Comparative Politics Questions

The executive who symbolizes and represents the people is the:a. head of state. d. chief executive.b. head of government. e. head of authority.c. ceremonial head.

Which of the following was an effect of the rapid development of many Asian countries in the 1970s on the study of democracy?a. It helped to discredit elite theory.b. It helped to discredit modernization theory.c. It demonstrated that elites were the driving force behind early democratization.d. It proved that a middle class was essential for democratization.e. It demonstrated that overall poverty is not an impediment to democratization.

Which of the following accurately describes a component of a mixed electoral system?a. Voters are allowed two votes, one for a candidate and one for a party.b. Voters are allowed two votes, one for a prime minister and the other for a legislative representative.c. Voters participate in a combination of proportional representation and multimember districts.d. Voters are allowed two votes, but both must go toward the same party (even if they are made for different candidates).e. The structure steers voters toward support of very small, independent parties.

What is meant by the term liberal democracy?a. a democratic system that values equality above allb. a democratic system that values personal freedom above allc. a democratic system that promotes participation, competition, and libertyd. a democratic system that promotes process, liberty, and minority rightse. a system with a high degree of income redistribution

Republicanism can be defined as:a. a system rooted in the ideology of liberalism, with its emphasis on individual rights and freedoms.b. a system that emphasizes separation of powers and representation of the public through elected officials.c. a political value that values individual rights above equality among individuals.d. a political value that values equality among individuals above individual rights.e. a system that emphasizes conservative political values.

Which of the following statements about legislative structures is accurate?a. Upper houses of bicameral systems are almost always elected indirectly.b. In bicameral systems, lower houses typically amend or veto legislation originating in the upper house.c. Larger countries are more likely to have unicameral systems.d. The majority of liberal democracies have bicameral systems.e. In the evolution of bicameral systems, lower houses were usually retained as a check on upper houses.

Which of the following is more likely to be a problem in a presidential system than in a parliamentary system?a. a policy disagreement between the legislative and the executive that results from a very small party in the legislature holding up a law by denying it a majority voteb. a policy disagreement between the legislative and executive that restricts lawmaking for a long period, even if the executive has become unpopular with the electoratec. the weakening of the judiciary over time as a result of conflicts between presidential and legislative authorityd. the growth of power in political parties as presidential candidates become more beholden to party loyalistse. unstable policymaking due to the indeterminate amount of time the president is in office

What is the inverted U-shaped relationship between democratization and inequality?

Are elections an indicator of a more democratic state?

2 key dimensions of Dahl's conceptualization of democracy

What factors explain the fact that transitions are rare and surprising when they happen?

Example of dominant party civilian dictatorship

Autonomy from Special Interests → ___________________

What institution in Iran has the ultimate authority to assess the compatibility of laws with Islam?

In Nigeria, Sharia law is part of the legal system in the ...

A benefit for corrupt president is the ability to ...

How is the Prime Minister voted out if they have a vote of no confidence?

In the British political system, effective policy making power rest primarily with the ...

Which country has the largest legislature?

What is typically a function of the Head of State in a Parliamentary System?