Deck 6: India

Question 1

Following independence, the Congress Party owed much of its success to a system in which it rewarded its supporters with important governmental posts. This is known as

A) clientelism.
B) sponsorship.
C) a party sponsorship system.
D) an affiliation system.
E) a patronage system.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Since the 1950s, India has created new states and redrawn state boundaries on the basis of

A) caste.
B) language.
C) religion.
D) ethnicity.
E) population size.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following post-9/11 attacks intensified the fragile relationship between Pakistan and India?

A) Raids by Islamic militant groups associated with Al Qaeda and supported by Pakistani intelligence services on Indian civilians in Punjab
B) Attacks by Islamic terrorists associated with Al Qaeda and supported by Pakistani intelligence services on civilian and government sites in New Delhi and Calcutta
C) Attacks by Islamic terrorists associated with Al Qaeda and supported by Pakistani intelligence services on civilian and government sites in New Delhi and Mumbai
D) Attacks by Islamic militant groups associated with Al Qaeda and supported by Pakistani intelligence services on Indian armed forces facilities in New Delhi and the Kashmir region
E) All of the above

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following is TRUE?

A) India's history shows that a diverse country can process conflicts concerning collective identities peacefully within a democratic setting.
B) Indian political leaders have sometimes mobilized the electorate along ethnic and religious lines that has led to polarization and violence.
C) Although India has many cleavages-language, ethnicity, religion, class, region, and so on-the fact that these crosscut one another has meant that no single cleavage has become dominant.
D) Larger numbers of people with more diverse identities are participating in Indian politics than ever before.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 5

What is interesting about India from comparative politics standpoint?

A) Despite widespread poverty, it has remained a stable democracy.
B) It offers instructive lessons about multiethnic democracy.
C) It provides an example of how democracy affects economic growth.
D) It provides an example of democracy and social equity.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 6

How might it be said that India has become simultaneously more or less democratic over the years?

A) Although the Indian political class is more diverse, a single party nevertheless continues to dominate the political scene.
B) Although democratic rights are generally well protected in the country, there has been a recent upsurge in violence directed against minorities.
C) Although more people participate in politics, this is countered by the strong corporatist tendencies within Indian society and politics that channel citizen input.
D) Although economic liberalization has occurred, political liberalization has not.
E) All of the above are indications that India has become more or less democratic over the years.

Question 7

Initially, after Independence, India adopted an economic strategy that

A) involved state planning while allowing for a role for private entrepreneurs.
B) included heavy tariffs in order to protect domestic industry.
C) enabled the country to build up an impressive industrial base fairly quickly.
D) included the creation of large public enterprises.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 8

During his tenure, Jawaharlal Nehru

A) promoted rapid industrialization.
B) promoted a foreign policy of nonalignment.
C) promised, but generally failed, to redistribute wealth through land reform.
D) reluctantly agreed to the creation of linguistically defined states.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 9

From 1947 until 1989, virtually all of India's prime ministers came from a single family. Who among the following was NOT among them?

A) Indira Gandhi
B) Rajiv Gandhi
C) Sonia Gandhi
D) Jawahalal Nehru
E) All of the above were prime ministers during this time.

Question 10

Since 1947, India has functioned as a parliamentary democracy

A) continuously.
B) on and off.
C) up until 1998.
D) for all but about two years.
E) for about half of its existence.

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT true of Indira Gandhi during her time as prime minister?

A) She contributed to the growth of Hindu nationalism.
B) She consolidated control over the Congress Party by replacing existing leaders with loyal allies and by cultivating a deeply personalistic leadership style.
C) She aggravated ethnic and religious tensions.
D) In response to increasing popular opposition, she suspended many democratic rights and ruled by decree.
E) She continued her predecessor's economic policies.

