TAMU ROBLYER POLS 207 TEST #1 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
/. overlap - Answer-✅are beliefs and facts independent of each other, or do they
overlap?
/.beliefs - Answer-✅things we consider to be true about politics
/.political actors and commentators - Answer-✅1. Seek power and to change policy,
advance careers, hold/gain audience (want to run for office)
2. Entice us to agree with them, using whatever means are available and useful
IT IS NOT THEIR JOB TO TELL THE TRUTH
/.political scientists - Answer-✅1. this group will seek out the best empirical information
to transparently describe and explain behavior
2. fund research and publish any findings, even if it is contradictory
IT IS their job to produce trustworthy findings and follow the scientific method, but most
questions are hard to study
/.empirical - Answer-✅observed information; data collected
/.If you want good political analysis you should pay attention to... (4) - Answer-✅1.
Winners vs. Losers
2. Individuals vs. Groups
3. Today vs. Tomorrow
4. Motivated vs. Objective
/.winners vs. losers - Answer-✅important idea in politics that is always a thing
/.hispanic - Answer-✅which ethnicity will surpass anglo population by 2040?
/.uncertainty amplifiers - Answer-✅long lag time between cause and effect, and
different groups (like college students vs old ppl)
/.Easton definition of politics - Answer-✅politics concerned with the authoritative
allocation of values
(Who will win and who will lose)
, /.deutsch definition of politics - Answer-✅political endeavor seeks to bring about a
maximum degree of change in the opposing group with a minimum of change in one's
own group; viewed as a team sport; conflict arises from different views in how goods
should be allocated
/.private goods - Answer-✅goods limited to those who can pay for them.
ex) private school, walmart
- must be an exchange of value
/.public goods - Answer-✅goods available to everyone; good of the group is greater
than individual
ex) national defense, highways
/.private market - Answer-✅cannot offer public goods and stay afloat because cannot
profit with a public good
/.Examples of places that have both public and private aspects - Answer-✅- TX toll
roads
- Lake Bryan
- US postal service
/.free-rider - Answer-✅users benefit for free, without making any contribution
/.In order to offer a public good of education, a private school would have to do what
whenever a new pupil came to the door? - Answer-✅accept the student whether they
can pay the tuition or not independent of the current number of students
/.government - Answer-✅this entity ensures payment for, and provision of, public goods
/."the American way" - Answer-✅both individuals and personal choice are important
ex) you choose your own career, even if no job will be available
organizations should benefit individuals
/.federalism - Answer-✅style of government in america
/.benefits of federalism - Answer-✅efficiency, equity, increased participation, protection
against tyranny bc dispersed power centers, freedom to choose
/.transparency - Answer-✅in polling, this means that everything is on the table, and you
aren't hiding anything; important for reliability
/.rule-based investigation - Answer-✅important to not skip-steps in polling
ANSWERS
/. overlap - Answer-✅are beliefs and facts independent of each other, or do they
overlap?
/.beliefs - Answer-✅things we consider to be true about politics
/.political actors and commentators - Answer-✅1. Seek power and to change policy,
advance careers, hold/gain audience (want to run for office)
2. Entice us to agree with them, using whatever means are available and useful
IT IS NOT THEIR JOB TO TELL THE TRUTH
/.political scientists - Answer-✅1. this group will seek out the best empirical information
to transparently describe and explain behavior
2. fund research and publish any findings, even if it is contradictory
IT IS their job to produce trustworthy findings and follow the scientific method, but most
questions are hard to study
/.empirical - Answer-✅observed information; data collected
/.If you want good political analysis you should pay attention to... (4) - Answer-✅1.
Winners vs. Losers
2. Individuals vs. Groups
3. Today vs. Tomorrow
4. Motivated vs. Objective
/.winners vs. losers - Answer-✅important idea in politics that is always a thing
/.hispanic - Answer-✅which ethnicity will surpass anglo population by 2040?
/.uncertainty amplifiers - Answer-✅long lag time between cause and effect, and
different groups (like college students vs old ppl)
/.Easton definition of politics - Answer-✅politics concerned with the authoritative
allocation of values
(Who will win and who will lose)
, /.deutsch definition of politics - Answer-✅political endeavor seeks to bring about a
maximum degree of change in the opposing group with a minimum of change in one's
own group; viewed as a team sport; conflict arises from different views in how goods
should be allocated
/.private goods - Answer-✅goods limited to those who can pay for them.
ex) private school, walmart
- must be an exchange of value
/.public goods - Answer-✅goods available to everyone; good of the group is greater
than individual
ex) national defense, highways
/.private market - Answer-✅cannot offer public goods and stay afloat because cannot
profit with a public good
/.Examples of places that have both public and private aspects - Answer-✅- TX toll
roads
- Lake Bryan
- US postal service
/.free-rider - Answer-✅users benefit for free, without making any contribution
/.In order to offer a public good of education, a private school would have to do what
whenever a new pupil came to the door? - Answer-✅accept the student whether they
can pay the tuition or not independent of the current number of students
/.government - Answer-✅this entity ensures payment for, and provision of, public goods
/."the American way" - Answer-✅both individuals and personal choice are important
ex) you choose your own career, even if no job will be available
organizations should benefit individuals
/.federalism - Answer-✅style of government in america
/.benefits of federalism - Answer-✅efficiency, equity, increased participation, protection
against tyranny bc dispersed power centers, freedom to choose
/.transparency - Answer-✅in polling, this means that everything is on the table, and you
aren't hiding anything; important for reliability
/.rule-based investigation - Answer-✅important to not skip-steps in polling
