POSC101: Exploring Politics (A Concise Introduction) Reading Question Flashcards

Flashcards I have created from this book by Gaspare M. Genna & Takeo Hiroi.

Define analytical thinking as described by Genna & Hiroi.

Analytical thinking is described as a way to solve issues by simplifying or summarizing multiple pieces of information to come up with the said resolution(s) for the issue(s). You could do this by thinking outside of the box & asking questions that help you grow your curiosity.

Describe politics according to Laswell (1938).

According to Laswell, politics is sort of what makes the world go round! Higher up you are on the political ladder = more money = more power!

What does the Cuban Missile Crisis reveal about politics?

This crisis reveals that politics is all about making yourself (as a politician) seem highly confident in your ability to run your jurisdiction. It is also about taking apart the mind(s) of other opposing politicians, and using it against them to (possibly) protect your people.

Differentiate between zero-sum games, non-zero-sum games, and positive-sum games.

• Zero-sum games = someone gains what the other person has lost

• Non-sero-sum games = has an outcome that either greater or less than zero (e.g.: both/all players can win/lose)

• Positive-sum games = many people a winning compared to losing (wins>losses)

Difference = amount of people that win/gain in the long run

WEEK 2 READING QUESTIONS

POSC101

Define the scientific method as described in the textbook.

Scientific Method = A systemic way of testing hypotheses & answer questions using data you can observe.

What are the steps of the scientific method?

1. Be curious about why things happen & develop a research question

2. Find evidence (supporting AND opposing) to test your hypothesis

3. Test your hypothesis (x = independent variable; y = dependent varaiable) (x = cause; y = effect)

4. Compare your results with your expectations (results vs. expectations)

5. Create your FINAL write-up (defend your conclusion(s) using the evidence)

What are theories and where do they originate from?

• Theory = a possible answer to a question which can be explained/an estimation of how the world works.

• They are derived from exisiting explanations/built on assumptions.

What are hypotheses?

Hypotheses = A simple statement that describes a relationship bewteen multiple variables that can be tested.

What is a parasimonious theory?

Parasimonious theory = a theory tthat can explain a phenomenon with only a few factors

From the video, an introduction to political science methods, highlight key takeaways about the research process in political science.

• Research what’s already out there (What have other people said about the problem being studied?)

• Hypotheses (What do you think is going to happen?)

• Gather data to test hypotheses

  • Be transparent (where did you get the data) (cite)

  • Make it easily available to others

  • Quantitative (numbers) vs. Qualitative (words)

WEEK 3 READING QUESTIONS

POSC101

Explain the different types of socialism.

Those who accept extreme versions/ideas (gov’t overthrowings) then there are those that use peaceful methods

Discuss the Marxist stages of development

Communal, Slave, Federal, Capitalist, Socialist, Communist

What is communism and how does it differ from socialismm or Marxism?

Communis removes all social classes, making everyone equal; while socialism creates a divide within social classes

Explain how religious doctrine can be used as an ideology in politics

Based on your religious background, you will resonate with one certain political party, more than the others. 

EX: The Bible talks about being fruitful and multiplying, so most Christians would see that as a valid reason to ban abortion (and therefore resonate with republicans OR conservatives)

Identify THREE forms of feminism

1. Liberal feminism (mainstream)

• women = men (CHANGE LAWS in order to achieve equality)

2. Marxist feminism

• to remove male & female inequalities (CHANGE ECONOMIC STRUCTURES; remove capitalism)

3. Radical feminism

• Patriarchy is TOO mainstream (CHANGE GENDER ROLES)

From the Crash Course film on political ideology, write down clear distinctions between liberals and conservatives in the U.S. political scene,…

Liberals want the government to do more in terms of assisting the PEOPLE 

EX: Social Welfare, social justice, changing laws

Conservatives want the government to take a step back (especially regarding the economy)

EX: STRONG belief in free-trade market (no gov’t controlled barriers (tariffs, fees, ex.)

BUT these views can be interchangeable!

WEEK 3 READING QUESTIONS

POSC101

Define political culture and its role in explaining political behavior

Political culture is a way to hold society’s norms and values, and also analyze politics.

It can be used to analyze why people from different cultures hold certain political views

Describe the political socialization process (including the transfer of values & norms between generation)

Primary agents: educators, family members (have the earliest impact on you)

Secondary agents: friends (crucial during the teens stage), media members, civic/religious organization members, types of media

Explore how political culture can change over time

The economic situation/state during that time

Explain th econnection between political values and attitudes

One’s political values help show their attitude towards certain political issues

WEEK 4 READING QUESTIONS

POSC101

Define the following terms as used in the text

• Authority - the power to give orders and make decisions

• Belief system - views that people believe the political world should be like

• Collectivist attitudes - the attitude that people should work together to succeed

• Consensual societies vs. contentious societies: consensuals work better together (trust one another); contentious have difficulties working with others (hold negative attitudes towards one another)

• Genocide - systemic mass murder of a certain group of people 

EX: Holocaust, Rwanda, Ottomans’ genocide of Armenians

• Norms - what society views as acceptable behavior

• Political Socialization - the process of teaching/learning societal norms

- Agents of political socialization:

• Primary Agents

• Secondary Agents

WEEK 5 READING QUESTIONS

POSC101

Define political behavior and explain how it is influenced by information

Any form of engagement within the political process

EX: voting, watching political advertisements

The infomration you are fed through political agents can heavily impact the way you think about politics, further impacting your behavior in the long run

Explain the importance of one and two-way communication and how it changes in technology produce new types of mass media communication

Many mass media sources spread political news through one-way communication (unable to engage in dialogue), compared to two-way communication (where dialogue is possible now). One-way communication is prone to spreading misinformation and disinformation to the public.

Explain why people place themselves into social identity groups and demonstartae how identity affects politics in different parts of the world.

People place themselves into social identity groups because of the “in-group favoritism” phenomenon. As people place themselves into specific social groups, they are prone to receiving avrious gifts/rewards/perks to being a part of this group. For example, if you are white/identify as white, you will be able to receive white privilege.