Question 12

The independence movement

A) served as a mechanism to reconcile the tensions between Hindus and Muslims by promoting a principle of unity within diversity and thus laid the foundation for democracy.
B) universally rejected violence in favor of civil disobedience.
C) promoted unity within diversity, exacerbated the tensions between Hindus and Muslims, and laid the foundations for democracy.
D) was established by traditional Indian elites who wished to wrest power from Britain.
E) was ruthlessly suppressed by the British who refused to make any concessions to it.

Question 13

The Green Revolution was a strategy

A) involving environmental planning in India.
B) for improving agricultural production involving improved seeds, heavy use of fertilizers, and irrigation.
C) for decreasing India's output of greenhouse gases.
D) for improving agricultural production through the creation of large publicly-owned collectives.
E) for increased environmental protection regulation in the aftermath of a major disaster at a foreign-owned chemical plant.

Question 14

Which of the following does NOT characterize the economic strategy introduced after independence?

A) Significant public investment in industry
B) Levying high tariffs on imports
C) State planning for investment priorities
D) Effective land reform
E) Limiting start-ups and expansion of private enterprises

Question 15

What is unique about Manmohan Singh?

A) He was the first person to serve as prime minister who was neither the leader of his own party nor that of a ruling coalition.
B) He was the only non-Congress prime minister prior to 1989.
C) He was the first prime minister not to come from the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty.
D) He was the first prime minister to be assassinated by his own bodyguards.
E) He was the first prime minister to seek normalization with Pakistan.

Question 16

British colonialism contributed to the establishment of democracy in India by

A) significantly reducing the power of traditional elites.
B) creating effective political institutions such as the civil service.
C) eliminating the caste system.
D) allowing Indians to serve in the majority of administrative positions.
E) all of the above.

Question 17

The period known as the Emergency refers to

A) the period following the assassination of Mohandas Gandhi that left the Indian independence movement leaderless.
B) The period following the death of Jawaharlal Nehru that left the future direction of the Congress Party in question.
C) A short period in which many formal democratic rights were suspended, and the country was ruled in an authoritarian fashion.
D) The short period between the two periods in which Indira Gandhi served as the prime minister.
E) A period of mass migration and inter-ethnic violence that followed the creation of the separate states of India and Pakistan.

Question 18

India is

A) called a subcontinent due to its size and distinctive shape.
B) the world's third-most populous country.
C) the sixth largest country in the world.
D) readily assessable to the rest of Asia.
E) all of the above.

Question 19

The nonaligned bloc, of which India was a founding member, refers to countries that

A) refused to ally with either superpower during the Cold War.
B) refused to ally themselves with their former colonial masters.
C) accepts the separation of church and state.
D) has refused to actively support America's War on Terror.
E) seeks to remain isolated from the global economic system.

Question 20

The Partition that led to the formation of the separate states of India and Pakistan,

A) was supported by Mohandas Gandhi.
B) occurred without any kind of inter-ethnic violence
C) resulted in hardly any migration and displacement as the Muslim and Hindu populations were largely already settled in accordance to the Partition's boundaries.
D) was brought about, at least in part, due to tensions between the Hindu and Muslim populations.
E) was the result of a decision by the United Nations.

Question 21

The effects of India's state-led economic development include

A) India developing into a significant industrial power.
B) the creation of a large middle class.
C) the stagnation of private enterprise.
D) uneven regional economic growth.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 22

Which of the following is TRUE of population growth in India?

A) India has double the population growth rate of China.
B) India has consistently had a lower percentage of females than males indicating societal prejudices against women.
C) Poverty, the lack of literacy among women, and the lack of clear governmental policy have all contributed to the country's high population growth rate.
D) In the long run, India's growing population will inhibit its economic development as the country has more people than it can use productively.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 23

India's integration into the global economy has

A) led to an increase in both imports and exports.
B) promoted the expansion of the country's middle class, although because such individuals are cut off from traditional Indian society, this may be intensifying India's social fragmentation.
C) generally not been as beneficial to the rural areas of the country.
D) resulted in impressive overall economic growth for the country.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 24

Societal prejudices against women can be seen in

A) the continued practice of giving and receiving a dowry.
B) the fact that the country has a lower percentage of females than males.
C) illiteracy, which is higher among girls and women than among boys and men.
D) a lower survival rate of female versus male infants.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 25

The effect of the Green Revolution was to

A) reduce India's output of greenhouse gases.
B) make the country a leading developer of environmentally friendly industries.
C) make the country self-sufficient in food production.
D) transfer 25 percent of the nonarable land into crop-friendly land.
E) increase the amount of environmental regulations in the country.

