PSC Core Political Theory 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What distinguishes a 'liberal' democracy from other forms of democracy?
- It is led by left-wing political parties
- It protects individual rights and limits government power through constitutional constraints (Correct answer)
- It requires proportional representation in elections
- It mandates free-market economic policies
Correct answer: It protects individual rights and limits government power through constitutional constraints
Liberal democracy combines majority rule with protections for individual rights and minority interests, typically through constitutional limits on government power.
Question 2: In Marxist political theory, the 'base' of society refers to:
- The military and police forces
- The economic structure and relations of production (Correct answer)
- The cultural values and norms of a society
- The elected government and legislature
Correct answer: The economic structure and relations of production
Marx distinguished the economic 'base' (the means and relations of production) from the ideological 'superstructure' (politics, culture, law), arguing the base shapes the superstructure.
Question 3: Which theory holds that a small, cohesive elite effectively controls political decision-making regardless of formal democratic processes?
- Pluralism
- Institutionalism
- Elite theory (Correct answer)
- Rational choice theory
Correct answer: Elite theory
Elite theory, associated with thinkers like C. Wright Mills, argues that political power is concentrated in the hands of a small, interconnected group of corporate, military, and government leaders.
Question 4: What is the core claim of 'social contract' theory?
- Citizens must always obey the state in exchange for protection
- Political authority arises from an agreement (real or hypothetical) among individuals (Correct answer)
- Governments earn legitimacy solely through military conquest
- The natural state of humanity is political order
Correct answer: Political authority arises from an agreement (real or hypothetical) among individuals
Social contract theory argues that political authority and obligation are grounded in a (real or hypothetical) agreement among individuals to form a political community.
Question 5: Which concept describes the idea that a government's power should be divided among separate institutions to prevent tyranny?
- Federalism
- Separation of powers (Correct answer)
- Judicial review
- Proportional representation
Correct answer: Separation of powers
Separation of powers, championed by Montesquieu, divides governmental authority among legislative, executive, and judicial branches to prevent any single entity from holding unchecked power.
Question 6: Communitarianism, as a political philosophy, emphasizes which of the following?
- The absolute priority of individual rights over community interests
- The importance of community, shared values, and social obligations in political life (Correct answer)
- The elimination of private property to achieve equality
- Direct citizen participation in all government decisions
Correct answer: The importance of community, shared values, and social obligations in political life
Communitarianism argues that individual identity and moral life are shaped by community ties, and that politics must balance individual rights with communal responsibilities.
PSC Core Political Theory 2
What distinguishes a 'liberal' democracy from other forms of democracy?