls for two days before and during election day.
A)True
B)False
Q4) What is the main idea of a country's outlying regions' relationship with the capital?
Those outlying regions usually __________.
A)attempt to align themselves with the capital's policies
B)find themselves inundated with city-dwellers looking for work
C)fail entirely to communicate with the capital
D)harbor resentment against the capital
Q5) What are the three aspects of Almond's "three publics," and why are they of significance?
Q6) A "God gap" was brought into U.S.politics by the rise of the __________.
Q7) What is the relationship between public opinion and ignorance/knowledge?
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Chapter 9: Political Communication
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Sample Questions
Q1) Why is there little coverage by any entity other than the elite media of likely international trouble spots?
Q2) Republicans often claim the media maintains a liberal bias; radicals argue that the media defers to the president and large corporations.The media's exhaustive coverage of President Clinton and the Monica Lewinsky affair suggests that __________.
A)only left-leaning institutions come under media scrutiny
B)only radical institutions come under media scrutiny
C)conservative institutions primarily come under media scrutiny
D)most institutions, left or right, eventually come under media scrutiny
Q3) China employs tens of thousands of social-media watchers and arrests critical bloggers, but Chinese people take pride in freeware that allows them to jump the
Q4) "Taking Heads" provide a sense of personality and credibility by __________.
A)disseminating memorable slogans
B)relaying political information to viewers
C)appearing calm and collected in the face of a crisis
D)imitating face-to-face communication
Q5) The civil service and state __________ are particularly under covered by the media.
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Chapter 10: Interest Groups
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Sample Questions
Q1) Why is the democratic playing field uneven?
A)Some groups are rich and well-connected.
B)The relatively frequent use of violence by some groups can intimidate others.
C)Some groups give substantial amounts of money directly to the citizenry.
D)There are more working class and poor people and they regularly organize themselves to get a larger piece of the pie.
Q2) Some interest groups maintain a low profile by promoting their objectives without __________ them.
A)lobbying for
B)fully funding
C)advertising
D)openly debating
Q3) Bureaucracies have become big, and powerful, developing __________ of their own.
A)candidates
B)interests
C)political parties
D)media outlets
Q4) The appearance of __________ is a potential negative effect of interest groups playing an active role in politics.
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Chapter 11: Parties
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Q1) Which of the following would likely occur if interest groups comprised the highest form of political organization in the United States?
A)Party platforms would become more fair and balanced than they are today.
B)The nation would maintain a more well-rounded view of campaign issues.
C)Voters would become disenfranchised as the number of candidates diminished.
D)There would be few overarching values that could command nationwide support.
Q2) As Schattschneider argues, Washington becomes "a punching bag for every special and local interest in the nation" because __________.
A)U)S. parties are so decentralized that they cannot agree on a strong national platform
B)U)S. parties are so rigidly centralized that they cannot agree on a clear party platform
C)party platforms are so erringly unclear
D)a weakened executive branch fails to control its own party in congress
Q3) Today's voters tend to be __________ loyal to their parties than in the past.
A)more
B)less
C)similarly
D)equally
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Page 13
Chapter 12: Elections
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Clinton victories in 1992 and 1996 and the Obama victory of 2008, all based on the __________, undermine the theory of electoral realignment.
A)economy
B)military
C)right to life
D)grassroots movements
Q2) Describe those who tend to be nonvoters, and explain why they tend to be nonvoters.
Q3) 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
Q4) Fewer than 20 American adults is involved enough in politics to attend a political meeting, contribute money, or __________ a neighborhood.
Q5) How does party identification tend to evolve from childhood through adulthood? Explain your answer.
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Chapter 13: Legislatures
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Sample Questions
Q1) Evaluate the impact of absentee voting in the legislature.
A)It may indicate that the system has grown overly labyrinthine and is in need of change.
B)Absentee voting has little effect on legislative outcomes, as members who miss have no stake in the legislation being voted on.
C)It almost certainly indicates that the legislator is misrepresenting his constituents and misusing taxpayer funds.
D)It may indicate that the legislator is busy doing other important things, but may also indicate just plain laziness.
Q2) Differentiate between bicameral and unicameral systems, evaluating the benefits and detriments to each.Overall, which seems like the most effective legislative system? Provide examples from your text.
Q3) Which of the following is an effect of Congress's fragmentation into committees and subcommittees?
A)It hastens argumentation.
B)It creates interparty splits.
C)It allows representatives to ignore constituents.