Question 26

Which of the following is NOT a feature of the Indian constitution?

A) It includes a directive to promote social and economic justice.
B) It is not particularly detailed and thus subject to interpretation.
C) It provides for religious freedom.
D) It allows for the temporary suspension of democratic rights in times of emergency.
E) It allows the national government to suspend elected state government.

Question 27

When picking a cabinet, the prime minister considers all of the following EXCEPT

A) seniority.
B) competence.
C) personal loyalty.
D) religion.
E) regional and caste representation.

Question 28

Which of the following is NOT an example of the poor's impact on Indian politics?

A) In some states, the poor have organized to elect left-leaning governments in some states.
B) Many parties and politicians adopt populist or socialist platforms.
C) The Naxalite movement has organized the landless poor to engage in land seizures.
D) Over the years, the government has undertaken a number of poverty alleviation programs although many of these have not been successful.
E) The government recently introduced a program of universal primary education as an effort to ensure that poverty will not become perpetuated in future generations.

Question 29

Which of the following is NOT true?

A) According to the government's definition of poverty, about 25 percent of Indians live in poverty but according to World Bank measures, about 76 percent live below the poverty line.
B) Although the proportion of Indians living in poverty has decreased since independence, the absolute number of poor has increased due to the country's rapid population growth.
C) Although India has the largest number of poor people in the world, the country also has a sizeable middle class.
D) The majority of the country's poor live in urban slums.
E) Over the past two decades, income inequality has become more skewed regionally.

Question 30

All of the following are TRUE of the caste system EXCEPT

A) people are assigned to a specific occupation based on their caste.
B) caste is a powerful force around which electoral politics and voting blocs coalesce.
C) the link between caste and occupation remains quite strong in urban areas.
D) caste divides the lower classes, so it makes it difficult for the poor to organize.
E) caste groups sometimes re-designate their caste identities to achieve social and economic mobility for the group as a whole.

Question 31

Economic liberalization

A) began in the 1980s and intensified in the 1990s.
B) occurred because the country's political and economic elite were concerned with India's growth relative to other Asian countries.
C) required the borrowing of foreign capital.
D) has resulted in impressive and steady economic growth.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 32

Since the 1990s, India's agricultural policies have included

A) increasing trade barriers to protect domestic producers while shifting the country's production towards a greater emphasis on export of agricultural goods.
B) reducing subsidies to limit public spending and removing restrictions on imports in order to conform to WTO rules.
C) breaking up large publicly-owned farms into smaller privately-owned farms and removing restrictions on imports to conform to WTO rules.
D) undertaking massive land reform efforts to help poorer farmers while simultaneously removing restrictions on imports to conform to WTO rules.
E) increasing public subsidies to poorer farmers while reducing them for larger agribusiness firms and increasing trade barriers to protect domestic producers.

Question 33

Which of the following is NOT true?

A) Foreign investment in India has tended to concentrate upon industries for the domestic market and has thus not facilitated export promotion.
B) Foreign investment in India is about equal to foreign investment in China and Brazil, two other BRIC countries.
C) Financially, India is not as integrated into the global economy as are countries in East Asia and Latin America that has allowed the country to suffer less during global financial crises.
D) Foreign portfolio investment in India has buoyed the country's stock market but has also increased its volatility.
E) India has become a prime call center.

Question 34

Which of the following is a NOT a role performed by cabinet ministers?

A) They participate in the shaping of government policy.
B) They regularly appear before parliament during scheduled question times.
C) They maintain party cohesion and support for government policy.
D) They supervise civil servants.
E) They are leaders of their parties.

