Deck 8: Authoritarian Institutions

Question 1

Liberalization of local elections in China has

A)left the local political scene unchanged
B)removed unpopular local leaders
C)removed the Community Party for control at the local level
D)affirmed support for top officials

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Personalist regimes are most likely to arise when

A)the military holds most power
B)the supreme leader holds most power
C)the political party holds most power
D)elections are free and fair

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Authoritarian regimes sometimes allow a degree of rule of law in order to

A)check the power of the executive and the legislature
B)build legitimacy by providing personal security
C)pursue opposition leaders
D)demonstrate public support

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Within the Chinese authoritarian regime, how is the problem of succession dealt with?

A)through the political party
B)through armed struggle
C)through birth right
D)through free elections

Question 5

A key difference that distinguishes one type of authoritarian regime from another is the

A)degree of institutionalization
B)degree of power
C)degree of influence
D)degree of industrialization

Question 6

The individual who wields executive power with few formal limits in an authoritarian regime is usually called

A)the commander-in-chief
B)the supreme leader
C)the prime minister
D)the president

Question 7

The "problem of succession" tends to plague which type of authoritarian regime the most?

A)one party
B)military
C)theocratic
D)personalist

Question 8

Iran's parliament

A)has rarely used its political powers
B)has exposed bureaucratic corruption and challenged cabinet nominees
C)has unchecked power
D)is elected in uniformly noncompetitive elections

Question 9

Surveys of Chinese entrepreneurs suggest that they

A)would like greater political participation
B)believe that market economics require political liberalization
C)seek stability over political change
D)would like to get into politics themselves

Question 10

The current Chinese authoritarian regime can be classified as

A)one party
B)military
C)personalist
D)democratic

Question 11

Repression leading to fear, leading to uncertainty and even more repression is typical of

A)the dictator's dilemma
B)the prisoner's dilemma
C)battle of the sexes
D)stag hunt

Question 12

Which type of authoritarian regime is more likely to be drawn to elections?

A)personalist
B)military
C)theocratic
D)one party

Question 13

In China, legitimation is mostly based on

A)elections and accountability
B)growing economy and service provision
C)military power and population control
D)bureaucratic rule and ethnic diversity

Question 14

Which of the following is a characteristic of a one-party authoritarian system?

A)weakening of the ruling party as an institution over time
B)decreasing clientelism
C)allowing a strong opposition party
D)the ruling party performs mobilization functions similar to parties in a democracy

Question 15

Why do authoritarian regimes sometimes create some form of election?

A)increase participation
B)increase legitimacy
C)increase sovereignty
D)none of the above - authoritarian regimes do not have elections

Question 16

What is the connection between authoritarianism and bureaucracy?

A)Bureaucrats may be allowed to profit from their offices in return for political loyalty.
B)Authoritarian systems tend to lack policing power.
C)Authoritarian states are always poor and therefore bureaucrats have to rely on handouts to survive.
D)There is no connection between corruption and authoritarianism.

Question 17

For all authoritarian regimes, which of the following elements of political support is most important?

A)the military
B)the judiciary
C)the legislature
D)the people

Question 18

Iran has a theocratic version of a

A)presidential system
B)parliamentary system
C)semipresidential system
D)monarchy

Question 19

Iran's regime type is best described as

A)democracy
B)modernizing authoritarian
C)theocracy
D)one party

Question 20

Political parties in Iran are currently

A)banned
B)weak
C)nonexistent
D)much stronger than civil society

Question 21

In general, which of the following regimes allows citizens the least amount of rights?

A)personalist regime
B)military regime
C)social democratic regime
D)semi-authoritarian regime

Question 22

One rational-choice explanation of institutions within authoritarian regimes is that

A)only military regimes can establish and maintain institutions effectively
B)only former democracies can establish institutions
C)institutions are impossible to maintain in authoritarian regimes
D)authoritarian regimes need to create a limited political space for compromise with the opposition

Question 23

In Iran, the supreme leader shares formal executive power with a directly elected president in a theocratic version of

A)cohabitation
B)power sharing
C)semipresidentialism
D)coalition building

Question 24

Among authoritarian regimes, personalist regimes tend to suffer from the problem of succession more than other regimes.

Question 25

While there are many formal political institutions in sub-Saharan Africa, most people participate by
a.attaching themselves to a patron
b.joining a grassroots movement
c.voting
d.protesting

Question 26

For an authoritarian regime, which of the following is the most important for maintaining effective control?

