Deck 1: Introduction: The Study of Politics

Question 1

The concepts of political "power" and "authority" are synonymous.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

A country's military capacity is an example of

A)soft power.
B)inherent legitimacy.
C)hard power.
D)misguided power.
E)legitimate authority.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Although political science has a variety of subfields, all of them use the same methodology.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Basic to the notion of social contract theory is the notion that the right to rule is based on the consent of the governed.

Question 5

The scope of international relations goes beyond issues of war and peace between states.

Question 6

Concerns about justice have only recently become important to political theorists.

Question 7

The Peace of Westphalia at the end of the Thirty Years' War created the foundation for the modern nation-state system.

Question 8

Prestige, power, and wealth have political and moral consequences.

Question 9

The decisions and choices of ordinary citizens have no impact on civil society.

Question 10

Behavioral political scientists place little emphasis on abstract or normative political questions.

Question 11

In order to explain why the Constitution of 1787 did not abolish slavery, scholars often skip over the question as to whether or why slavery is wrong.

Question 12

Republics are a form of government in which sovereignty ultimately resides in the people.

Question 13

In the language of politics, state usually means country.

Question 14

Behaviorism is an offshoot of positivism that focuses mainly on the study of political behavior.

Question 15

Political power is a measure of military strength.

Question 16

The principle reason to study politics is

A)national interest.
B)self-interest.
C)public interest.
D)both A and B.
E)both B and C.

Question 17

What term is used to describe the ability to get others to want what you want?

A)Political power
B)Authority
C)Hard power
D)Soft power
E)Legitimacy

Question 18

The political theory of the social contract is often associated with which of the following philosophers?

A)John Locke
B)Thomas Hobbes
C)Jean-Jacques Rousseau
D)Both A and B
E)All of the above

Question 19

Which of the following is an example of order in a society's political system?

A)Justice
B)Rules
C)Economic Growth
D)Rituals
E)Both B and D

Question 20

The acid test of legitimate authority is whether people have the right to vote or to strike or dissent openly.

Question 21

How do political theorists try to answer questions?

A)By using rational choice theory
B)By studying political culture
C)By applying reason, logic, and experience
D)Both A and C
E)None of the above

Question 22

According to a recent issue of The Economist, what is the strongest force shaping politics today?

A)Ideas
B)Behavior
C)Money
D)Force
E)Terrorism

Question 23

How important are ideas like justice and identity to the study of politics?

Question 24

Imagine a country composed of two ethnic groups, one of which constitutes the majority of the population and the other a significant minority. Each ethnic group considers itself to be a "nation." How might the government go about creating a sense of political unity and common purpose in its citizenry? In an attempt to foster a common identity, might some government strategies actually increase the gulf between the two nations? How?

Question 25

Contrast the normative and behavioralist approaches to the study of political science. How do they differ? In what ways might they complement one another?

Question 26

An independent political-administrative unit that successfully claims the allegiance of a given population is a

A)government.
B)state.
C)republic.
D)monarchy.
E)tyranny.

Question 27

What theory holds that individuals and states alike act according to the iron logic of self-interest?

A)Normative theory
B)Behavioral theory
C)Rational choice theory
D)Political realism theory
E)Political culture

Question 28

Studying the voting patterns of males in Senate elections would fall under which subfield?

A)Political theory
B)International relations
C)Comparative politics
D)U.S. government
E)Public administration

Question 29

A specialist in international relations would likely NOT focus on

A)conflict and cooperation.
B)terrorism.
C)trade policy.
D)the definition of the "good life."
E)both C and D.

Question 30

What kind of effect did the Peace of Westphalia have on the study of politics?

Question 31

Normativism is normally associated with which political philosopher?

A)Immanuel Kant
B)Thomas Hobbes
C)Adolf Eichmann
D)Aristotle
E)Jean-Jacque Rousseau

Question 32

Discuss Irving Kristol's explanation of why some Germans participated in Nazi crimes against humanity. Use Adolf Eichmann as an example. Can this theory be applied to any current-day moral actions/dilemmas? Explain.

Question 33

Arbitrary national borders that challenge the traditional idea of the nation-state emerged after

A)decolonization.
B)the Peace of Westphalia.
C)the end of WWI.
D)the American Revolution.
E)None of the above is correct.

Question 34

Which of the following best describes a people who are scattered over the territory of several states or dispersed widely and who have no autonomous, independent, or sovereign governing body of their own?

A)Multinational state
B)Stateless nation
C)Nation state
D)Sovereign nation
E)None of the above

Question 35

Political scientists who study similarities and differences in legislative processes across countries would be working in which subfield?

A)Political theory
B)U.S. government
C)Comparative politics
D)International relations
E)Public administration

Question 36

"The moral values, beliefs, and myths by which people live and for which they are willing to die" is known as

A)political culture.
B)political realism.
C)rational choice.
D)behaviorism.
E)None of the above is correct.

Question 37

According to the text, which of the following is the "father" of political science?

A)Aristotle
B)Plato
C)Rousseau
D)Locke
E)Socrates

Question 38

Which subfield would involve a political scientist who would specialize in how a bureaucracy implements governmental policies?

A)Political theory
B)U.S. government
C)Comparative politics
D)International relations
E)Public administration

Question 39

Political scientists employing the behavioral approach tend to

A)concentrate on broad questions.
B)avoid moral and philosophical analysis.
C)reject the application of the scientific method to political science.
D)draw heavily on the work of ancient political theorists.
E)use dependency theory.

Question 40

What term is best used to describe the role of reason over emotion in human behavior?

A)Political realism
B)Public administration
C)Political theory
D)Single cause dogma
E)Rational choice

Question 41

How might the six subfields of political science help us explore the issues and questions raised by the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States? What questions would each subfield be most useful in addressing?