Question 35

Which of the following is TRUE?

A) Whereas the Indian Administrative Service is generally seen as being professional and efficient, the lower levels of the civil service are seen as inefficient and corrupt.
B) The attraction of the Indian Administrative Service has declined in recent years as more young people enter the private sector.
C) The professionalism of the Indian Administrative Service has declined over the years as politicians increasingly prefer personal loyalty over merit when making promotions.
D) Competition for the Indian Administrative Service is very intense.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 36

The Indian Administrative Service refers to

A) the entire national bureaucracy of India.
B) the portion of the national bureaucracy involved with foreign affairs.
C) the elite corps of top bureaucrats in India's civil service.
D) the part of the national bureaucracy that is responsible for overseeing and administering the most important functions of government.
E) the part of the national bureaucracy that is responsible for overseeing and administering the country's economic policies.

Question 37

President's Rule

A) refers to the constitutional provision by which the national government can suspend state government.
B) refers to the constitutional provision by which the president can remove the prime minister for acting in a manner dangerous to the state.
C) has been invoked only a few times in India's history.
D) refers to the idea that the president, rather than the prime minister, is the major political force in India.
E) was removed from the constitution by a landmark Supreme Court decision.

Question 38

The prime minister is selected by

A) the party with the most seats in the Rayja Sabha.
B) the party with the most seats in the Lok Sabha.
C) the party with the most seats in both the Rayha Sabha and the Lok Sabha.
D) a direct election.
E) the cabinet from among its members.

Question 39

The Indian president

A) serves as the country's head of state symbolizing the unity of the country.
B) chooses the prime minister when parliamentary elections fail to produce a clear verdict as to which party should head a new government.
C) must approve most parliamentary bills in order for them to become laws.
D) is selected by an electoral college comprised of elected representatives from the national and state governments.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 40

Which of the following is NOT true?

A) India's intensive agricultural development and rapid industrialization has created many environmental problems.
B) Recently, India has introduced policies to increase the efficiency of coal, oil, and natural gas consumption.
C) India has steadfastly refused to adopt policies that would drastically reduce its carbon emissions.
D) Despite having highly efficient environmental regulations, India suffers from environmental problems common to many countries when undergoing economic development.
E) India suffers from severe air pollution in large cities and contaminated lakes and rivers.

Question 41

Which of the following is TRUE?

A) Most members of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of parliament, are chosen through direct elections.
B) The Rajya Sabha, the upper house of parliament, must approve all spending measures.
C) The Rajya Sabha, the upper house of parliament, cannot amend bills.
D) Most parliamentary bills require the assent of both houses of parliament.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 42

Which of the following characterizes the Indian policy-making process?

A) As the prime minister's party or bloc of parties controls the legislature, the passage of most legislation is ensured except in very controversial manners.
B) Well-designed national policies are often not implemented because they face resistance from vested interests at all levels, and these interests may simply drag their feet or even actively sabotage the implementation process.
C) In order to get some major controversial legislation passed, the government often has to compromise and modify its position.
D) Civil servants, both in individual ministries and in cross-ministry offices, play a major role in presenting alternative solutions to political leaders.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 43

Which of the following is NOT true?

A) The Indian military is highly professionalized and apolitical.
B) Increasingly, the Indian government has relied upon paramilitary forces to maintain internal order.
C) The Indian police forces are generally seen as being corrupt, inefficient, and political.
D) The country's police forces operate under the control of the national government.
E) The country's paramilitary forces operate under the control of the national government.

Question 44

Which of the following is NOT an indication of the Supreme Court's political independence?

A) It introduced a system of litigation that allows various groups to redress their claim.
B) It ruled that environmental laws must be enforced.
C) It has required central and state governments to release food stocks.
D) It has ruled that courts may be allowed to block the imposition of President's Rule.
E) It ruled the Prevention of Terrorism Act unconstitutional.

