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Introduction to Political Science

Review Questions

Introduction to Political ScienceReview Questions
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1 .
Most ordinary laws require what percentage of the vote to pass?
  1. 75 percent
  2. 60 percent + 1 vote
  3. 50 percent
  4. 50 percent + 1 vote
2 .
What occurs most commonly when no party wins a majority of seats in a legislature?
  1. New elections are called.
  2. The legislature is disbanded.
  3. The largest party is given control.
  4. Parties form a coalition.
3 .
In democracies, where do ideas for new laws come from?
  1. Members of the legislature
  2. The public
  3. Groups that do work in a particular policy area
  4. All of the above
4 .
The rules that structure debate in a legislature are called:
  1. Sponsors
  2. Majority rules
  3. Parliamentary procedures
  4. Debate regulations
5 .
Which of the following is not a reason that committees are formed in legislatures?
  1. They allow legislators to specialize in certain policy areas.
  2. They allow legislators to delegate decision-making to others who are more knowledgeable.
  3. They give legislators more authority in that policy area than the executive.
  4. They give legislators an opportunity to take on leadership roles.
6 .
A legislator who uses a trustee model of representation will primarily rely on __________ to make decisions.
  1. their own knowledge and opinions
  2. their constituents’ opinions
  3. their political party’s stance on issues
  4. the opinion of the executive
7 .
Which of the following is the best example of descriptive representation?
  1. A White politician elected from an ethnically diverse district
  2. A Latino politician elected from a heavily Latina/Latino district
  3. A female politician elected from a district that is 50 percent male and 50 percent female
  4. A Republican politician elected from a district that voted strongly for the Republican candidate in the last presidential election
8 .
An electoral system in which seats are awarded based on the percentage of the vote that each party wins is called a __________ system.
  1. plurality
  2. first past the post
  3. descriptive representation
  4. proportional representation
9 .
Duverger’s law states that a __________ will result in two main political parties.
  1. plurality electoral system with single-member districts
  2. proportional representation system with multimember districts
  3. plurality electoral system with multimember districts
  4. proportional representation system with a fluctuating number of seats
10 .
A semi-presidential system has:
  1. A king and a president
  2. A premier
  3. A prime minister
  4. A president and a prime minister
11 .
What are the two primary differences between parliamentary and presidential systems?
  1. Oversight and voting rules
  2. Independence and selection
  3. Oversight and independence
  4. Independence and coalition formation
12 .
In a __________ system, the executive and the legislature are separate from each other.
  1. parliamentary
  2. semi-presidential
  3. authoritarian
  4. presidential
13 .
A legislature with only one chamber is called a(n) __________ legislature.
  1. bicameral
  2. unicameral
  3. proportional
  4. representational
14 .
Which of the following is a common reason for countries to have a bicameral legislature?
  1. Bicameral legislatures ensure a better citizen-to-elected-official ratio.
  2. Bicameral legislatures produce more thoughtful and durable legislation.
  3. Bicameral legislatures help give voice to different segments of society.
  4. Bicameral legislatures help make legislating faster and more efficient.
15 .
Which particular set of interests is represented in the German Bundesrat?
  1. The interests of the youth
  2. The interests of the members of the foreign service and the military
  3. The interests of the rural areas
  4. The interests of the states
16 .
Approximately what percentage of countries in the world have a unicameral legislature?
  1. 15 percent
  2. 25 percent
  3. 50 percent
  4. 70 percent
17 .
Which of the following is not a challenge facing legislatures today?
  1. Legislative deference
  2. Polarization
  3. Executive dominance
  4. Legislative dominion
18 .
A phenomenon in which leaders expand their powers beyond prior limits is called:
  1. Executive dominance
  2. Polarization
  3. Oversight
  4. Constituents
19 .
Executive dominance can occur:
  1. In the United States only
  2. Primarily in systems where the legislature and the executive are separately chosen
  3. Primarily in systems where the executive is a part of the legislature
  4. In Russia only
20 .
What challenge is occurring when people or groups divide between two extremes on an issue or position?
  1. Polarization
  2. Prioritization
  3. Oversight
  4. Legislative deference
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