Deck 1: Introduction: the Study of Politics

Question 1

What describes the moral values, beliefs, and myths people live by and are willing to die for?

A)Political culture
B)Ideology
C)Political theory
D)Polarization
E)Political science

Answer 1

A

Question 2

At a minimum, studying politics requires which of the following?

A)Knowing how the political system works
B)Understanding a country's political history
C)Gathering as much quantitative data as possible
D)Making assumptions with as little information as possible
E)Keeping an open mind

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Which of the following accurately describes the politics surrounding today's congressional elections?

A)State issues are playing an increasing role.
B)P olarization between the parties is decreasing.
C)National issues are playing an increasing role.
D)The incumbency advantage no longer impacts outcomes.
E)A campaign's finances have less to do with the electoral outcome.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following is an example of politics impacting an individual person?

A)Determining the drinking age
B)Determining antitrust regulations
C)Determining tariffs on imports and exports
D)Determining floor procedures in the House of Representatives
E)Determining the requirements of college accreditation

Question 5

Which of the following uses a strict process of creating a research design, gathering relevant data, and running statistical analysis to empirically test the hypotheses surrounding a question of interest?

A)Normative method
B)Theory of politics
C)Scientific method
D)Qualitative method
E)Fact-based reasoning

Question 6

What is the most important thing a country must consider when fostering the public's interest?

A)Civil society
B)Human nature
C)The length of a government's existence
D)The strength of a government's economy
E)Personal happiness

Question 7

Which of the following describes groups who share a common identity but no longer claim a geographic location or territory?

A)Nation
B)Nationless state
C)Stateless nation
D)Nation-state
E)State

Question 8

Which of the following is the process by which a community selects rulers and empowers them to make decisions, achieve goals, and settle disputes within the community?

A)Legislating
B)Polarization
C)Dictating
D)Democracy
E)Politics

Question 9

What does normativism use to answer political questions?

A)The scientific method
B)Moral principles
C)Previous experience
D)Statistics
E)Intuition

Question 10

Countries that have strong military capabilities possess which of the following?

A)Consent of the governed
B)Hard power
C)Legitimacy
D)Soft power
E)Economic strength

Question 11

The social contract theory maintains that individuals form a society and abide by moral obligations because of which of the following?

A)Individuals have a need for self-preservation.
B)Man is a social creature.
C)A strong leader is convincing.
D)Individuals value equality.
E)Religion operates best in the context of a larger society.

Question 12

Which of the following is considered a basic concept of politics?

A)Order
B)Security
C)Equality
D)Capitalism
E)Democracy

Question 13

If a political scientist studies the inputs and outputs of the governing process, which subfield do they fall under?

A)Public administration
B)Political economy
C)Comparative politics
D)Policy studies
E)American politics

Question 14

Which of the following is a characteristic of a country possessing a high level of liberty?

A)Ensures equality of condition
B)Most likely forms into a monarchy
C)Has a highly educated population
D)Provides the right to question whether the government is just
E)Advocates for a capitalistic economy

Question 15

What is necessary in order for a group of individuals to form into a society?

A)Shared resources
B)A powerful leader
C)A perceived threat
D)A common identity
E)Perceived inequality

Question 16

Which of the following is affected when politics shapes the circumstances impacting the daily decisions collectively made by citizens?

A)Individual rights
B)The public's interest
C)The legislative process
D)The criminal justice process
E)Globalization

Question 17

If someone possesses the ability to persuade or coerce, what do they have?

A)Order
B)Power
C)Natural rights
D)Moral superiority
E)Justice

Question 18

Who is considered the father of political science?

A)Socrates
B)Plato
C)Machiavelli
D)Aristotle
E)Hobbes

Question 19

Which of the following major subfields of political science deals with the interactions between two countries?

A)Political theory
B)Political economy
C)Comparative politics
D)Policy studies
E)International relations

Question 20

A government is seen as legitimate when which of the following occurs?

A)Their leaders are powerful and charismatic.
B)They possess implicit or explicit consent from the governed.
C)Their economies are thriving.
D)The laws governing individual behavior are minimal.
E)The majority rules.

Question 21

Which of the following questions is an empirical research question ?

A)What is the impact of increased spending on election outcomes?
B)Should felons be allowed to vote in elections?
C)When is war justified?
D)What constitutes the good life?
E)Which European country is the best?

Question 22

If a person believes it's problematic to have money as the sole source of power within a country, what could a political scientist offer as a counterargument?

A)A strong leader should be able to convince the public to follow along with their wishes.
B)Religion can serve as a source of power because of the influence it has on people's morals and values.
C)The way a country structures its government can lead to a more successful and, therefore, powerful country.
D)A powerful country should be seen as fair by its populace.
E)A country composed of a highly educated society should be powerful because they can understand politics and government.

Question 23

Someone who believes abortion should be deemed illegal because of their religious beliefs is employing what type of methodology?

A)Ideological
B)Positivism
C)Behaviorism
D)Political theory
E)Normativism

Question 24

What type of political scientist would be most interested in the voting phenomenon known as split-ticket voting?

A)Realist
B)Normativist
C)Behavioralist
D)Empiricist
E)Institutionalist

Question 25

A peer-reviewed political science journal published an article that discusses the impact a new oil distribution approach has on economic success in the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia. What subfield of political science would this study fall under?

A)Public administration
B)Comparative politics
C)International relations
D)Political theory
E)Political economy

Question 26

What example would someone use to support the hypothesis that politics exemplifies bad human nature?

A)Decreased gridlock
B)Increased polarization
C)Campaign finance limits
D)Equal representation
E)Minority rights

Question 27

Describe three factors needed for a democratic form of government to survive. In your response, detail why they are needed and the outcome(s)should they not be achieved or included.

Question 28

Explain one way in which politics can bring out the worst in human nature. In your answer, consider the example of Eichmann.

Question 29

D escribe one difference between normativism and positivism, the two major methodologies employed by political scientists. In your a nswer, consider the definition of these two methodologies and what they strive to accomplish.

Question 30

Which of the following is a complaint about the positivist methodology in political science?

A)It only addresses big, reoccurring questions without consideration of the impact of smaller issues.
B)It is too accepting of the unknown and offers solutions that are overly optimistic.
C)It is subjective and therefore does not offer a scientific view of common political issues.
D)It can only describe observable scientific facts and doesn't offer any solutions to problems.
E)It is too reliant on morals and values and does not consider them to be in flux over time.

Question 31

How can politics bring out the best in human nature? In your response, consider the actions of Oskar Schindler.

Question 32

Explain the main difference between possessing power and possessing authority. Consider in your response what each requires from those ruling and those being ruled.

Question 33

Define the concept of politics. In your definition, consider Lasswell's description of political science: "Who gets what, when, how."

Question 34

What drives big political movements?

A)Ideas
B)Power
C)Money
D)Charisma
E)Economics

Question 35

When it comes to sovereignty, describe the difference between a republican form of government and a monarchical form of government.

Question 36

If a person holding an hourly wage job was observed to vote for the same political party over and over again because that political party repeatedly voted to increase the minimum wage, what type of behavior would a political scientist attribute this to?

A)Normativism
B)Behaviorism
C)Political realism
D)Ideology
E)Rational choice