Question 45

Which of the following statements about Indian parties since 1989 is TRUE?

A) The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) has replaced the Congress Party as the dominant party and thus has been able to form governments fairly easily.
B) Despite some losses, the Congress Party remains the dominant party and is still able to form governments fairly easily.
C) No party has been able to form a government on its own, coalition governments have become the norm.
D) The two major parties, the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and the Congress Party, have consistently formed coalition governments.
E) Regional parties have become less important.

Question 46

A problem for Indian courts arise because the constitution simultaneously

A) protects private property and directs the government to pursue social justice.
B) divides executive power between a powerful president and a powerful prime minister.
C) provides the legislature certain specific powers and the executive others.
D) none of the above.
E) Statements a, b, and c.

Question 47

The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP)

A) was the first major Indian party to mobilize on the basis of religious identity.
B) is a highly centralized and well-disciplined political party.
C) was the first major Indian party to adopt an openly anti-Muslim stance.
D) maintains close ties to two non-parliamentary groups through which many of its leaders have been recruited.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 48

Panchayats

A) are elected bodies at the village, district, and state levels that have administrative and developmental responsibilities.
B) have considerable autonomy in determining how to allocate resources.
C) have a strong say in devising developmental plans.
D) are highly efficient and free of political influence from local powerful citizens.
E) all of the above.

Question 49

How often has the military taken control of Indian politics?

A) For one extended period of time
B) For two extended periods of time
C) Never
D) Very frequently, but only for brief periods of time
E) Very frequently, for extended periods of time

Question 50

The Congress Party

A) was the dominant party until the late 1980s in large part because it grew out of the independence movement.
B) has had a consistent ideological stance over the years.
C) has always had a very decentralized organization.
D) has been the dominant party in every coalition government.
E) was the dominant party until the late 1990s.

Question 51

The roles of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament, include

A) passing legislation.
B) electing the prime minister.
C) debating government action.
D) voting to unmake government.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 52

Which of the following is TRUE?

A) Under the Indian federal system, states formally control agriculture and education although their actual power is limited as they are dependent upon the central government for funds in these areas.
B) States have demanded the devolution of power from the national government, a greater allocation of resources from the central government, and recognition of their distinctive cultural identities.
C) Economic liberalization has allowed states to pursue foreign investment independently of the national government, thus resulting in widening regional disparities.
D) Central-state relations are particularly intense when conflicting parties are in power at each level.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 53

Given the low level of illiteracy

A) voter turnout is low.
B) pictures of party symbols are used for voting.
C) fraud is rampart as corrupt electoral officials can easily take advantage of voters who cannot read.
D) most voters are uninformed.
E) voters have no interest in voting.

Question 54

Which of the following statements about regional (federal) parties is TRUE?

A) They have largely determined the outcome of the last three elections.
B) Some are regional powerhouses and control state governments.
C) National parties have become dependent upon them to form coalition governments.
D) They began to become politically important in the 1960s when they started to challenge the Congress Party's monopoly on power.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 55

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.

Question 56

A major change in the social composition of parliament has been the larger representation of

A) women.
B) the poor.
C) the middle castes.
D) Muslims.
E) all of the above.

Question 57

State governors

A) serve as the heads of state governments.
B) are elected by popular vote.
C) often become powerful independently of other political actors.
D) have the power to appoint state-level ministers.
E) all of the above.

Question 58

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

Question 59

The Janta Party

A) is a loose, changing coalition of small parties and factions.
B) is generally seen as a right-wing party.
C) was the first political party to mobilize on the basis of religious identity.
D) draws most of its support from the urban areas.
E) is a loose, changing coalition of large parties and factions.

Question 60

The Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament, is unable to play a significant role in policy-making for all of the following reasons EXCEPT

A) most legislation is introduced by the government.
B) most legislators are beholden to their party leaders.
C) parties maintain tight discipline.
D) parliament's social composition makes this difficult.
E) all of the above.

