Untitled Flashcards Set

 An institution can be defined as any… - organization or activity that is self-perpetuating and valued for its own sake

2. Endogeneity refers to the - problem of distinguishing cause from effect.

3. Modernization theory can be defined as the view the - as societies develop, they will become capitalist democracies, converging around shared values.

4. The shift in comparative politics away from political institutions, such as legislatures and constitutions, and toward individual political behavior is known as the - behavioral revolution.

5. The substance of politics is inevitably bound up in the struggle between -  individual freedom and collective equality.

6. What is a correlation? - a statistical measure that describes the relationship between two variables. It indicates the extent to which the variables move in relation to each other.

7. When we select our cases based on the dependent variable______, we are liable to end up with selection bias.

8. Sovereignty is primarily defined as the ability of states to carry out actions or policies within a territory independent of external actors or internal rivals.

9. What is a key difference between ancient states and those of today? unlike ancient states, modern states have clearly defined and defended borders.

10. The legitimacy of modern states is primarily derived from… rational-legal authority.

11. A state successfully makes a major change to its public education policy out of a belief that it is the best thing for the people, even though the public largely opposes the new policy. At the same time, the state proves largely incapable of maintaining law and order, or providing food and medical care, in a region that is suffering through a drought. In which of the following ways could this state be categorized? high autonomy but low capacity

12. Following from the work of Bruce Lawrence, fundamentalism can be defined as- an ideology that seeks to unite religion with the state.

13. Political attitudes are views regarding the - the necessary pace and scope of change in the balance between freedom and equality.

14. Imagine a country that has a government based on a strong commitment to equality over freedom. This is evidenced in the state controlling the economic resources and means of production, redistributing resources in pursuit of economic equality among the populace. This country would best exemplify which political ideology? communism

15. Anarchism and liberalism share the ideological belief that… the state is a threat to freedom and equality

16. Public goods are best defined as goods that…goods that are non-excludable and non-rivalrous.

17. In which of the following ways do both communism and mercantilism differ from liberalism? -They both involve more state ownership of industries.

18. Which of the following statements about mercantilism is accurate?  - Mercantilism directs the economy toward certain industries and away from others.

19. Purchasing power parity is a way to measure… - the buying power of income across countries.

20. In which of the following ways do institutional explanations of political violence differ from individual explanations? - Individual explanations place more emphasis on free will than institutional ones 

21. Which of the following could be categorized as an individual explanation for political violence?  Fundamentalism 

22. In which of the following ways does a coup d’état differ from a revolution? -Elites are the agent of change.

23. When nonstate actors primarily target state institutions such as the military, it is considered Guerrilla warfare___. When nonstate actors primarily target civilians, it is instead considered ___terrorism_____.

24. Which explanation for political violence is most deterministic? Institutional explanation

25. Some theorists believe the most important element in why some countries democratize and others do not is the role played by those in power and their strategic considerations. This is most consistent with which explanation for democratization? - political elites

26. In which of the following ways does a proportional representation (PR) system differ from a single-member district (SMD) system? - In a PR system, citizens are typically more willing to vote for smaller parties.

27. A diverse fabric of organizations created by people to help define and advance their own interests is known as - Civil society

28. Which of the following statements about the parliamentary system is correct? In a parliamentary system, the prime Minister is the head of government and is indirectly elected by the people.

29. Suppose you vote in an election for a slate of candidates from a particular party. The percentage of votes the party wins in a district determines how many seats in a district the party will gain at the national legislature. These districts are best characterized as 

multimember districts.

30. One of the downsides of a presidential system is that… it can lead to a divided government.

31. Many countries in Western Europe and North America are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. By virtue of their membership, they inherently give some of their sovereignty to the combined military of this collective defense organization. This is an example of - integration

32. How has the creation of the euro harmed the European Union? -It forced countries with radically different economies to share the same interest rates and monetary policy.

33. The development of an information-based economy is most consistent with what trend in developed democracies? - the shift toward postindustrial economies

34. The viability of the welfare state is most challenged by -increasingly old populations.

35. Nondemocratic regimes are best defined as political systems in which… - a small group of individuals exercises power over the state without being constitutionally responsible to the public.

36. How can modernization sometimes lead to nondemocratic rule? -Modernization can be destabilizing, leading to unemployment and dissatisfaction that sets the table for nondemocratic rule

37. Which of the following statements is consistent with the resource curse theory? Abundant natural resources often free those in power from accountability to the people; with no need to tax the people, their wishes can be ignored.

38. A system whereby nondemocratic regimes sanction a limited number of organizations to represent the public, and restrict unsanctioned ones, is known as - corporatism

39. In which of the following ways does clientelism differ from corporatism? -Clientelism relies on individual patronage rather than on large organizations.

40. What makes illiberal regimes different from other forms of nondemocracy? Maintain democratic institutions but undermine civil liberties and rule of law.

41. For Marx, which of the following was most important for explaining all human action? - economics

42. In which of the following ways has China’s transition from the communist model differed from that of Russia? It has sought economic change with little or no political change.

43. What was shock therapy? a series of proposed economic reforms that would convert postcommunist countries rapidly over to a free market system.

44. How did Marxist theory change the lives of women in most communist countries? - Women were given greatly expanding workforce and educational opportunities.

45. Why did central planning prove untenable? Information and incentive problems.

46. The borders of most current African states were drawn by colonial powers according to - The countries' boundaries had been artificially drawn by the colonial powers.

47. When we refer to “developing countries” we mean which two categories? - middle and lower income countries.

48. A system wherein a state extends its power in order todirectly control territory, resources, and people beyond its borders is known as - imperialism.

49. What is the middle income trap? Countries are unable to catch up to economically developed countries quickly enough and remain with stagnating economies 

50. Tariff and nontariff barriers are key tools most important to which economic strategy? - import substitution

51. Policies supported by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank to increase economic liberalization in less-developed countries are often referred to as the -Washington Consensus

52. In order to receive a loan from the International Monetary Fund, Mexico reduced its tariffs on imported goods and privatized several government-owned corporations. This is most consistent with - neoliberalism

53. What is foreign direct investment? is when an individual, company, or government from one country invests directly into business operations or assets in another country

54. One important impact of globalization on the study of politics is that it - blurs the lines between domestic politics and international relations.

55. Greenpeace is a good example of a(n) -  nongovernmental organization.

56. Critics of globalization speak of the problem of a “democratic deficit,” meaning… - the movement of power toward international organizations may reduce public representation and control.

57. What is the name of the process that creates intensive and extensive international connections, changing traditional relationships of time and space? - Globalization