A)international legitimacy
B)economic equality
C)military support
D)sovereignty

Question 27

GONGOs refer to

A)foreign-funded interest groups
B)grassroots organizations.
C)state-created "nongovernmental" organizations
D)all organizations within civil society

Question 28

The "Shanghai gain" is a(n)

A)faction within the Chinese Communist Party
B)organized crime group
C)group of prodemocracy activists that demonstrated in Tiananmen Square
D)environmental group that protested against the Three Gorges Dam

Question 29

The degree to which government processes and procedures are established, routine, and predictable is referred to as:

A)rationality
B)efficiency
C)accountability
D)institutionalization

Question 30

In the 1970s, authoritarian regimes ruled how much of the world?

A)90%
B)40%
C)50%
D)75%

Question 31

In a one-party system, the official party generally

A)serves to aggregate interests
B)becomes a vehicle for large-scale patronage politics
C)allows for interest articulation
D)becomes more cohesive over time

Question 32

A kleptocracy refers to rule by

A)theft
B)the elite
C)the wealthy
D)merit

Question 33

Almost all authoritarian regimes are led by a

A)collective ruling group
B)supreme leader
C)ruling junta
D)military dictator

Question 34

Putin's power is derived from the structure of the ______ system.

A)parliamentary
B)presidential
C)dictatorial
D)semipresidentialism

Question 35

The importance of the supreme leader and his de facto life term leaves Iran with one of the classic problems of authoritarian rule: ______.

A)accountability
B)electability
C)succession
D)progression

Question 36

The legislative authority of the Iranian parliament is checked by the:

A)Supreme Court
B)president
C)Guardian Council
D)state governments

Question 37

In authoritarian regimes today, legislatures are usually

A)free and independent
B)allowed to operate according to their will
C)restricted in what they can say or do
D)nonexistent

Question 38

In China, each key governing institution has a parallel party institution.

Question 39

Mao Zedong's China may be classified as what type of regime?

A)military
B)theocratic
C)communist with personalist overtones
D)semi-authoritarian

Question 40

Which security apparatus is key to Putin's power?

A)GSG9
B)MI6
C)Stasi
D)FSB

Question 41

Briefly describe China's political party system.

Question 42

List at least three reasons why some states become authoritarian and others democratic.

Question 43

Describe the role of the judiciary in authoritarian regimes.

Question 44

In more institutionalized authoritarian regimes, formal participation is forbidden.

Question 45

Why do authoritarian regimes allow for elections (please list two reasons).

Question 46

China has evolved from a communist regime into a modernizing authoritarian regime.

Question 47

All supreme rulers have followers who constantly glorify the ruler and attempt to turn his every utterance into not only government fiat but also divine wisdom.

Question 48

While Russia does not have a long tradition of protests in the street, it has a much stronger tradition of sustained organization of groups in civil society.

Question 49

Iran is a prime example of a regime with a leader who has a personality cult.

Question 50

Describe the relationship between a modernizing authoritarian regime and development.

Question 51

Today, most authoritarian regimes allow no legislature or opposition parties to exist.

Question 52

Because participation is free and open, civil society in authoritarian regimes is extremely active.

Question 53

List at least two methods that supreme leaders rely on to maintain power.

Question 54

What is the function of formal institutions in authoritarian states?

Question 55

The supreme leader in Iran must be a member of the clergy.

Question 56

For China, the rise of a market system alongside a one-party regime has led to a weakening of its institutions due to corruption.

Question 57

Name a branch of government that always exists in authoritarian regimes.

Question 58

The dictator's dilemma is when an authoritarian ruler's repression creates fear, which then breeds uncertainty about how much support the ruler has.

Question 59

List a few characteristics of a totalitarian regime.

Question 60

Name two ways in which authoritarian regimes attempt to increase legitimacy.

Question 61

What are the reasons why it is beneficial for an authoritarian leader to maintain a good relationship with the military?

Question 62

Some authoritarian regimes hold regular elections.Some of these elections are more "free" than others.In some cases, scholars even prefer to classify such regimes as "electoral" authoritarian regimes.Explain this concept.

Question 63

How does turning a blind eye to corruption benefit authoritarian regimes in the short run?

Question 64

Describe the role of the legislative and judicial branches of government in authoritarian regimes.

Question 65

What is the role of succession in Russia's transition to electoral authoritarianism?

Question 66

What is the "problem of succession?" Explain how it affects personalist, military, one-party, and theocratic regimes.

Question 67

Explain in detail the "dictator's dilemma" and its consequences for authoritarian regimes.

Question 68

Describe how a supreme leader differs from a personality cult.