Comparative Politics Exam 2 Study Guide PDF

Comparative Politics Exam 2 Study Guide You will complete Exam 2 in class on Friday November 22. You will have 50 minutes to answer four (4) short answer questions and 15 multiple choice questions. Each short answer question can be answered in one thorough paragra...

Comparative Politics Exam 2 Study Guide You will complete Exam 2 in class on Friday November 22. You will have 50 minutes to answer four (4) short answer questions and 15 multiple choice questions. Each short answer question can be answered in one thorough paragraph of 4-5 sentences. This study guide is meant to help you organize your notes. It is not meant to be comprehensive. Anything you’ve read or we’ve discussed in class since Exam 1 may be assessed on this exam. Be able to outline answers to the following questions: What are the key differences between presidential and parliamentary systems? Why do some political scientists say presidential systems are more prone to instability than parliamentary democracies? What are the four features of an electoral system? Be able to explain electoral formula, ballot structure, district magnitude, and electoral threshold. How does list proportional representation work? What’s the difference between closed-list and open-list PR? How are majoritarian electoral rules different from proportional rules? How do political scientists classify party systems? What is Duverger’s Law and what does it say about the relationship between social cleavages, electoral rules, and party systems? What are the three types of gender quotas? What additional rules are needed to make gender quotas effective? What’s the difference between a majoritarian and consensus democracy? What are examples of institutions that reflect each view of democracy? What is federalism, and what are some of the reasons federalism might be useful? Be able to explain the characteristics of modern constitutions (entrenched/unentrenched and codified/uncodified). What’s the relationship between institutional veto players and policy change? How many veto players does the US have? What are they and how does this number compare to other countries? Here are some other important concepts you should review. Make sure you can define them and explain their importance/significance as it relates to comparative politics: First past the post Plurality vs. majority Cohabitation Natural electoral threshold Bicameralism Coup d’état