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**Introduction to Comparative Politics** **Potential/Practice Exam Questions** **Statements (True or False)** 1. The practice of lobbying strengthens the principle of equality which underpins democracy 2. An electoral system is a majority system if it is designed to regularly deliver a...

**Introduction to Comparative Politics** **Potential/Practice Exam Questions** **Statements (True or False)** 1. The practice of lobbying strengthens the principle of equality which underpins democracy 2. An electoral system is a majority system if it is designed to regularly deliver a majority government 3. According to Duverger\'s characterization, in a semi-presindential system the president possesses quite considerable powers 4. The larger the district magnitude, the more responsiveness of the electoral system will be achieved. 5. Judges of constitutional courts are appointed for long tenures 6. In a sultanistic regime, channels of political participation are often subject to despotic intervention 7. According to Duverger\'s characterization, in a semi-presindential system the president can dismiss ministers 8. Mixed Member Majoritarian System is a mixed electoral system which is not designed to secure proportional results 9. Political participation in totalitarian regimes is often mobilized by the state 10. A two-party system is associated with full alternation in government 11. Plurality electoral system favours representation of minorities 12. Corporatist forms of interest group representation is often found in post-communist countries 13. Legitimacy arises when a rule was made correctly by following formal procedures 14. Legitimacy describes authority based solely on appeal to legal-rational norms 15. The membership of protective interest groups is closed; membership of promotional groups is open 16. Politics can be defined as the authoritative allocation of values within a given society. 17. Max Weber defined the state as "a human community that successfully exercises physical force within a given territory." 18. The scholar Benedict Anderson referred to nation states as "imagined communities," emphasizing their character as social constructions. 19. Military coups d'état refer to the illegal, violent seizure of power by the military. 20. A committee-based legislature will usually place greater emphasis on plenary meetings than a debating legislature. 21. Selection bias means that cases selected for comparison are unrepresentative of the wider population. 22. A vote of confidence is the vote a legislature takes to form a government. 23. In Duverger's Law, the structure of the party system is the independent variable. 24. In modern democracies, parties have increasingly colluded to reduce competition 25. Split-ticket voting is most common in the context of semi-presidential systems, where it leads to a situation of cohabitation 26. High-status social groups are more likely to be 'gladiators' in terms of political participation than low-status social groups 27. In a competitive authoritarian regime substantive electoral competition exists, yet incumbents enjoy unfair advantages due to their control over state resources. 28. Cartel parties prevent giving public party funding to their competitors 29. Corporatism as a system of interest group representation privileges peak interest groups and organizations 30. A filibuster is a parliamentary committee procedure to delay legislation 31. The term political regime describes governmental structures in a range of particularly repressive authoritarian countries 32. Consumer politics refers to the increasing passivity of voters and their susceptibility to political marketing 33. Protective interest groups promote selective benefits; promotional interest groups deliver collective benefits 34. The notion of political regimes describes the rules and procedures structuring electoral participation in defective democracies 35. According to Juan Linz\'s argument on the \'Perils of Presidentialism,\' presidential regimes are more likely to result in democratic breakdown because they encourage a zero-sum mentality which often produces deadlock. 36. A filibuster is a debating technique in the US legislatures 37. When a party introduces primaries for its candidates, it means that its selectorate is broadened 38. Split-ticket voting is the practice by which citizens deliberately vote for a different party or politician in executive and legislative elections 39. Constitutional courts make judgments on the basis of concrete cases 40. According to Duverger\'s characterization, in a semi-presindential system the president has opposite him a prime minister dependent on the confidence of parliament 41. Pluralism as a system of interest group representation emphasizes the role of the state in policy making 42. In a presidential system the head of government is not directly elected 43. During the Third Wave of democratization some countries experienced liberalizing reforms but never developed fully democratic regimes. Such hybrid regimes mix democratic and authoritarian elements which is why some scholars refer them as grey zone regimes 44. The rise of TV as a channel of political communication has made personalities of leaders the key factor impacting voter choice 45. Federations can be slow in their decision-making, particularly when there is a social crisis such as a school shooting 46. In a single-party system no other parties than the ruling one are allowed to exist 47. In a closed primary, only party members can vote 48. Providing patronage is one of the means by which an authoritarian