Course Introduction
Comparative Politics Exam Preparation Guide
Comparative Politics introduces students to the systematic study and comparison of political systems, processes, and institutions across different countries. The course explores key concepts such as political regimes, state formation, governance, political culture, electoral systems, and public policy. Through case studies and theoretical frameworks, students will analyze variations in political structures, power dynamics, and the impact of historical, social, and economic factors on political development. By comparing democracies, authoritarian regimes, and hybrid systems, the course encourages critical thinking about the challenges and solutions facing governments worldwide.
Recommended Textbook
Essentials of Comparative Politics 6th Edition by
Patrick H. ONeil
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11 Chapters
385 Verified Questions
385 Flashcards
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Introduction
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35 Verified Questions
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Sample Questions
Q1) What is inductive reasoning?
A) starting from a hypothesis, then seeking out the evidence
B) starting from a single case, then generating a hypothesis
C) the process of testing evidence using extensive field research
D) using ideological assumptions to create policy
Answer: B
Q2) In which of the following ways does quantitative research differ from qualitative research?
A) It is more likely to have a specific geographic focus.
B) It is more likely to use inductive reasoning.
C) It favors a wider use of cases not restricted by area specialization.
D) Its variables tend to be less rigorously defined.
Answer: C
Q3) Which of the following events marked a major turning point in the field of comparative politics?
A) World War I, World War II, and the Cold War
B) the Great Depression
C) the American Civil War and Reconstruction
D) the United Nations and NATO
Answer: A
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Chapter 2: States
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Sample Questions
Q1) In which of the following ways does a government built primarily on charismatic legitimacy differ from one based on traditional legitimacy?
A) Charismatic legitimacy is much more likely to transform into rational-legal legitimacy.
B) Charismatic legitimacy has a better chance of being institutionalized.
C) Charismatic legitimacy would likely be much shorter-lived.
D) Charismatic legitimacy increases in power more from length of office than does traditional legitimacy.
Answer: C
Q2) Capacity can be defined as the
A) ability of the state to wield power to carry out the basic tasks of providing security and reconciling freedom and equality.
B) ability of the state to use its legitimacy to raise revenue and encourage adherence to rules and regulations.
C) state's ability to influence international actors either through military force or diplomatic means.
D) level of economic modernization of a country.
Answer: A
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4
Chapter 3: Nations and Society
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Q1) In which of the following ways do both conservatives and liberals differ from radicals?
A) They advocate removing existing institutions.
B) They do not see the need to fundamentally reorder the political system.
C) They question whether societal problems can ever be solved.
D) They advocate restoring values from previous or even indeterminate regimes of the past.
Answer: B
Q2) An institution that binds people together through common political aspirations is a(n)
A) national identity.
B) social movement.
C) ethnic identity.
D) state.
Answer: A
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Chapter 4: Political Economy
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Q1) Which political-economic system views private property as a form of exploitation?
A) social democracy
B) communism
C) liberalism
D) mercantilism
Q2) What are the relative benefits and drawbacks of using purchasing power parity (PPP),the Gini index,and the Human Development Index to measure relative wealth and inequality across countries?
Q3) What is a public good and why do states provide public goods rather than the market?
Q4) Public goods are best defined as
A) goods, provided or secured by the state, that are available for society and indivisible.
B) goods, provided or secured by the state, that only members of the state and government may use.
C) any goods that exist beyond the sovereignty of a state's borders.
D) any goods that exist solely within the sovereignty of a state's borders.
Q5) In what key ways does social democracy differ from liberalism? In what ways is it similar?
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Chapter 5: Democratic Regimes
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Q1) The idea of legal institutions to which everyone is subject is known as A) the reign of democracy.
B) the rule of law.
C) majority rule.
D) the consent of the governed.
Q2) Bicameral systems can be traced back to different representation for A) urban and rural groups.
B) religious groups.
C) regional differences.
D) economic classes.
Q3) A national vote initiated by the government on a particular policy issue is commonly know as a A) plebiscite.
B) referendum.
C) ballot initiative.
D) mass ballot.
Q4) Describe the role of economic modernization and political elites in theorizing about the emergence of democracy.Why are overall levels of wealth not enough to predict whether a country will opt for democratic reforms?
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Chapter 6: Nondemocratic Regimes
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Sample Questions
Q1) Purges are an example of A) co-optation.
B) coercion.
C) patronage.
D) corporatism.
Q2) Which of the following examples can be described as totalitarian?
