Deck 2: Comparing Political Systems

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT an example of a process function?

A)interest articulation
B)interest aggregation
C)policymaking
D)judicial restraint

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Within political science,what dictates which data you collect?

A)statistical method
B)conceptual framework
C)variables
D)theory

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The illustration of regime change in Russia reveals that

A)neither the analysis of structures,nor that of functions,is complete without the other.
B)there are inadequacies in the structural-functional approach.
C)regime change is difficult without economic development.
D)Western influence can lead to democracy.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Within a democracy,which structure would most likely perform the functions of interest articulation and interest aggregation?

A)interest groups
B)media
C)political parties
D)legislatures

Question 5

What is the unit of study when we utilize the structural-functional approach to comparative politics?

A)agencies and institutions
B)comparative politics
C)international processes
D)domestic policies

Question 6

Political scientists have come to see Nation-States as

A)the natural way to organize political systems; it is seen as an ideal.
B)a less accepted way to organize political systems; it is seen as less than ideal.
C)an offshoot of democracy.
D)an offshoot of globalization.

Question 7

All of the following are true of comparative politics EXCEPT that it

A)enhances ability to describe and understand.
B)enables the testing of hypotheses.
C)stimulates the formation of general theories.
D)leads to static analytical explanations of political phenomena.

Question 8

A conceptual framework is

A)not related to theory-building.
B)general and intersubjective.
C)generally unreliable to the study of comparative politics.
D)used to predict political phenomena with near-perfect certainty.

Question 9

The idea of comparing political systems

A)is a relatively new idea.
B)is a traditional practice.
C)was introduced between the First and Second World Wars.
D)is economically based.

Question 10

Political structures that develop,reinforce,and transform attitudes of political significance in the society are part of political

A)recruitment.
B)socialization.
C)policies.
D)economy.

Question 11

The study of comparative politics includes all of the following EXCEPT

A)description.
B)explanation.
C)implementation.
D)prediction.

Question 12

Which of the following is true about the structural-functional approach to comparative politics?

A)In different countries,similar structures must perform the same functions.
B)In different countries,similar structures cannot perform the same functions.
C)A specific institution has a monopoly on at least one function in a country.
D)In different countries,similar institutions might perform different functions.

Question 13

Prediction of political phenomena is the ultimate goal of the comparative study of politics.

Question 14

Which of the following is an example of a theory?

A)Economic development leads to democracy.
B)Democratic presidents fight more international wars.
C)Per capita income measures economic development.
D)Authoritarian regimes violate civil rights.

Question 15

The comparative study of politics began after the Second World War.

Question 16

The outputs of a political system are called its

A)inputs.
B)policy level.
C)policy performance.
D)intended outcomes.

Question 17

Why is evaluation of politics in different political systems complex?

A)It is difficult for political scientists to predict,making evaluation more difficult.
B)The lack of data availability makes theory-building too difficult.
C)People value different things and put different emphases on what they value.
D)The diffusion of ideas across systems increases the number of variables in statistical models

Question 18

A conceptual framework is a precise study of specific political phenomena.

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT an example of an output?

A)extraction of resources
B)legislative elections
C)regulation of behavior
D)distribution of benefits

Question 20

Political structures are related to political functions because

A)political structures are the places where ceremonial affairs of state occur.
B)political functions are designed to fit the existing political structures.
C)if political systems have the right structures,they do not require functions.
D)political structures are designed to perform political functions.

Question 21

A political system can receive inputs from both the domestic and international environments.

Question 22

One major change in the political system of Russia after the collapse of communism was the end of the single party system.

Question 23

Through the concept of interdependence,the political decisions of the United States affect the politics of the European Union.

Question 24

Americans spend more per capita on education than any other people in the world,and because of this,their children perform the best on most subjects.

Question 25

Globalization increases the number of inputs and outputs within a political system.

Question 26

A particularly important problem when evaluating political systems is the concern of building for the future as well as living for today.

Question 27

In democracies,all structures perform the same functions.

Question 28

Evaluation of political systems is difficult because people value different things and put different emphasis on what they value.

Question 29

Political recruitment refers to the process of selecting political leaders and government workers.

Question 30

Process functions and system functions describe the same concept.