regime can sustain itself 49. Issue voting has increased in contemporary European democracies 50. Multi-party systems often lead to coalition government 51. Legitimacy is a quality ascribed to a regime while authority is a quality ascribed to an official 52. In a parliamentary system the head of government dominates the executive 53. In a semi-presidential system the president is the head of government and the head of state 54. In a totalitarian regime, the public participates less in politics than in a democracy 55. Issue networks are characterized by hierarchical relations 56. Protective interest groups are concerned with a specific interest, promotional groups with a specific cause or issue 57. A two-party system often contains more than two major parties 58. Cartel parties secure more private donations through collusion with special interests 59. Pluralism in interest group repesentation emphasizes the role of the state in policy-making 60. Protective interest groups seek to influence policy via public opinion; promotional interest groups maintain close ties with the government 61. The competing interests of several sub-states in a federation make it harder to resolve shared problems 62. Traditional political cleavages gave rise to powerful political identities among the voters 63. Due to the rise of political marketing techniques, parties have been forced to appeal to ever more narrowly defined niches of electorate 64. In a personalist regime, channels of political participation are often heavily controlled 65. A filibuster is a parliamentary procedure to delay or kill legislation by extended speech 66. In a presidential system government is not dependent on the confidence of the legislature 67. In an electoral authoritarian regime electoral processes are controlled to such an extent as to prevent an opposition victory 68. Plurality electoral system favours political parties with geographically dispersed support 69. The term political regime refers to the set of rules determining who is entitled to participate politically, how political power can be accessed and the limits within which power can be exercised 70. Authority is a quality ascribed to a regime while legitimacy is a quality ascribed to an official 71. Party membership has become less important as a channel for political participation 72. Constitutional courts make judgments only on the constitutionality of laws 73. A two-party system often comprises more than four parties 74. In contemporary European democracies religious voting has declined slightly but is still a significant factor 75. According to Duverger\'s characterization, in a semi-presindential system the president is elected by universal suffrage 76. The variation in district magnitude is an important feature of majoritarian electoral systems 77. Patronage is not necessarily the same as corruption 78. De facto-state is a disfunctional state not recognized by the international community 79. Federal systems are found in large countries, unitary systems in small countries 80. Restrictions on private donations perpetuate the existence of cartel parties 81. According to Juan Linz\'s argument on the \'Perils of Presidentialism,\' presidential regimes are more likely to result in democratic breakdown because they are more widespread in poorer countries 82. Safe districts are electoral districts in plurality and majority electoral systems 83. In contemporary European democracies class has eroded as the basis for political loyalties 84. Affirmative action is a policy designed to overcome Weber's 'dictatorship of the official' 85. Mixed electoral systems are designed to maximize proportionality of electoral outcomes 86. Deconcentration is the way of decentralizing power in confederal states 87. Process tracing is a way of identifying cause and effect in statistical analysis 88. Cartel parties employ the financial resources of the state to finance themselves 89. Political participation in authoritarian regimes is often structured by patron-client relationship 90. Majority electoral systems are type of mixed electoral systems, plurality electoral systems are type of majoritarian electroal systems. 91. Quasi-state is a disfunctional state not recognized by the international community 92. In contemporary European democracies the personality of party leaders plays a crucial role in voters' choice 93. Term limits are rules that increase incumbency rates of elected MPs. 94. Partisan dealignment has been helped along by the rise of TV as a channel of political communication 95. Common law has its origins in the customs and traditions 96. Assymetric federalism arises when states within a union of sovereign states have unqual powers 97. Representative democracy is a type of liberal democracy 98. A political regime is the group of people, often from the military or a single party, who rule in a non-democratic manner 99. Large assembly size is a good measure of legislative strenght 100. The central feature of the lobbying business is its intensely personal character **Multiple Choice Questions** 1. Which of the following best characterizes a multi-party system with shifting coalitions 2. The center-periphery cleavage according to the cleavage theory of voting is a product of? 3. Which of the following is an example of global city? 4. Imagine a country in which elections are held under widespread allegations of the misuse of administrative rules to intimidate opposition politicians. What is the most accurate description of this regime? 5. Which of the following is the best solution to the problem of selction on the dependent variable? 