A) the Soviet Union under Stalin
B) Iraq under Saddam Hussein
C) Saudi Arabia under the Saud family
D) China under Jiang Zemin
Q3) As a political system,totalitarianism is
A) common.
B) rare.
C) common only in Latin America.
D) common only in Africa.
Q4) Bureaucratic authoritarianism often justifies military rule by asserting that
A) only the military can restore public pride.
B) only technocratic leadership can rise above "irrational" politics.
C) civilians are inferior to the officer corps.
D) only the educated elites should be given the right to rule.
Page 8
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Chapter 7: Political Violence
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Q1) What type of explanation for political violence is best understood as finding a "root source" for violence?
A) ideational
B) individual
C) institutional
D) ideological
Q2) What are some commonalities in the backgrounds of those who commit terrorist acts? Why are the more common explanations of religious fundamentalism and lack of education problematic?
Q3) In which of the following ways must the study of terrorism necessarily differ from the study of revolutions?
A) There is less focus on outcomes.
B) Ideational explanations are less emphasized.
C) There is greater focus on institutional causes.
D) There is less concentration on individual actors.
Q4) States most often engage in state-sponsored terrorism as a means of
A) engaging in cosmic war.
B) encouraging domestic social unrest.
C) influencing foreign policy.
D) silencing political dissent.
Page 9
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Chapter 8: Developed Democracies
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Q1) What is the chief advantage that a categorization using "developed," "communist/postcommunist," and "developing" might have over the "three worlds" model?
A) It keeps the focus on the political nature of the government without resorting to Cold War-specific designations.
B) It focuses on economic status, which is the best way to summarize a state's character.
C) It incorporates the Human Development Index into categorization.
D) It allows for the possibility that a country might transform and take on a new designation.
Q2) Which is the better approach to dealing with immigration: multiculturalism or assimilation? Why? What are the benefits and drawbacks of each?
Q3) Germany,Canada,and the United States are comparable in ________ but very different in ________.
A) the size and nature of the welfare system; the nature of postmodern values
B) their Gini index measure of inequality; public policy toward immigration
C) level of economic development; their Gini index measure of inequality
D) the nature of postmodern values; public policy toward immigration
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Page 10
Chapter 9: Communism and Postcommunism
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Q1) How were religion,gender relations,sexuality,and nationalism handled under communist regimes? Were preexisting ethnic identities reduced or sharpened,and why?
Q2) For most of his career,Marx generally argued that communist revolution was most likely in
A) countries where capitalism was most advanced.
B) countries with an underdeveloped bourgeoisie.
C) poor countries.
D) Europe.
Q3) The promise of which of the following has served as a major source of attraction for followers of communism?
A) economic equality
B) environmental justice
C) religious freedom
D) individual wealth
Q4) Describe the political and economic strategies undertaken by Gorbachev as a means of reforming the Soviet Union.What changes did he propose in the international arena?
Q5) Why was communism able to spread across such a large part of the globe? What explains its attraction?
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Chapter 10: Developing Countries
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Q1) A system wherein a state extends its power in order to directly control territory,resources,and people beyond its borders is known as
A) imperialism.
B) unilateralism.
C) hegemony.
D) bipolarity.
Q2) Policies that require countries to privatize state-run firms,end subsidies,reduce tariff barriers,shrink the size of the state,and welcome foreign investment are sometimes known as
A) import substitution programs.
B) structural adjustment programs.
C) service-sector growth programs.
D) export industrialization programs.
Q3) The concept of a "hothouse economy" is associated with A) liberalization.
B) import substitution.
C) foreign direct investment.
D) communism.
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Chapter 11: Globalization and the Future of Comparative
Politics
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Q1) Critics of globalization speak of the problem of a "democratic deficit," meaning
A) democratic processes within states will weaken and limit the power of citizens to elect their own regional governments.
B) nonstate organizations need to be given more power in order to keep states in check.
C) nongovernmental and intergovernmental organizations will take on increasing democratic processes, reducing their ability to act quickly and efficiently.
D) the movement of power toward international organizations may reduce public representation and control.
Q2) In what way is the Internet unlike a typical international regime?
A) It has no norms that lead to a specific goal.
B) It is not seen as beneficial.
C) It does not link states or individuals together in a meaningful way.
D) It is more easily controlled by sovereign states.
Q3) Call centers and data processing are examples of what is known as
A) offshore outsourcing.
B) horizontal globalization.
C) localized globalization.
D) devolved labor.
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