Comparative politics unit test

Arab Spring

a movement across the Arab world in the early 2010s seeking to expand democracy

authority

the permission, conferred by the laws of a governing regime, to exercise power

blasphemy

insulting speech or publications about a religion or its tenets

broad legitimacy

the trait a government has of being seen by the broad population subject to its authority as rightfully exercising its power

bully pulpit

the potential power of the president to influence legislators and the broad population

charismatic legitimacy

the accumulation of legitimacy through forceful leaders whose personal characteristics captivate the people

civil disobedience

the nonviolent refusal to follow authorized exercises of governmental power with the purpose of demanding political change

coalition government

a group of smaller political parties that join together to create a majority

failed state

When a government completely loses controll, leaving a power vacuum where no one is actually in charge, or where a lawless group takes over by force

federalism

A regime type that splits up power between between national, state, and local governments, the national government handling big picture stuff for the majority of the population and local governments handling policy within their own specific areas

Fidesz

an ideologically conservative, nationalist party that enjoys popular support in Hungary

fragile state

a condition where the capacity of a state to exercise control over an area such that it can provide minimal conditions of law, order, and social stability deteriorates to a precariously low level

governing regime

a set of organizations with the ultimate power to make rules and use force within specific territory, while seeking to exercise its authority with legitimacy

hard authoritarianism

the condition where a regime acts without any consultation with the broad majority of citizens

head of state

a political leader who represents the unity of the country

Hindu nationalism

a political movement that sees India as an inherently Hindu country

Juche

the North Korean regime’s ideology of national self-reliance

judgments about legitimacy

the perspective of individual citizens or groups of citizens who make determinations about whether their government is or is not legitimate

Knesset

the unitary national parliament of the State of Israel

manufactured consent

support for a regime that results from state programs and activities designed to indoctrinate the people and instill that support

monopoly on the right to use violence

a government claim to the right to use violence or to approve its use by others

police state

a state that uses its police or military force to exercise unrestrained power (see also: security state)

political freedom

the freedom to participate in a meaningful way in democratic elections that can shape the actions of one’s government

power

the ability to impose one’s will on others to secure desired outcomes

propaganda

misleading statements and depictions meant to persuade by means other than rational engagement

rational-legal legitimacy

a type of legitimacy that develops as a result of the clarity and even-handedness with which a regime relates to the people

rightfullness

the property a constitution, law, policy, or electoral outcome has of being morally appropriate and consistent with basic justice and social welfare

rule of law

a condition where states operate within clearly defined legal rules

security state

a state that uses its police or military force to exercise unrestrained power (see also: police state)

shadow government

an organization, not authorized or desired by the government asserting rule over an area, that effectively displaces and serves the same function as the official government

soft authoritarianism

a condition where a regime affirms its right to rule apart from consultation with or approval from the public but nevertheless frequently seeks the input of the people and frequently attempts to advance what the people desire

supreme leader

in Iran, an office vested with ultimate political authority that must be held by a Shi‘a cleric of the Twelver school who is respected among the leading clerics of Iran; in North Korea, the popular name used for the nation’s most powerful leader

theocracy

a system of government in which religious leaders have authorized governmental power and possess either direct control over the government or enough authorized governmental power to be able to control the government’s policies

third wave of democratization

a movement that began in the 1970s that saw democratically accountable structures of government emerge in Spain, Portugal, South Korea, and, somewhat later, in Latin American countries such as Chile

traditional legitimacy

a form of legitimacy that accrues when the governing regime embraces traditional cultural myths and accepted folkways

unicameral

a legislative body that has only one house or chamber

unitary system

a system where the national leaders are elected by everyone in the country. These leaders make and carry out laws for the whole nation, though they may let local towns handle small, neighborhood-level issues

A governing regime is defined as ________.

1. a set of organizations with little power but constant legitimacy

2. an organization whose power is consistent over time

3. a set of organizations, with their associated rules and procedures, that has the authority to exercise the widest scope of power over a defined area

4. a set of organizations committed to revolutionary social change

A governing regime is defined as ________.

1. a set of organizations with little power but constant legitimacy

2. an organization whose power is consistent over time

3. a set of organizations, with their associated rules and procedures, that has the authority to exercise the widest scope of power over a defined area

4. a set of organizations committed to revolutionary social change

The taxing authority of government ________.

1. is a type of governmental power that can incentivize particular kinds of behavior

2. is used exclusively to raise revenue for the government

3. must in all regimes be exercised by elected representatives

4. is the weakest government power because it is subject to the will of political elites

The taxing authority of government ________.

1. is a type of governmental power that can incentivize particular kinds of behavior

2. is used exclusively to raise revenue for the government

3. must in all regimes be exercised by elected representatives

4. is the weakest government power because it is subject to the will of political elites

States of emergency ________.

