40 Questions
When did the discipline of Comparative Politics originate?
After the first world war
What is the primary goal of Comparative Politics?
To describe, explain, and predict similarities and differences across political systems
What does the term 'comparative' refer to in Comparative Politics?
A methodology that involves comparing various countries from around the world
What is the focus of research in Comparative Politics?
Political institutions
What are institutions in the context of Comparative Politics?
Socially constructed behaviors created by humans
What is an informal institution?
Unwritten, socially shared rules and norms
What is an example of an informal institution?
Friendship or a group chat in WhatsApp
What is a key characteristic of formal institutions?
They are based on written laws and contracts
What are the two main functions of law according to the text?
To put down antisocial behavior and to allocate access over material resources.
Where did the use of law as described in the text first develop?
In the Greek polis and Roman Republic.
What was the role of rulers in the development of law?
They asserted themselves as the source of a new kind of law – public law.
What is the purpose of public law according to the text?
To control the relations between organs and offices of the state and between the state and various categories of individuals and groups.
What lies at the top of the hierarchy of legal sources?
The constitution.
What is the distinction between state and society, according to Hegel?
The state represents the domain of political activities, while society represents private capacities.
What is the state, according to the text?
An ensemble of arrangements and practices that address all and only the political aspects of the management of a territorial.
What activities are undertaken by individuals in their private capacities, according to the text?
Those that are not the concern of public policy.
What is a characteristic of hybrid regimes in terms of elections?
Elections with limited competition
What is a common feature of hybrid regimes and democracies?
They both have elections
What is a requirement for a democracy that hybrid regimes fail to meet?
Universal suffrage, competitive elections, multipartism, or open media sources
What is the definition of democracy in an ideal sense?
A system pursuing social equality, freedom, justice, and more
What type of regime is characterized by a mixed type of political regime?
Hybrid regime
What is an example of a hybrid regime?
Russia before Putinism
What is a characteristic of hybrid regimes in terms of their stability?
They are consolidated and stable
What is a common feature of hybrid regimes and authoritarian regimes?
Limited pluralism and limited participation
What is the main characteristic of the minimalist definition of democracy?
Elections
What is the type of accountability present in the minimalist definition of democracy?
Vertical accountability
What is the main limitation of the minimalist definition of democracy?
It includes a wide variety of regimes that might not be considered democratic.
What is the focus of the maximalist definition of democracy?
There is no perfect democracy.
What is the mid-range model of democracy?
A model that includes participatory democratic ideas that go beyond constitutional containment of democracy.
What is the importance of horizontal accountability in the mid-range model of democracy?
It prevents abuse of power by rulers.
What is the role of independent organs in the mid-range model of democracy?
To control what rulers do.
What is the goal of the mid-range model of democracy beyond constitutional containment?
To further democratize economy and society.
What is the purpose of comparative research design?
To decide which cases are useful for comparing and how many can be selected.
What is cross-case analysis?
A method that involves the in-depth exploration of similarities and differences across cases.
What is an example of a case and a unit of observation?
A country is the case, and an individual voter is the unit of observation.
What is within-case analysis?
The in-depth exploration of a single case as a standalone entity.
What is the benefit of within-case analysis?
Researchers can be thoroughly immersed in the data within a single case.
What is comparative historical analysis?
Describing processes over time, using time as the major operationalization of a variable.
What is the goal of within-case analysis?
To achieve an in-depth understanding and description of the phenomenon under study.
Why is selecting the right cases important in comparative research?
Because it affects the quality of the research and the validity of the findings.
This quiz covers the basics of comparative politics, including the history of the discipline and its predecessors. It's a great starting point for students of political science. Test your knowledge of chapter 1 with this quiz!
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