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POSC 215
Kesselman, pgs. 11-16, C:CP2-15
Part 1
THEMES FOR COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
True or False Questions
1. Kesselman, et. al., argue that states dwarf other influential actors, such as transnational
corporations, in the exercise of power that matters. True or False
2. The authors believe that the wide array of international organizations and treaties do not
challenge the sovereign control of national governments within their own territories. True or
False
3. A country’s political borders can and do protect its citizens from global warming,
environmental pollution, or infectious diseases that come from abroad. True or False
4. The fundamental purpose of the World Trade Organization (WTO) is to lower or remove
barriers to free trade. True or False
5. Whenever the IMF provides financial or technical assistance to a country, it does so without
any strings attached if it is identified as a Third World country. True or False
6. The success of states in maintaining sovereign authority and control over their people is
greatly affected by their ability to ensure that enough goods are produced and services delivered
to satisfy the needs and demands of their populations. True or False
7. China’s stunning success in promoting economic development has not generated much
support for the communist regime in that country. True or False
8. Political scientist Adam Przeworski and colleagues have concluded, after an exhaustive
comparison of the economic performance of democratic and authoritarian states, that democratic
systems are better at achieving superior economic performance. True or False
9. What distinguishes gross domestic product (GDP) from gross national product (GNP) is the
latter (GNP) takes into considering GDP plus income earned abroad by the country’s residents.
True or False
10. The GDP of a country is a useful measure because it takes into account the population and its
quality of life. True or False
11. India has a higher per capita income than China. True or False
12. The United States not only has by far the largest economy in the world and but also has the
highest per capita income as well. True or False
2-1
Multiple Choice Questions
1. An example of a non-governmental organization (NGO) that plays a crucial role in the world
of politics: a) Microsoft, b) Amnesty International, c) the United Nations, d) the World Trade
Organization.
2. A treaty among the United States, Mexico, and Canada implemented on January 1, 1994, that
largely eliminates trade barriers among the three nations and establishes procedures to resolve
trade disputes: a) NAFTA, b) SEATO, c) NATO, d) ASEAN.
3. What was an important reason for the rejection of communism and the disintegration of the
Soviet Union and its allies in Eastern Europe in 1989? a) an inadequate economic performance,
b) lack of a free press, c) the inability to participate in elections, d) poor health care system.
4. Refers to the interaction between politics and economics, that is, to how government actions
affect economic performance and how economic performance in turn affects a country’s political
processes: a) political integration, b) assimilated governance, c) political economy, d) public
economic assimilation.
5. These countries have been referred to as “economic miracles” by comparativists: a) Poland,
Romania, Hungary, b) Turkey, Greece, Estonia, c) Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, d) India,
Bangladesh, Pakistan.
6. A policy promotes ecologically sound ways to modernize the economy and raise the standard of
living: a) sustainable development, b) synchronized growth, c) environmental efficiency, d)
specialized accountability.
7. The total of all goods and services produced within a country that is used as a broad measure
of the size of its economy: a) Gross Domestic Product, b) Gross National Product, c) Per Capita
Income, d) Institutional Economic Indicators.
8. The following takes into account the real cost of living in a particular country by calculating
how much it would cost in the local currency to buy the same “basket of goods” in different
countries: a) sustainable economic integration, b) purchasing power parity, c) per capita
economic equality, d) economic equality proliferation.
9. Although China is ranked second in the world, in terms of Gross Domestic Product, it falls to
120th out of 227 economies because its GDP per capita is: a) $3,200, b) $9,800, c) $12,300, d)
$16,800.
10. The level of economic development and citizens’ standard of living in different countries: a)
gross domestic product per capita, b) gross demand product per capita, c) gross annual product
per family, d) gross productivity per person.
Fill-in Questions
2-2
1. Institutional design refers to:
a) the relationships between __________, ____________, and judicial branches of
government and
b) between the _________ government and ____________ units such as states in the
United States.
2. The International Monetary Fund (IMF):
a) is the global institution with a ________ to
b) foster global monetary ____________, secure financial stability, facilitate international
______, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce
________.
3. The Social Progress Index (SPI) is derived from twelve measures such as
a) shelter, _______ and wellness,
b) __________ sustainability,
c) personal ________ and
d) choice, and __________ and inclusion.
4. Why is it more beneficial to use exchange rates based on purchasing power parity (PPP) when
comparing the standard of living in a particular country?
a) Because PPP takes into account the real _____ ___ _______ in a particular country
b) by calculating how much it would cost in the local currency to buy the _____ basket of
goods in __________ countries;
c) Many scholars think that PPP provides a relatively reliable (and revealing) tool for
comparing the _____ of an economy among countries.
Answers
True/False Questions
1. True
3. False
5. False
7. False
9. True
11. False
Multiple Choice Questions
1. b
2-3
3. a
5. c
7. a
9. b
Fill-in Questions
1. a) executive, legislative, b) national, subnational
3. a) health, b) ecosystem, c) freedom, d) tolerance
2-4