1. are unknown in contemporary global politics

2. are periods where the ordinary operations of the legal system are suspended

3. are sometimes broadly supported and periodically and legitimately reauthorized

4. have the potential to erode the legitimacy of a regime if the people see them as abusive

5. b, c, and d

6. all of the above

States of emergency ________.

1. are unknown in contemporary global politics

2. are periods where the ordinary operations of the legal system are suspended

3. are sometimes broadly supported and periodically and legitimately reauthorized

4. have the potential to erode the legitimacy of a regime if the people see them as abusive

5. b, c, and d

6. all of the above

Which of these is not a way in which governments attempt to secure legitimacy?

1. Advancing tradition

2. Putting forward charismatic leadership

3. Taxing the people

4. Establishing authority

Which of these is not a way in which governments attempt to secure legitimacy?

1. Advancing tradition

2. Putting forward charismatic leadership

3. Taxing the people

4. Establishing authority

Hard authoritarian regimes often ________.

1. have strict voter registration requirements

2. violate human rights

3. advance the people’s desires despite not being democratically elected

4. form coalition governments

Hard authoritarian regimes often ________.

1. have strict voter registration requirements

2. violate human rights

3. advance the people’s desires despite not being democratically elected

4. form coalition governments

Morocco has an elected legislature, and although recent reforms have given the legislature and the judiciary expanded powers, the king still has the ultimate power to override any legislative or judicial decision. These characteristics make the Moroccan government ________.

1. a form of hard authoritarianism

2. a form of soft authoritarianism

3. a form of representative democracy

4. a socialist state

Morocco has an elected legislature, and although recent reforms have given the legislature and the judiciary expanded powers, the king still has the ultimate power to override any legislative or judicial decision. These characteristics make the Moroccan government ________.

1. a form of hard authoritarianism

2. a form of soft authoritarianism

3. a form of representative democracy

4. a socialist state

Democratic representative systems with a congress, president, and independent judiciary ________.

1. are unable to secure broad legitimacy

2. are found in a range of countries, including Mexico

3. all follow the same procedure for electing officials to every branch of government

4. are more likely than other types of systems to declare states of emergency

Democratic representative systems with a congress, president, and independent judiciary ________.

1. are unable to secure broad legitimacy

2. are found in a range of countries, including Mexico

3. all follow the same procedure for electing officials to every branch of government

4. are more likely than other types of systems to declare states of emergency

Democratic representative systems with a congress, president, and independent judiciary ________.

1. seek to have broad legitimacy by limiting government to a few core functions, such as maintaining domestic peace and stability

2. cannot be unitary regimes

3. cannot become corrupt

4. elect the president independently of the legislature

Democratic representative systems with a congress, president, and independent judiciary ________.

1. seek to have broad legitimacy by limiting government to a few core functions, such as maintaining domestic peace and stability

2. cannot be unitary regimes

3. cannot become corrupt

4. elect the president independently of the legislature

In a parliamentary system, ________.

1. the legislature selects the executive branch

2. there is a strict separation of church and state

3. the executive cannot be of the same party as the majority of members of the legislature

4. none of the above

In a parliamentary system, ________.

1. the legislature selects the executive branch

2. there is a strict separation of church and state

3. the executive cannot be of the same party as the majority of members of the legislature

4. none of the above

In illiberal representative regimes, ________.

1. people lack political freedom

2. there is broad support for individual rights and liberties

3. people elect representatives

4. religious freedoms are paramount

In illiberal representative regimes, ________.

1. people lack political freedom

2. there is broad support for individual rights and liberties

3. people elect representatives

4. religious freedoms are paramount

Pakistan ________.

1. is a majority Hindu country

2. is a majority Christian country

3. was created to uphold Islamic values

4. has designated 14 specific religious communities as being entitled to religious freedom

Pakistan ________.

1. is a majority Hindu country

2. is a majority Christian country

3. was created to uphold Islamic values

4. has designated 14 specific religious communities as being entitled to religious freedom

Blasphemy is ________.

1. the act of giving praise to a religion

2. insulting speech or publications about a religion or its tenets

3. strictly protected around the world

4. the primary political issue in contemporary Venezuela

Blasphemy is ________.

1. the act of giving praise to a religion

2. insulting speech or publications about a religion or its tenets

3. strictly protected around the world

4. the primary political issue in contemporary Venezuela

Representative democratic governments ________.

1. inevitably become dictatorships

2. inevitably uphold individual rights and human equality as defined by Western human rights organizations

3. can embody values that human rights organizations criticize

4. are found only in the United States, Canada, and a few remote islands in the South Pacific

Representative democratic governments ________.

1. inevitably become dictatorships

2. inevitably uphold individual rights and human equality as defined by Western human rights organizations

3. can embody values that human rights organizations criticize

4. are found only in the United States, Canada, and a few remote islands in the South Pacific