Question 1

Which of the following statements about game theory is accurate?
A)It assumes rational,predictable behavior by individuals.
B)It considers cultural factors to be a major determinant of human political choices.
C)Its primary political actor of focus is the institution.
D)It is used often in qualitative research.

Accepted Answer

Game theory assumes rational behavior by individuals and attempts to predict their behavior in strategic situations.

Question 2

A distinct comparative approach to politics first emerges with the work of
A)Marx.
B)Hobbes.
C)Rousseau.
D)Machiavelli.

Accepted Answer

Machiavelli's work, "The Prince," is a distinct comparative approach to politics as it compares different forms of government and leadership styles in order to provide advice for rulers on how to acquire and maintain power. This approach sets the foundation for later thinkers, such as Montesquieu and Tocqueville, to develop more systematic comparative approaches to politics. While Marx, Hobbes, and Rousseau all made significant contributions to political theory, they did not focus on comparative analysis in the same way that Machiavelli did.

Question 3

One big rift within the study of comparative politics is
A)poststructuralism versus critical realism.
B)epistemology versus ontology.
C)quantitative versus qualitative research.
D)structural versus agent-centered research.

Accepted Answer

C

Question 4

What is deductive reasoning?
A)starting from a hypothesis,then seeking out the evidence
B)starting from a single case,then generating a hypothesis
C)the process of testing evidence using extensive field research
D)using ideological assumptions to create policy

Accepted Answer

Deductive reasoning involves starting with a hypothesis and then seeking out evidence to confirm or refute it. It is a top-down approach that begins with a general premise and then works its way down to specific conclusions.

Question 5

Endogeneity refers to the
A)problem of distinguishing cause from effect.
B)use of methods from psychology to better understand comparative politics.
C)problem that some political questions may not have answers.
D)use of research from biology or other sciences to study human behavior.

Accepted Answer

Endogeneity refers to the issue of distinguishing cause from effect in observational studies, where the researcher cannot control for all possible confounding variables. This can create a situation where the observed relationship between two variables may be bidirectional or influenced by other factors not accounted for in the analysis.

Question 6

In which of the following ways were behaviorialism and modernization theory similar?
A)They both constituted a set of hypotheses about how countries develop.
B)They both rejected the study of politics as a means to generate specific policy outcomes.
C)They both attempted to broaden comparative politics outside of the European model.
D)They both constituted new,more scientific attempts to study politics.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In which of the following ways were...

Question 7

Which of the following could be considered a major challenge faced by political scientists in their use of the comparative method?
A)tendency of researchers to focus on too broad a geographic area
B)difficulty in choosing from among a large number of comparable cases
C)general reluctance to look at historical factors
D)difficulty in controlling variables

Accepted Answer

The comparative method requires researchers to control for various factors that could affect their analysis. However, it can be difficult to control for all relevant variables, and this poses a challenge for political scientists using the method. A, B, and C may also be challenges, but they are not as significant as the difficulty in controlling variables.

Question 8

Critics of the behavioral revolution accused it of which of the following?
A)It was too focused on history.
B)It had come to emphasize methodology over knowledge.
C)It had not fully embraced mathematical innovations.
D)It was not interested in developing predictive models of politics.

Accepted Answer

Critics of the behavioral revolution argued that it had started to prioritize research methods and techniques over actually gaining knowledge and understanding of political phenomena.

Question 9

Recent discussions of the future of comparative politics and political science have called for
A)a greater focus on the relationship between politics and environmental change.
B)a greater use of social media to promote findings.
C)a greater connection to real-world concerns and contribution to the ideals of civic life.
D)even greater distance between scholarship and real-world politics in order to remain objective.

Accepted Answer

There is an increasing call for political science to be more relevant to real-world concerns and to contribute to the ideals of civic life. This is evidenced by the emphasis on public engagement and impact in many funding opportunities and academic institutions.

Question 10

Which of the following statements best describes the current trend in comparative politics research?
A)There is discussion of moving away from predictive models toward a more historical-cultural approach to establish trends and patterns.
B)An evolution toward models that analyze politics and compare its role in different countries-inductively,deductively,qualitatively,and quantitatively-is well under way.
C)There has been a strong trend in comparative politics toward using quantitative methodologies to the near-total exclusion of qualitative methods.
D)More comparative politics scholars are using a mixed-method approach to conducting research.

Accepted Answer

More and more comparative politics scholars are using a mixed-method approach to their research. Quantitative methodologies are still utilized, but they are often supplemented with qualitative methods to provide a more complete understanding of the topic under investigation. This allows for a more nuanced analysis that takes into account both objective data and subjective experiences.

Question 11

Which of the following events marked a major turning point in the field of comparative politics?
A)World War I,World War II,and the Cold War
B)the Great Depression
C)the American Civil War and Reconstruction
D)the United Nations and NATO

Accepted Answer

World War I, World War II, and the Cold War marked major turning points in comparative politics as they reshaped the global political landscape, spurred the emergence of new political ideologies, and created new relationships between nations. These events challenged the traditional assumptions and frameworks of comparative politics, leading to new approaches and perspectives in the field.

Question 12

The shift in comparative politics away from political institutions (such as legislatures and constitutions)and toward individual political behavior is known as the
A)analytical revolt.
B)statistical turn.
C)behavioral revolution.
D)causal transformation.

