Download Intro to CP – Midterm Study Guide: Key Terms Institution Selection

Intro to CP – Midterm
Study Guide: Key Terms
Institution
Selection bias
Modernization theory
Behavioral revolution
State
Regime
Government
Sovereignty
Autonomy
Capability
National identity
Ethnic identity
Political economy
Public goods
Private goods
Gross domestic product (GDP)
Inflation
Deflation
Types of political economy
Single Member District (SMD) system
Proportional Representation (PR) system
Civil society
Head of government
Head of state
Parliamentary system
Presidential system
Integration
Co-optation
Types of democracy
Types of nondemocracy
Selectorate theory
Clientalism
Corporatism
Rent-seeking
Intro to CP – Midterm
Study Guide: Key Questions
Weekly Analysis 1: Intro to CP
 What is political science? (*)
 What are the methods political scientists use to understand politics around the world? (*)
 What are freedom and equality? How does politics reconcile the two across countries? (**)
 In your opinion, what is the best method political scientists use? Why? (***)
 Why did you choose the major you currently have? What from this course do you expect to
be useful for your choice of career? (“None” will not be an accepted answer). (***).
Week Analysis 2: The Nation State
 What are the different forms of political legitimacy? (*)
 Why is political legitimacy particularly important and particularly difficult to attain? (***)
 What are states, regimes, and governments? How are they related? (**)
 How different are states from criminal gangs or terrorist organizations? How are they
similar? (**)
 Why do we have states? Would it be possible for people to live without them? (***)
Week Analysis 3: Political Communities
 Define ethnic and national identity. (*)
 What are the causes of ethnic and national conflict? (**)
 In your opinion, was the intervention in Guyana successful in reducing ethnic tension? (***)
 Define political attitudes and ideology. (*)
 Compare and contrast the four political attitudes. (**)
 Compare and contrast the five main political ideologies. (**)
 In your opinion, which of the five political ideologies dominates the American political
system currently? Explain. (***)
Weekly Analysis 4: Political Economy
 What are the fundamental components of political economy? (*)
 Define public and private goods. (*)
 What are the relative benefits and drawbacks of the major measurements – purchasing power
parity, the Gini Index, and the Human Development Index – in measuring relative wealth and
inequality across countries? (**)
 How is social democracy similar and different from liberalism? (**)
 In your opinion, does inequality pose a threat to any particular political-economic system(s)?
(***)
 What political-economic system is likely to produce the greatest amount of happiness? (***)
Weekly Analysis 5: Democratic Regimes
 Define: head of state, head of government, judicial review, and judicial independence. (*)
 Why are they important characteristics of ‘democracy’? (**)
 In your opinion, which theory of democratization explains the U.S. case? Why? (***)


Compare and contrast proportional representation and single-member-district electoral
systems. (**)
Design your own democracy. (***)
o Be sure to specify a particular electoral system, as well as the other main institutions
of a regime. Justify and defend all of your choices.
Weekly Analysis 6: Nondemocratic Regimes
 Define totalitarianism. (*)
 Compare totalitarianism to at least three other types of nondemocracy. (**)
 Describe and explain an example of one nondemocratic regime that has not been discussed in
class. (***)
 Can authoritarian rule be legitimate? Why or why not? (***)
 Why do illiberal regimes have such staying power? (**)
 You have just initiated and pulled off a military coup d’etat. How will you structure your
now-nondemocracy? (***)