POLITICAL SCIENCE EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
What are the three types of political knowledge? - answer- descriptions,
explanations, and prescriptions
What are three ways that politics relates to the public? - answer- 1. politics is the
competition among individuals and groups pursuing their own interests.
2. Politics is the exercise of power and influence to allocate things that are valued.
3. Politics is the determination of who gets what, when, and how
Politics is the resolution of conflict
What is politics? - answer- The process of how power and influence are used to
promote certain ideas or values.
What type of questions do descriptions focus on? - answer- the "what" questions
Descriptions are based on? - answer- Facts
Description requires? - answer- assessment
What does explanation do in politics? - answer- specify why or provide a reason
What makes explantion difficult? - answer- cause and effect patterns are often
complex
What is a prescription in politics? - answer- indicates what should occur and what
should be done.
What is normative political knowledge? - answer- your value judgements
What three things make up normative political knowledge? - answer- 1. descriptive
knowledge of certain facts
2. explanatory knowledge of why they occur
3. priorities among competing values.
What are the sources of political knowledge? - answer- authority, personal thought,
science
Authority is? - answer- the appeal to any document, tradition or person believed to
possess the proper explanation on a particular issue.
What are the three types of authority sources? - answer- specific authority, general
authority, and everyone
What is a specific authority source? - answer- a certain individual with knowledge on
politics
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
What are the three types of political knowledge? - answer- descriptions,
explanations, and prescriptions
What are three ways that politics relates to the public? - answer- 1. politics is the
competition among individuals and groups pursuing their own interests.
2. Politics is the exercise of power and influence to allocate things that are valued.
3. Politics is the determination of who gets what, when, and how
Politics is the resolution of conflict
What is politics? - answer- The process of how power and influence are used to
promote certain ideas or values.
What type of questions do descriptions focus on? - answer- the "what" questions
Descriptions are based on? - answer- Facts
Description requires? - answer- assessment
What does explanation do in politics? - answer- specify why or provide a reason
What makes explantion difficult? - answer- cause and effect patterns are often
complex
What is a prescription in politics? - answer- indicates what should occur and what
should be done.
What is normative political knowledge? - answer- your value judgements
What three things make up normative political knowledge? - answer- 1. descriptive
knowledge of certain facts
2. explanatory knowledge of why they occur
3. priorities among competing values.
What are the sources of political knowledge? - answer- authority, personal thought,
science
Authority is? - answer- the appeal to any document, tradition or person believed to
possess the proper explanation on a particular issue.
What are the three types of authority sources? - answer- specific authority, general
authority, and everyone
What is a specific authority source? - answer- a certain individual with knowledge on
politics