Accepted Answer

The shift in comparative politics away from political institutions and toward individual political behavior is known as the behavioral revolution. This shift was in response to a perceived need for more empirical and measurable data in political science research.

Question 13

Which of the following statements about the current institutional approach to comparative politics is accurate?
A)It rejects the value of studying how individuals shape politics.
B)It accepts the basic tenets of modernization theory but provides more empirical support.
C)It shares an emphasis on the importance of institutions with pre-1950s comparative politics research.
D)It differs from behavioralism in its rejection of cause-and-effect relationships.

Accepted Answer

The current institutional approach to comparative politics shares an emphasis on the importance of institutions with pre-1950s comparative politics research. This approach argues that institutions, such as formal rules and procedures, play a crucial role in shaping political outcomes. It differs from modernization theory, which suggests that economic development leads to democratization, and from behavioralism, which focuses on individual behavior rather than institutions. It does not reject the value of studying how individuals shape politics but rather sees institutions as a mediating factor in this process.

Question 14

What is inductive reasoning?
A)starting from a hypothesis,then seeking out the evidence
B)starting from a single case,then generating a hypothesis
C)the process of testing evidence using extensive field research
D)using ideological assumptions to create policy

Accepted Answer

Inductive reasoning involves starting with specific observations or cases and using them to develop a general hypothesis or theory. It does not begin with a pre-existing hypothesis, which is typical of deductive reasoning (choice A). Inductive reasoning also does not necessarily involve extensive field research (choice C) or using ideological assumptions to create policy (choice D).

Question 15

Which of the following would be an example of selection bias?
A)studying revolutions by looking at cases with outcomes of revolution and non-revolution
B)only studying evidence consistent with your political ideology
C)studying the causes of democracy by looking only at cases with outcomes of democracy
D)studying religiosity to see if it is correlated with postcolonial regimes

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following would be an...

Question 16

Politics is defined as the
A)battle over economic resources and their use.
B)struggle in any group for the power to make decisions for the larger group.
C)ability to impose your values on others.
D)relationship between international actors.

Accepted Answer

Politics can be defined as the struggle within a group for power and decision-making. This includes everything from government elections to decision-making in a small group. While economics and values may play a role in politics, they are not the defining characteristics. Additionally, while international relations are part of politics, this definition is broader and encompasses all levels of decision-making within a group.

Question 17

An institution can be defined as any
A)object or value that people support through public funds.
B)large,monolithic organization that depends on a core bureaucracy and a set of standard operating procedures.
C)organization or activity that is self-perpetuating and valued for its own sake.
D)organization or action that is subject to government regulation.

Accepted Answer

The definition of an institution as "an organization or activity that is self-perpetuating and valued for its own sake" matches the most general and inclusive definition of an institution. While there may be institutions that receive public funds, depend on standard operating procedures, or are subject to government regulation, these are not necessary or defining characteristics of an institution.

Question 18

Modernization theory can be defined as the view that
A)as societies develop,they will become capitalist democracies,converging around shared values.
B)each country and region will likely take a different route to modernization.
C)significant social and economic change is possible only through revolution.
D)the only way to modernize is to apply scientific methods to social and economic problems.

Accepted Answer

Modernization theory posits that as societies become more modern, they will adopt capitalist economic systems and democratic political systems, converging around shared values. This is based on the assumption that there is a universal path that all societies must follow in order to become modernized. Other theories, such as dependency theory, argue that each country and region will likely take a different route to modernization.

Question 19

A major criticism of comparative politics at the turn of the twentieth century was that it
A)relied too heavily on predictive models.
B)was too focused on postrevolutionary states.
C)employed too many quantitative methods.
D)tended to be descriptive,atheoretical,and Eurocentric.

Accepted Answer

At the turn of the twentieth century, comparative politics was criticized for being descriptive, atheoretical, and Eurocentric. It was argued that it lacked a general theory of politics and tended to focus on Europe and Western countries. It was also criticized for not employing enough quantitative methods. Therefore, the best choice is D.

Question 20

In case study research,one problem that may emerge is choosing only cases that match the expected results of the research question.This is known as
A)choice limiting.
B)inference liability.
C)selection bias.
D)norm bounding.

Accepted Answer

Selection bias occurs when cases are chosen in a biased manner that may not represent the population of interest. This can occur when cases are purposely selected because they match the expected results of the research question, leading to skewed or inaccurate findings.

Quiz 1: Introduction

Which of the following statements about game theory is accurate?

A distinct comparative approach to politics first emerges with the work of

One big rift within the study of comparative politics is

What is deductive reasoning?

Endogeneity refers to the

In which of the following ways were behaviorialism and modernization theory similar?

Which of the following could be considered a major challenge faced by political scientists in their use of the comparative method?

Critics of the behavioral revolution accused it of which of the following?

Recent discussions of the future of comparative politics and political science have called for

Which of the following statements best describes the current trend in comparative politics research?

Which of the following events marked a major turning point in the field of comparative politics?

The shift in comparative politics away from political institutions (such as legislatures and constitutions) and toward individual political behavior is known as the

Which of the following statements about the current institutional approach to comparative politics is accurate?

What is inductive reasoning?

Which of the following would be an example of selection bias?

Politics is defined as the

An institution can be defined as any

Modernization theory can be defined as the view that

A major criticism of comparative politics at the turn of the twentieth century was that it

In case study research,one problem that may emerge is choosing only cases that match the expected results of the research question.This is known as