38 Questions
What is a key characteristic of a military coup d'état?
Illegal and violent seizure of power
What is a key difference between a committee-based legislature and a debating legislature?
Committee-based legislatures place greater emphasis on plenary meetings
What is selection bias in the context of comparing cases?
Cases selected for comparison being unrepresentative of the wider population
What is the purpose of a vote of confidence?
To form a government
What is the independent variable in Duverger's Law?
The structure of the party system
In what type of system is split-ticket voting most common?
Semi-presidential systems
What is a characteristic of gladiators in the context of political participation?
They are from high-status social groups
What is a key feature of competitive authoritarian regimes?
Substantive electoral competition with incumbent advantages
What is a common consequence of presidential regimes according to Juan Linz's argument?
Democratic breakdown and deadlock
What is the purpose of a filibuster in the US legislatures?
To prolong debate and delay voting
What is the result of a party introducing primaries for its candidates?
The selectorate is broadened
What is split-ticket voting?
Voting for a different party or politician in executive and legislative elections
What is the characteristic of a semi-presidential system according to Duverger?
The president has opposite him a prime minister dependent on the confidence of parliament
What is a characteristic of hybrid regimes?
They have a mix of democratic and authoritarian elements
What is the impact of the rise of TV as a channel of political communication?
It has made personalities of leaders the key factor impacting voter choice
What is a characteristic of a single-party system?
No other parties than the ruling one are allowed to exist
According to O'Donnell and Schmitter's theory of regime change, what commonality do most transitions exhibit?
A gradual liberalization of the authoritarian regime
What is the means by which parliaments can hold governments accountable?
No-confidence vote
What is the purpose of comparison in political science?
To identify causal relationships between variables
Which of the following is NOT part of a cleavage?
Government policy
What type of reasoning involves asking 'what if' questions about historical events?
Counterfactual reasoning
What party type best describes parties that originated from social movements and rely on professional party organization and state subsidies?
Cartel party
What is the term used to describe a system in which citizens largely accept the authority of the state and believe in civic participation?
Civic culture
Which of the following is a characteristic of second-order elections?
They have lower voter turnout than first-order elections
What is the term used to describe a system of government in which power is divided between different levels of government and is constitutionally entrenched?
Federalism
What is the term used to describe the idea that elites force people to participate in political rallies to show support for the regime?
Mobilization
What is the term used to describe a system in which a president is directly elected but has mainly ceremonial powers?
Ceremonial system
What is the term used to describe the phenomenon of the simultaneous holding of two or more executive offices by different individuals?
Cohabitation
What is the term used to describe the density of trade union membership in a given population?
Trade union density
What is the term used to describe the concept of a system in which collective decisions are made through a series of interactions?
Governance
What is the most accurate way of describing a system where talent, achievement, and qualifications determine advancement?
Meritocracy
In a country where judges formulate rulings based on precedents from prior judicial cases, what concept describes this situation?
Common Law
What is the primary difference between power and influence?
Power is the ability to force one's will, while influence is the ability to persuade
What type of coalition has been formed when a center-right party with 50 seats and a center-left party with 42 seats form a government together?
Grand Coalition
What term best describes the idea that the outcome of a political or social process depends on earlier decisions that lead down a particular path?
Path Dependence
Which of the following is NOT a type of single-case study according to Lijphart?
Historical Case Study
Which statement best approximates the meaning of the term 'iron triangle'?
A network of interest groups, bureaucratic agencies, and congressional committees that work together to shape policy
Which of the following measures can be seen as part of the New Public Management?
Privatization of public services
Study Notes
Political Science Concepts
- Military coups d'état refer to the illegal, violent seizure of power by the military.
- A committee-based legislature places greater emphasis on plenary meetings than a debating legislature.
- Selection bias means that cases selected for comparison are unrepresentative of the wider population.
Political Systems
- In semi-presidential systems, split-ticket voting is most common, leading to cohabitation.
- Presidential systems are more likely to result in democratic breakdown due to a zero-sum mentality, which often produces deadlock.
- In a single-party system, no other parties are allowed to exist.
Political Participation
- High-status social groups are more likely to be 'gladiators' in terms of political participation than low-status social groups.
- Consumer politics refers to the increasing passivity of voters and their susceptibility to political marketing.
Interest Groups
- Cartel parties prevent giving public party funding to their competitors.
- Corporatism as a system of interest group representation privileges peak interest groups and organizations.
- Protective interest groups promote selective benefits; promotional interest groups deliver collective benefits.
Political Regimes
- A competitive authoritarian regime has substantive electoral competition, yet incumbents enjoy unfair advantages due to their control over state resources.
- The notion of political regimes describes the rules and procedures structuring electoral participation in defective democracies.
- Hybrid regimes mix democratic and authoritarian elements, referred to as grey zone regimes.
Government and Leadership
- A vote of confidence is the vote a legislature takes to form a government.
- In modern democracies, parties have increasingly colluded to reduce competition.
- A filibuster is a parliamentary committee procedure to delay legislation or a debating technique in the US legislatures.
Political Communication
- The rise of TV as a channel of political communication has made personalities of leaders the key factor impacting voter choice.
Federations and Bureaucracy
- Federations can be slow in their decision-making, particularly during social crises.
- Providing patronage is one of the means by which an authoritarian regime can sustain itself.
Democracy and Elections
- Multi-party systems often lead to coalition government.
- Issue voting has increased in contemporary European democracies.
Research and Methodology
- A single-case study can be characterized as a typical case of Communist regimes concluding that all Communist regimes become developmental authoritarian regimes with a market economy eventually.
Political Concepts
- The term 'iron triangle' describes the idea that the outcome of a political or social process depends on earlier decisions that lead down a particular path.
- Non-departmental agencies and commissions in modern bureaucratic systems are an example of bureaucratic authoritarianism.
- Trade union density is a term associated with the proportion of workers who are members of a trade union.
- The Westphalian System refers to a system of sovereign states that recognize each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
This quiz covers various topics in political science, including legislation, government, and political systems.
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