PSC Comparative Politics 3

Question 1

In comparative politics, 'veto players' are best defined as:

Accepted Answer

Actors whose agreement is required to change the policy status quo

Answer

Legislators who block all proposed bills

Answer

Foreign governments with UN veto power

Answer

Interest groups with formal legislative authority

Question 2

Federalism, as a system of government, is distinguished by:

Accepted Answer

Constitutional division of power between central and regional governments

Answer

All power residing in a single central government

Answer

A loose alliance of independent states with no central authority

Answer

Temporary delegation of power to regional governments

Question 3

Guillermo O'Donnell's 'bureaucratic-authoritarian' regime is characterized by:

Accepted Answer

Military rule combined with technocratic economic management

Answer

Governance by career civil servants

Answer

Authoritarian governance through religious institutions

Answer

Democratic elections with strong bureaucratic oversight

Question 4

The 'median voter theorem' predicts that in two-party competition, parties will converge toward:

Accepted Answer

The preferences of moderate centrist voters

Answer

Extreme positions to mobilize their base

Answer

The preferences of major campaign donors

Answer

Positions that sharply differentiate them from opponents

Question 5

In comparative politics, 'state capacity' most accurately refers to:

Accepted Answer

The government's ability to implement policies and exercise authority effectively

Answer

The size of a country's military forces

Answer

The economic resources available to the central government

Answer

The total number of civil servants employed by the state

Question 6

Arend Lijphart designed consociational democracy primarily for which type of society?

Accepted Answer

Deeply divided societies with multiple ethnic or religious cleavages

Answer

Ethnically and culturally homogeneous societies

Answer

Post-conflict societies immediately after civil war

Answer

Single-party states transitioning to electoral competition

Question 7

'Democratic backsliding' in comparative politics refers to:

Accepted Answer

The gradual erosion of democratic norms and institutions, often by elected leaders

Answer

Citizens withdrawing from political participation over time

Answer

Natural fluctuation in democratic quality during economic recessions

Answer

Reversion to authoritarianism through military coup