Posc 339 Test 2

Front 1

When examining the postcommunist countries that were more successful at their economic transitions, we find that, compared to the less successful postcommunist countries, they

Back 1

had a stronger rule of law, which protected property rights and prevented corruption.

Front 2

In many postcommunist countries, ________ has experienced a resurgence, in part because the governments have promoted it as a political tool to help legitimize the state.

Back 2

religion

Front 3

While Marx argued that, under communism, differences in ________ would disappear, under communist rule they actually increased.

Back 3

ethnicity and nationalism

Front 4

From 1989 to 1991, mass protests emerged across the communist world, toppling governments and leading to regime change. Which communist country had a mass protest, but one that failed to bring regime change?

Back 4

China

Front 5

In the Soviet Union and in Mao’s China, what was the consequence of the state shifting from market forces to central planning?

Back 5

shortages in industry and agriculture, leading to massive famine

Front 6

Communism envisioned complete economic, social, and political equality between men and women. The reality under communist rule was that

Back 6

while laws changed, society did not; traditional patterns of sexism persisted inside and outside the home.

Front 7

Communism is an ideology that seeks to create human equality by eliminating

Back 7

private property and market forces.

Front 8

Lenin led a communist revolution in Russia in 1917; he changed Marx’s original theory by

Back 8

arguing that revolution could be carried out in less developed countries if led by a “vanguard of the proletariat.”

Front 9

Marx believed that history reflected a trend, not toward evolution, but rather toward revolution; at each major point in history, the existing order (the thesis) would be confronted by new technology, generating a challenge to this order (the antithesis). Ultimately, this challenge would culminate in a revolution, where the old order is overthrown and a new one put in place (the synthesis). What is this process known as?

Back 9

dialectical materialism

Front 10

Marx was highly critical of ________, which he argued was used to legitimize poverty and inequality.

Back 10

religion

Front 11

In China, Mao broke with Marxism and Leninism by

Back 11

focusing on the peasantry instead of the working class.

Front 12

Marx predicted that, following the final revolution, the system of government that would emerge in the communist utopia would be a

Back 12

stateless anarchy.

Front 13

Communist parties used co-optation to maintain control. This can been seen most clearly in the nomenklatura, which involved

Back 13

staffing jobs in the state, government, and society with people approved by the Party

Front 14

The transition toward democracy has been more successful in Eastern Europe than in the former Soviet Union, partly because Eastern European countries

Back 14

adopted parliamentary systems, whereas the former Soviet Union favored strong presidencies.

Front 15

For Marxists, the ________ is the economic system of a society, which is made up of the technology (the means of production) and class relations (the relations of production).

Back 15

base

Front 16

Regarding economic transitions, what does marketization refer to?

Back 16

re-creating market forces of supply and demand

Front 17

Marx and most other communists rejected liberal democracy because they claimed that it

Back 17

deluded the people into thinking they had a say in politics when, in fact, only the wealthy had control.

Front 18

In many postcommunist countries, __________ was undeveloped, so establishing it was a significant democratic challenge.

Back 18

the rule of law

Front 19

Literally meaning “restructuring,” ________ was one of Gorbachev’s major reforms during the 1980s. It included political and economic liberalization.

Back 19

perestroika

Front 20

In communist parties, the ________ acts as a type of legislative body.

Back 20

Central Committee

Front 21

Under ______, a leader distributes the benefits of the state to a small group of key supporters and holds the rest of the society in check by the use of force.

Back 21

patrimonialism

Front 22

A scholar who argues that nondemocracy tends to emerge in countries with poor and uneducated populations fits best with which approach?

Back 22

modernization theory

Front 23

Under what conditions is military rule most likely to emerge?

Back 23

At times when governments are struggling with legitimacy and stability, especially during periods of mass protest, the military may intervene to restore order.

Front 24

Under bureaucratic authoritarianism, the military and the state bureaucracy believe that the problems of the country can be solved by

Back 24

rational, technical expertise rather than emotional ideology or public participation.

Front 25

In communist systems such as Cuba or China, the government has created and controls a single labor union, but all independent unions are banned. This is an example of a state seeking to control its population by using

Back 25

corporatism

Front 26

When we compare the types of government over the last 40 years, we find that the number of

Back 26

nondemocracies has dramatically declined.

Front 27

Illiberal regimes are growing in prominence around the world. What sets them apart from other nondemocracies?

Back 27

They have some features of democracy, but with important qualifications.

Front 28

Which of the following is a defining feature of nondemocratic regimes?

Back 28

The government is not constitutionally responsible to the public.

Front 29

Which of the following examples can be described as totalitarian?

