Midterm

Question 1

What is Comparative Politics?

Answer 1

Study of politics within a state other than your own

Example: Aristotle

Question 2

Define Conservatism in political ideologies.

Answer 2

Natural, religious, harmonious, traditional order of all creations in a society

Question 3

What is Liberalism?

Answer 3

Focus on traditions to individuals, freedom, rationalism, and property as per John Locke

Question 4

Define Socialism in political ideologies.

Answer 4

Sharing production you have produced with your labor

Question 5

What is Science?

Answer 5

Quest for knowledge that relies on criticism

Question 6

What does ‘not falsifiable’ mean?

Answer 6

Cannot be proven false

Question 7

What are tautologies?

Answer 7

Statements that are true by definition

Question 8

What is the Scientific Method?

Answer 8

Method in Order: Question, Theory, Hypothesis, Test Hypothesis, Evaluation

Question 9

What is logic?

Answer 9

Convincing us through arguments; assessing if the argument is valid or not

Question 10

Define an Argument.

Answer 10

Logically connected statements, consisting of premises and a conclusion

Question 11

What is a Premise?

Answer 11

Assumption or idea that supports an argument

Question 12

What makes an argument valid?

Answer 12

Accepting the premises leads to accepting the conclusion

Question 13

What is a Categorical Syllogism?

Answer 13

Argument with major and minor premise and conclusion

Question 14

What is a Major Premise?

Answer 14

General statement about a category

Question 15

What is a Minor Premise?

Answer 15

Specific statement about a member of that category

Question 16

What is Politics?

Answer 16

Subset of human behavior that involves the use of power or influence

Question 17

What is the Theory of EVL?

Answer 17

Involves quitting, speaking up, or staying silent

Question 18

What does ‘Exit’ mean in the Theory of EVL?

Answer 18

Leaving or withdrawing from the system

Question 19

What does ‘Voice’ mean in the Theory of EVL?

Answer 19

Trying to change or improve the system through protests, voting, or activism

Question 20

What does ‘Loyalty’ mean in the Theory of EVL?

Answer 20

Accepting that your environment has changed and doing nothing

Question 21

What is a Failed State?

Answer 21

An entity that can’t control or enforce order in a certain area

Question 22

What are the three components of a state according to Max Weber?

Answer 22

• Given territory
• Monopoly on legitimate use of force
• Ability to maintain order

Question 23

What are Contractarian Views of the State?

Answer 23

The state is created when people agree to give up some freedom for protection and security

Question 24

What is the State of Nature?

Answer 24

Describes situations in which there is no state, as per Thomas Hobbes

Question 25

What are Predatory Views of the State?

Answer 25

States can threaten the security of citizens and exploit them

Question 26

What is Democracy?

Answer 26

Regime that outlines the rules of governance

Question 27

What is Early Democracy?

Answer 27

Direct democracy with small-scale assemblies, e.g., Athens

Question 28

What is Modern Democracy?

Answer 28

Representative democracy that is larger and more complex

Question 29

What is Modernization Theory?

Answer 29

Countries are more likely to become democratic as they become richer

Question 30

What are critiques of Modernization Theory?

Answer 30

Suggests only one path to development; Korea and China are counterexamples

Question 31

What influences whether a country is a democracy or dictatorship?

Answer 31

Cultural factors and ethnic identities

Question 32

What is Primordialism?

Answer 32

Ethnic identities are deeply rooted and unchanging over time

Question 33

What is Constructivism?

Answer 33

Ethnic identities are socially constructed and can change over time

Question 34

Conclusions about attitudes toward democracy suggest what?

Answer 34

Less to do with doctrine and more with circumstances and leadership