Question 61

One major problem facing India is institutional decay. Citing examples, explain what is meant by this and why it is a problem.

Question 62

Although India is often seen as a being a growing economy on the verge of becoming a major force in global economics, the fact remains that the country also has a large portion of poor people. First, explain how the poor represent both a political and economic problem for India. Second, address, how the country has sought to address this problem, both historically and in contemporary times.

Question 63

The tense relationship between India and Pakistan can be seen in

A) a history of three wars between the countries.
B) occasional conflicts between the armed forces of the two countries.
C) the terrorist attack on the Indian parliament in 2001.
D) the fact that both countries developed nuclear weapons citing the other as a threat.
E) all of the above.

Question 64

Which of the following statements about India's relations with its neighbors is NOT true?

A) India and China have only one war although there have been recurrent border disputes.
B) India and Nepal have generally had strong economic and political ties.
C) Indian troops intervened in the Sri Lankan civil war.
D) India and Bangladesh have had tense relations since the 1970s.
E) The Indian prime minister invited the Pakistani prime minister to the Cricket World Cup tournament in 2011.

Question 65

Which of the following is NOT true?

A) India developed nuclear weapons in part because of electoral considerations.
B) India developed nuclear weapons after Pakistan did so.
C) India developed nuclear weapons in part because of tense relations with China.
D) Even though India has consistently violated nonproliferation norms since developing its arsenal, the country has recently pledged to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
E) India has refused to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

Question 66

Discuss the ways in which India's numerous bases of stratification: along lines of caste, class, gender, religion and ethnicity: have both undermined and enhanced democratic processes in the country. Please cite specific examples in your answer.

Question 67

Which of the following statements about Indian political culture is NOT true?

A) Because the public and private spheres are not separate, corruption results.
B) While group fragmentation may play a role in promoting political stability, it may also help contribute to identity-based conflicts.
C) Because the Indian elite are highly factionalized, political consensus is difficult to achieve.
D) Because the public and private spheres are not separate, there is a high level of citizen involvement in politics.
E) All of the above are true statements.

Question 68

India is typically cited as a large, successful democracy. What historical factors have contributed to the country's generally stable democracy? What current factors threaten the country's democracy?

Question 69

To what extent has federalism contributed to democracy in India and to what extent has it endangered democracy? On balance, has it contributed more to promoting democracy or endangering it? What factors in contemporary Indian politics will likely shape the impact of federalism in this regard?

Question 70

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

Question 71

What lessons does India offer those studying the challenges of developing democracy in multi-ethnic societies? To what extent does India offer a positive role model? To what extent has the recent surge in ethnic violence suggest that India may not be such a positive role model?

Question 72

Discuss the major underpinnings to secularism in India. Explain why the challenges to secularism have grown and yet why India remains a secular state.

Question 73

India's electoral system

A) is called a single-member district, first-past-the-post system, proportional representation.
B) privileges the major parties.
C) means that the candidate winning a simple plurality of the votes wins the seat.
D) is similar to that of the United States.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 74

Which of the following is NOT true?

A) Although they are highly fragmented, labor unions have played a major role in Indian politics.
B) Social movements and organizations have flourished in India because there has never been any government effort to restrict their activities.
C) Organizations associated with the religious right sometimes form tactical alliances with left-wing organizations.
D) Most social movements have increasingly ceased to focus on poverty and class inequality.
E) Indians engage in protests wherein they hold executives hostage to press their demands.

Question 75

What was the impact of the 2008 global economic crisis upon India?

A) The country was largely unaffected by the crisis due to being fairly insulated from the global financial networks.
B) The country's growth rate declined and its deficit grew.
C) The country's growth rate declined although its exports continued to be strong.
D) The country's growth rate declined but foreign investment in the country grew.
E) The country's growth rate grew.

Question 76

What is the balance sheet (advantages and shortcomings) of India's two principal economic orientations: state-led industrialization and economic liberalization? Which would you argue has been superior? Please cite specific evidence in your argument.