BGS, BSGS Bachelor of General Studies BSGS Political Science 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which theory of international relations argues that states are the primary actors and that power and national interest drive state behavior?
- Constructivism
- Liberalism
- Realism (Correct answer)
- Marxism
Correct answer: Realism
Realism holds that international relations are fundamentally shaped by competition among self-interested states in an anarchic international system, where power is the key currency.
Question 2: What is a 'filibuster' in the context of the U.S. Senate?
- A presidential veto of legislation
- A procedural tactic to delay or block a vote by extending debate (Correct answer)
- A committee's refusal to hear a bill
- A Supreme Court injunction against a Senate action
Correct answer: A procedural tactic to delay or block a vote by extending debate
A filibuster allows senators to delay or block a vote by prolonging debate; ending it requires a cloture vote of 60 senators.
Question 3: Which amendment to the U.S. Constitution granted women the right to vote?
- 15th Amendment
- 17th Amendment
- 19th Amendment (Correct answer)
- 24th Amendment
Correct answer: 19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, prohibited denying the right to vote on account of sex, enfranchising women nationwide.
Question 4: Which model of democratic representation holds that elected officials should act on their own judgment rather than simply mirroring constituent preferences?
- Delegate model
- Trustee model (Correct answer)
- Proportional model
- Pluralist model
Correct answer: Trustee model
The trustee model, associated with Edmund Burke, holds that representatives should use their own informed judgment to act in the best interest of constituents, not just follow public opinion.
Question 5: What is 'gerrymandering'?
- Voter suppression through identification requirements
- Manipulating electoral district boundaries to favor a particular party (Correct answer)
- The use of dark money in political campaigns
- Restricting ballot access through registration laws
Correct answer: Manipulating electoral district boundaries to favor a particular party
Gerrymandering is the manipulation of district boundaries to advantage a political party or group, named after Governor Elbridge Gerry whose 1812 district resembled a salamander.
Question 6: In political science, which concept refers to the government's ability to make binding decisions that are accepted as legitimate by the population?
- Authority (Correct answer)
- Power
- Coercion
- Influence
Correct answer: Authority
Authority is the recognized right to exercise power; unlike coercion, it depends on voluntary acceptance of a government's legitimacy by those it governs.
Question 7: Which U.S. constitutional provision requires that the federal government guarantee each state a 'republican form of government'?
- Full Faith and Credit Clause
- Privileges and Immunities Clause
- Guarantee Clause (Correct answer)
- Extradition Clause
Correct answer: Guarantee Clause
The Guarantee Clause (Article IV, Section 4) obligates the federal government to ensure every state maintains a republican (representative) form of government.
BGS, BSGS Bachelor of General Studies BSGS Political Science 4
Which theory of international relations argues that states are the primary actors and that power and national interest drive state behavior?