6. What is the term used to refer to the sum of individual values and norms regarding politics? 7. Which of the following is not part of comparative research methods? 8. The (First) (Second) Third Wave of Democratization was a large-scale transition of countries to democracy. As to the countries involved, which statement is most accurate? 9. A country has granted autonomous legislative powers to regional parliaments. What is the term used for this process? 10. Which of the following is the best way of recognizing the relevance of a party in party system? 11. Which of the following political cleavages is the product of National Revolution? 12. Which term best describes a state with ineffective political institutions and deep internal divisions? 13. What term is used to describe a process by which decisions, laws and policies are made, with or without the input of formal institutions? 14. Which of the following is NOT a function of legislature in a presidential system? 15. Which of the following is the best solution to the problem of 'too many variables, too few cases' in comparative analysis? 16. Alternative vote (AV) is an example of? 17. What, according to Lijphart, is the principal characteristic distinguishing the comparative method from the statistical method? 18. The principle of limited government is a concept best associated with: 19. Which of the following best characterizes 'party identification'? 20. As part of a study of voting behaviour, you examine voters' attitudes toward political parties. Based on public opinion data you find that (1) the proportion of voters identifying with political parties has declined and that (2) there is a decline in the importnce of class and religion as predictor of voting. Which of terms best applies to this? 21. Which of the following is the most important difference between a multi-party system with shifting and alternating coalitions? 22. Which of the following most accurately describes Duverger's law? 23. Which of the following best describes 'social capital'? 24. Imagine a country where the head of the state is a monarch with limited powers. What is the best term to describe this system? 25. Which of the following can be considered unitary states? 26. What is dual federalism? 27. Which of the following is (is NOT) the mechanism by which media impact the public? 28. Imagine a country where the lower house has exclusive powers of legislative initiative and of approval of the budget, and the upper house cannot permanently block legislation that has passed the lower house. Which of the following statements is TRUE (NOT TRUE)? 29. Which of the following is the most accurate description of judicial activism? 30. What is the theory which posits a strong positive relationship between high level of economic development and democracy? 31. You are studying whether the..... party system has changed as a result of.... by looking at the manifestoes of political parties for the 2017 election. What is your unit of analysis? What is your level of analysis? 32. What term is most commonly used to describe an arrangement in which elected politicians distribute government jobs to those who supported the winning candidate? 33. Taken together, which of the following best characterizes social movements? 34. Some elements of direct democracy can be found in modern representative democracies. Which of the following is NOT a form of direct democracy? 35. Of the following, one is an example of conventional (OR unconventional) participation. Which one? 36. Party A originated in the 19th century as a parliamentary club of liberal MPs. Party B originated in the 19th century from a working class movement outside of parliament. Since World War II, both parties have significantly broadened their electoral appeal. What party type best describes these parties? 37. Imagine a government coalition consisting of more parties than is numerically necessary to obtain a majority in parliament. What is the most accurate way of describing this coalition? 38. Imagine a country where judges, in the absence of explicit legislation, formulate rulings on the basis of precedents from prior judicial cases. Which concept describes this situation? 39. Which of the following terms best describes what bureaucracy is? 40. What is the difference between power and influence? 41. What is the term used to describe a system in which talent, achievement and qualifications determine advancement? 42. A trade union for academics would be an example of: 43. Which of the following is NOT a type of single-case study according to Lijphart? 44. Which of the following measures can be seen as part of the New Public Management? 45. Imagine a researcher planning to study the regime in China as a typical case of Communist regimes concluding that all Communist regimes become developmental authoritarian regimes with a market economy eventually. How do you best characterize this research design? 46. What term most accurately describes the idea that the outcome of a political or social process depends on earlier decisions that lead down a particular path? 47. Which statement best approximates the meaning of the term "iron triangle"? 48. Imagine a 150-seat parliament involving the major center-right party with 50 seats, the major centre-left party with 42 seats and a centrist party with 26 seats. After long negotiations, a new government is formed including the center-right and center-left party. What type of coalition has been formed? 49. Which of the following IS (is NOT) a reason for the rise in judicial activism? 