BGS, BSGS Bachelor of General Studies BSGS Political Science 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which voting system awards all of a state's Electoral College votes to the candidate who wins the popular vote in that state?
- Proportional representation
- Ranked-choice voting
- Winner-take-all (unit rule) (Correct answer)
- Instant runoff voting
Correct answer: Winner-take-all (unit rule)
Most U.S. states use the winner-take-all system, awarding all electoral votes to the candidate receiving the most popular votes in that state.
Question 2: Which concept in liberalism holds that individuals possess rights that cannot be legitimately violated by the government?
- Positive liberty
- Natural rights (Correct answer)
- Social contract
- Civic republicanism
Correct answer: Natural rights
Natural rights theory, advanced by Locke and Jefferson, holds that life, liberty, and property (or pursuit of happiness) are inherent rights governments cannot lawfully take away.
Question 3: What is 'judicial review' in the American constitutional system?
- Congress's power to override Supreme Court decisions
- The President's authority to appoint federal judges
- Courts' power to strike down laws as unconstitutional (Correct answer)
- The Senate's confirmation process for federal judges
Correct answer: Courts' power to strike down laws as unconstitutional
Judicial review is the power of federal courts, established in Marbury v. Madison (1803), to invalidate laws or executive actions that violate the Constitution.
Question 4: Which political ideology emphasizes tradition, social stability, and gradual change over radical reform?
- Socialism
- Libertarianism
- Conservatism (Correct answer)
- Progressivism
Correct answer: Conservatism
Conservatism values established institutions, traditional social norms, and incremental change, skeptical of rapid or sweeping political transformation.
Question 5: In international relations, what does the term 'non-state actor' refer to?
- A neutral country in a conflict
- A failed state with no functioning government
- An organization or individual influencing world politics without being a government (Correct answer)
- A state that has withdrawn from the United Nations
Correct answer: An organization or individual influencing world politics without being a government
Non-state actors — such as multinational corporations, NGOs, terrorist organizations, and international bodies — exert political influence without being sovereign governments.
Question 6: Which clause of the U.S. Constitution declares that federal law is the supreme law of the land?
- Commerce Clause
- Due Process Clause
- Supremacy Clause (Correct answer)
- Necessary and Proper Clause
Correct answer: Supremacy Clause
The Supremacy Clause (Article VI) establishes that the Constitution and federal laws take precedence over conflicting state laws.
Question 7: Which political science concept describes the tendency of voters to choose candidates based on party affiliation rather than individual candidate qualities?
- Split-ticket voting
- Partisan voting (straight-ticket voting) (Correct answer)
- Issue voting
- Retrospective voting
Correct answer: Partisan voting (straight-ticket voting)
Partisan or straight-ticket voting occurs when voters select all candidates from the same party, prioritizing party label over individual candidate assessments.
BGS, BSGS Bachelor of General Studies BSGS Political Science 3
Which voting system awards all of a state's Electoral College votes to the candidate who wins the popular vote in that state?