BSocSc Bachelor of Social Science Bachelor of Social Science Political Science 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which branch of political philosophy is primarily concerned with questions about what makes a government legitimate?
- Political economy
- Normative political theory (Correct answer)
- Empirical political science
- Comparative politics
Correct answer: Normative political theory
Normative political theory addresses evaluative questions about political authority, justice, rights, and the moral basis of governmental legitimacy.
Question 2: What does the 'median voter theorem' predict about political competition in a two-party system?
- Parties will adopt extreme positions to energize their base
- Parties will converge toward the policy preferences of the ideological center (Correct answer)
- Voter turnout determines which party wins
- Third parties inevitably capture a majority of votes
Correct answer: Parties will converge toward the policy preferences of the ideological center
The median voter theorem, developed by Duncan Black and Anthony Downs, predicts that in a two-candidate race, both candidates will adopt positions near the median voter's preference.
Question 3: Which concept refers to the overrepresentation of organized, narrow interest groups in policy-making at the expense of broader public interests?
- Pluralism
- Iron triangle
- Elite theory
- Capture theory (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Capture theory
Capture theory describes how regulatory agencies can come to be dominated by the industries they are supposed to regulate, favoring narrow private interests over the public good.
Question 4: What distinguishes a 'failed state' from other types of political instability?
- The loss of monopoly on the legitimate use of force and inability to provide basic public goods (Correct answer)
- High levels of government corruption
- Frequent changes in executive leadership
- Economic recession exceeding five years
Correct answer: The loss of monopoly on the legitimate use of force and inability to provide basic public goods
A failed state is characterized by the collapse of central governmental authority, including the inability to maintain a monopoly on violence or deliver basic services.
Question 5: In the U.S. Congress, what is the purpose of a 'filibuster'?
- To fast-track legislation through committee review
- To delay or block a Senate vote by extended debate (Correct answer)
- To override a presidential veto
- To remove a member from a committee
Correct answer: To delay or block a Senate vote by extended debate
A filibuster is a procedural tactic in the U.S. Senate where a senator or group of senators extend debate to prevent or delay a vote on legislation.
Question 6: Which concept from John Locke's political theory most directly influenced the Declaration of Independence?
- The general will
- Natural rights and social contract (Correct answer)
- The categorical imperative
- The veil of ignorance
Correct answer: Natural rights and social contract
Locke's theory of natural rights (life, liberty, property) and the social contract, which allows revolution against tyrannical government, directly shaped Jefferson's drafting of the Declaration.
Question 7: What does 'gerrymandering' refer to in American electoral politics?
- Voter suppression through literacy tests
- Manipulating district boundaries to advantage a particular party (Correct answer)
- The practice of vote-buying
- Restricting ballot access for third-party candidates
Correct answer: Manipulating district boundaries to advantage a particular party
Gerrymandering involves drawing electoral district lines in ways that favor one political party over another by concentrating or diluting the voting power of particular groups.
BSocSc Bachelor of Social Science Bachelor of Social Science Political Science 3
Which branch of political philosophy is primarily concerned with questions about what makes a government legitimate?