Back 29

the Soviet Union under Stalin

Front 30

Co-optation is the appropriate term for the situation in which the state seeks to control its population by

Back 30

establishing a beneficial relationship with the people.

Front 31

Totalitarian regimes possess a highly centralized state and a regime with a well-defined ideology that seeks to transform and fuse the institutions of state, society, and the economy. These systems emerge only rarely; of the following, the only regime that could truly be described as totalitarian is

Back 31

North Korea.

Front 32

Cultural arguments hold that democracy requires a society that emphasizes

Back 32

individualism and secularism.

Front 33

________ lacks a consistent ideological foundation; instead, it emphasizes hostility toward elites and established states institutions and the need for people to “take back” the state.

Back 33

Populism

Front 34

nother commonly used term for nondemocratic rule is

Back 34

authoritarianism

Front 35

Kleptocracy, or “rule by theft,” may be thought of as an extreme example of

Back 35

clientelism

Front 36

Nondemocratic regimes often compel individuals by threatening harm to their lives and livelihoods. This is known as

Back 36

coercion

Front 37

One-party systems like China prefer to use ________ as the primary mechanism to ensure compliance and support.

Back 37

co-optation

Front 38

States with an abundance of oil or minerals often struggle with democratic development for a number of reasons. This is known as

Back 38

the “resource trap” theory.

Front 39

In North Korea, the Kim Dynasty has been elevated to a quasi-religious status and citizens are expected to keep pictures of their leaders in a importance place in their home. This is an example of

Back 39

a personality cult.

Front 40

Because the government is headed by a religious leader, some scholars have argued that Iran is best described as a

Back 40

theocracy

Front 41

Federal systems like the United States and Germany tend to have ________ legislatures.

Back 41

bicameral

Front 42

Democracy can be defined as political power exercised either indirectly or directly through

Back 42

participation, competition, and liberty.

Front 43

________ are one of the most fundamental elements of a functioning democracy. They enact policy, establish political accountability, ensure political competition, and act as political symbols that allow voters to navigate and participate in what can be complex political processes.

Back 43

Political parties

Front 44

One major advantage of ________ systems is that the executive has the ability to draw on a national mandate to create and enact legislation.

Back 44

presidential

Front 45

Though they vary greatly from country to country in how they act and how much power they have, three key institutions in a democracy are

Back 45

the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary.

Front 46

This type of electoral system elects an individual candidate from those competing in that district; the candidate with the most votes wins.

Back 46

first past the post systems

Front 47

In the development of democracy, which country gave us the Magna Carta, a document that laid the foundation for the idea of individual liberty?

Back 47

thirteenth-century England

Front 48

Some scholars argue that ________ systems are more effective because the executive and legislature are fused, which increases legislative efficiency and reduces the possibility of deadlock.

Back 48

parliamentary

Front 49

________ are individual rights regarding freedom that are created by the constitution and the political

Back 49

Civil liberties

Front 50

In the development of democracy, what was the major contribution of ancient Rome?

Back 50

republicanism, or representation through elected officials

Front 51

In a democracy, the executive has two roles: the ________ represents the nation at home and abroad, and the ________ deals with the everyday tasks of running the state.

Back 51

head of state; head of government

Front 52

When a court considers the constitutionality of legislation without having a specific court case to refer to, this is called

Back 52

abstract review.

Front 53

When each constituency elects only one member to the legislature (whether they win a plurality or a majority of votes), the system is called

Back 53

a single-member district (SMD).

Front 54

The governmental institution in which national politics is considered and debated is the

Back 54

legislature

Front 55

In the past, scholars of modernization theory argued that as societies developed economically, they would inevitably become more democratic. What was the reasoning behind their argument?

Back 55

As societies become more economically and socially sophisticated, citizens will desire more control over the state so they can protect their own interests.

Front 56

Which electoral system tends to have the most political parties (and the ones with the most party discipline)?

Back 56

proportional representation

Front 57

In parliamentary systems,

Back 57

legislatures and judiciaries are much weaker than the executive, as the prime minister is the major driver of policy.

Front 58

Most political science scholars would reject ________ explanations for why a country has failed to become a democracy; not only is this approach deterministic, it has a weak empirical record.

Back 58

cultural

Front 59

Which of the following organizations would be part of a country’s civil society?

Back 59

sports teams

Front 60

In the past, some scholars believed that Asia was not amendable to democratization. What was their primary explanation for what we now know is an incorrect assumption?

Back 60

Cultural: they argued that Confucianism and its deference to authority and emphasis on hierarchy contradicted core democratic values.