PSC Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield PSC facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Which amendment to the U.S. Constitution established the direct election of U.S. senators by popular vote? → Seventeenth Amendment
2. Which of the following is a common requirement for admission into most PSC programs? → A high school diploma or equivalent
3. What is the core claim of 'social contract' theory? → Political authority arises from an agreement (real or hypothetical) among individuals
4. Which term describes the closeness between what a measure captures and what the researcher actually intends to measure? → Validity
5. The concept of 'internal validity' in research design refers to: → Whether the research design correctly identifies causal relationships
6. Why might some PSC programs require an interview as part of the admission process? → To evaluate the applicant's communication skills and passion for the subject
7. What is a potential benefit of a career as a Legislative Assistant? → Opportunity to work closely with elected officials and influence legislation
8. Which type of political system concentrates governmental authority in a single central government? → Unitary system
9. What is 'federalism' as practiced in the United States? → A division of power between the national government and state governments
10. Which term describes a political system where citizens directly vote on laws and policies rather than electing representatives? → Direct democracy
11. What does 'gerrymandering' refer to in U.S. politics? → The manipulation of electoral district boundaries to favor one party or group
12. What does 'political obligation' mean in political philosophy? → The moral duty of citizens to obey political authority and law
13. A 'longitudinal study' in political science collects data on the same subjects: → Over an extended period of time
14. Which component is commonly included in a PSC program to demonstrate the integration of knowledge? → Capstone projects or research papers
15. Which body has the sole power of impeachment (bringing formal charges) against federal officials, including the president? → The House of Representatives
16. In the policy cycle model, which stage involves identifying a problem and bringing it to government attention? → Agenda setting
17. What is 'implementation' in the policy process? → The process by which government agencies carry out and put into effect enacted policy
18. A 'policy window' in Kingdon's multiple streams model opens when: → A problem stream, policy stream, and political stream converge
19. Which of the following positions might require strong communication skills and the ability to influence public opinion? → Political Campaign Manager
20. In comparative politics, 'corporatism' refers to a system where: → Organized interest groups are formally incorporated into policy-making
21. Proportional representation electoral systems tend to produce which type of party system? → Multiparty systems
22. In comparative politics, 'veto players' are best defined as: → Actors whose agreement is required to change the policy status quo
23. Which of the following best describes the goal of 'process tracing' as a qualitative research method? → To trace the causal mechanisms linking an independent variable to an outcome
24. Environmental policy often uses which economic concept to argue that polluters should pay for the harm they cause? → The polluter pays principle
25. Which term describes the process by which policy innovations spread from one state or jurisdiction to others? → Policy diffusion
26. Which concept, developed by Max Weber, refers to the exclusive right of a state to use physical force within its territory? → Monopoly on the legitimate use of violence
27. What is the purpose of the Electoral College in U.S. presidential elections? → To formally elect the president and vice president through state-allocated electors
28. Communitarianism, as a political philosophy, emphasizes which of the following? → The importance of community, shared values, and social obligations in political life
29. Samuel Huntington's 'third wave' of democratization primarily occurred during which period? → 1974–1990s
30. Which research method involves collecting numerical data and using statistical techniques to test hypotheses about political phenomena? → Quantitative research