D)It delays agreement.
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Chapter 14: Executives and Bureaucracies
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Q1) How long can a prime minister remain in office compared to a president? Why are executive terms established for presidents but not prime ministers? How do fixed terms place a check on presidents? Are there any downfalls to the fixed term? Does either method seem more efficient?
Q2) When a minister disagrees with government policy, they are expected to resign and return to their seats in __________.
Q3) Which country refers to its prime minister as a chancellor?
A)Italy
B)Germany
C)Britain
D)France
Q4) Examine how a chain of command betters a bureaucracy.
A)A chain of command creates a sense of uniformity and predictability within a government system.
B)A chain of command establishes tradition, which is very important to bureaucracy.
C)A chain of command is the only way for a government to operate and function properly.
D)A chain of command does not better a bureaucracy.
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Page 16
Chapter 15: Judiciaries
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Sample Questions
Q1) Developed by medieval Catholic theologians, what type of law argues that observing nature reveals God's will?
A)Natural law
B)Divine law
C)God's law
D)Higher law
Q2) Strong-willed U.S.presidents have resisted the authority of the Court.Which of the following presidents notably disagreed with the Court's decisions?
A)Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, and Abraham Lincoln
B)Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan
C)John F. Kennedy, Gerald Ford, and Jimmy Carter
D)Ulysses S. Grant, William McKinley, and Calvin Coolidge
Q3) Consider the process by which the U.S.Supreme Court gained the power of judicial review.Does this power, as some founding fathers argued, upset the balance of powers? Cite specific examples to determine whether or not today's Court reveals any bias, and whether or not that bias negatively affects citizens' rights.
Q4) Unlike British courts, European ones are influenced by the French __________, and thus do not maintain separate criminal and civil divisions.
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Page 17
Chapter 16: Political Economy
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Sample Questions
Q1) Investigate the possible outcome of sequestration had it taken place in 2013.
A)Spending cuts would have pulled from social welfare programs, allowing Republicans to reform entitlements.
B)The defense budget would have taken a major hit, as increased spending and decreased taxes led the government to seek investments elsewhere.
C)New tax hikes would have taken money from the ultra-rich and redistributed it among the working class.
D)The sudden tax increases and simultaneous spending cuts would likely have produced a "double-dip" recession just as the U.S. was coming out of the first.
Q2) President Clinton's 1996 entitlement reforms gave welfare recipients two years to get off government assistance.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Identify the major critique of workfare programs.
A)They fail to adequately locate jobs for the people they train.
B)They leave the government with unnecessary deficits.
C)They are more expensive than traditional welfare programs.
D)They drain the resources of potential employers.
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Page 18
Chapter 17: Violence and Revolution
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Q1) Intellectuals tend to resent people who are richer but not as smart.
A)True
B)False
Q2) In France, the Revolution is still __________ more than two centuries later.
A)controversial
B)celebrated with unfettered zeal
C)not taught in schools
D)little talked about
Q3) The United States, generally, paid little attention to the plight of poor, inner-city whites until a series of riots took place in the late 1960s.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Until recently, in Northern Ireland, terrorists killed with bombs and bullets, as a portion of the citizenry considered the government illegitimate.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Reasoning by __________ is often mistaken, as no two situations are exactly alike.
Q6) Why is the most common response to serious domestic unrest a military takeover?
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Chapter 18: International Relations
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Q1) Which of the following statements is generally True of sovereign nations?
A)Laws allow individuals to settle grievances in court.
B)The lack of legal enforcement forces most to settle disputes on their own.
C)The spirit of the law often conflicts with the letter of the law.
D)Written law sometimes conflicts with law as it occurs in practice.
Q2) Characterize micro theories of war.
A)They view war as the result of history and geography.
B)They think of war as the consequence of the power and ambitions of states.
C)They consider culture the root cause of all war.
D)They explain war in terms of biology and psychology.
Q3) Describe the shift in American isolationism after 1941.
A)The United States witnessed a strong increase in isolationist tendencies.
B)Congress attempted to block the executive's power to wage war.
C)Most Americans began favoring strong involvement in world affairs.
D)The nation curbed its international reach to pacify East Asian allies.
Q4) In theory, what is the role of foreign powers in relation to sovereign states?
A)Foreign nations maintain satellite rule.
B)Foreign powers "keep their fingers" in the sovereign's politics.
C)Foreign states have no business intruding on sovereign affairs.
D)Foreign powers provide financial aid in times of crisis.
Page 20
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