50. Imagine a country where the constitution stipulates that a) the school curriculum is a competence of the national government except in one single national sub-unit with a different culture and language, and b) that healthcare policy is an exclusive competence of all national sub-units. How would you describe this country's system? 51. Max Weber warned of the difficulties of keeping bureaucrats accountable. In recent decades, parliaments have taken action to enhance the accountability of bureaucrats. Which of the following is NOT an example of such a measure? 52. What is e-democracy? 53. Which of these statements best characterizes 'issue voting'? 54. Which of the following setups would make for the strongest parliament? 55. What does the 'Iron Law of Oligarchy' apply to? 56. Which of the following bests characterizes 'clientelism'? 57. You are studying the relationship between economic development and democracy. Having observed that, in general, democratic countries tend to be rich while non-democratic countries tend to be poor, you hypothesize that economic development leads to democracy. Which logic underlies this hypothesis? 58. Which of the following is NOT an element in the stages model of democratization? 59. Which of the following terms best describes the principle that decisions should be taken at the lowest level? 60. Which of the following best describes a system of central authority that derives its authority from sovereign states? 61. Which of the following is NOT the reason or the decline of voter turnout in recent legislative elections? 62. Which of the following is a function of political parties? 63. Imagine a country with a weak bicameral legislature. Which of the following powers should certainly NOT belong to the upper house? 64. Which of the following is the best explanation for why there are fewer women than men in high-level politics? 65. Which of the following is (is NOT) associated with participation gap (participation bias)? 66. Imagine a country with a Weberian bureaucracy. Which of the following features should (should not not) be part of this country's bureaucratic system? 67. Which of the following is (is not) the reason for the decline in party membership? 68. Which of the following best describes a system with directly elected president who has mainly ceremonial powers? 69. Which of the following terms best applies to a situation in which elites oblige people to take parts in political rallies to express support for the regime? 70. Imagine a democratic system in most citizens believe in the civic participation and largely accept the authority of the state. We refer to this phenomenon as? 71. Which of the following best describes the so-called "cohabitation"? 72. Which of the following best describes non-departmental agencies and commissions in modern bureaucratic systems? 73. Which of the following is NOT an example of second-order election? 74. Which of the following is the best way of characterizing bureaucratic authoritarianism? 75. Imagine a country in which responsibilities between different levels of government are shared and constitutionally entrenched? How would you best describe such system? 76. Trade union density is a term associated with? Choose one that best applies. 77. Which of the following is the best explanation for the emergence of post-materialist values in western democracies? 78. Which of the following is the reason for the expansion (OR the emergence) of states? 79. Which of the following best describes the ideas of Huntington's Clash of Civilizations? 80. Which of the following is NOT a form of political rule according to Aristotle? 81. Which concept refers to the sum of interactions through which a society reaches and enforces collective decisions? 82. Which of the following is NOT a major defining feature of the state? 83. What does the term "Westphalian System" refer to? 84. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic feature of nations? 85. Which of the following cases are prominent examples of democratization during what Samuel Huntington referred to as the First Wave? 86. Which of the following is the best way to describe an ideology? 87. Which commonality do most transitions exhibit according to O'Donnell and Schmitter's theory of regime change? 88. Which of the following is (is NOT) a strength of federal system of government? 89. Which of the following is (is NOT) the means by which parliaments can hold governments accountable? 90. Which of the following is NOT part of a cleavage? 91. Which of the following is (is NOT) the purpose for comparison? 92. Taken together, which of the following is the weakest function of parliament in a parliamentary system of government? 93. Which of the following is the best way to describe a political party? 94. Suppose you ask yourself the question of what would have happened had Britain won the US War of Independence. How would you describe this kind of reasoning? 95. Which of the following is NOT an argument against term limits for members of parliament? 96. Imagine you vote for a party list but are allowed to change the rank-order of candidates on the list. We refer to this as? 97. Party A. originated in the 19th century from a working class movement outside of parliament. Party B originated in the 21st century as a splinter group of a main Christian democratic party. Both parties now rely on professional party organization and state subsidies. What party type best describes these parties? 98. Which of the following is NOT among the most common structural components of constitutions? 99. Which of the following best describes a 'regression line'? 100. Which of the following best characterizes polarized multi-party systems?