Political Science 102 Final Exam Questions with Verified Solutions Latest Update 2025/2026
An institution can be defined as________ - Answers An organization or activity that is self-
perpetuating and valued for its own sake
Politics is defined in the text as ________ - Answers the struggle in any group for power that will
give one or more persons the ability to make decisions for the larger group
What are some major challenge faced by political scientists in their use of the comparative
method? - Answers the difficulty in controlling variables
Which of the following would be an example of selection bias? - Answers Studying revolution by
looking at case studies of revolution only.
Endogeneity refers to ________ - Answers The issue that cause and effect are not often clear, in
that variables may be both cause and effect in relationship to one another
Recent discussions of the future of comparative politics and political science have called for: -
Answers ???a greater connection to political ideas and questions of policy.
To a comparativist, which would be of more value: discovery of a correlation or discovery of a
causal relationship? Why? - Answers causal relationship, because it describes a more concrete,
specific relationship between two variables
In which of the following ways can multicausality affect comparative politics research? -
Answers It complicates the comparative method and makes it more difficult to develop
concrete explanations about real-world phenomena.
Which of the following forms of research or data would more likely be used by a quantitative
research study than by a qualitative research study? - Answers Qualitative: evidence and
methodology, such as interview , observations, and archival and other forms of documentary
research.
Quantitative: statistical analysis and mathematical models
Political scientists, based on the work of Max Weber, define the state as________. - Answers 1)
the organization that maintains a monopoly of force over a given territory; 2) a set of political
institution to generate and execute policy regarding freedom and equality
Sovereignty is defined as ________. - Answers the ability of a state to carry out actions or policies
within a territory independently from external actors or internal rivals
What is the concept of regime? - Answers The fundamental rules and norms of politics,
embodying long-term goals regarding individual freedom and collective equality, where power
should reside, and the use of that power
, Government can be defined as________. - Answers the leadership or elite in charge of running
the state
The shorthand term for the combination of regime, state, and government is________ - Answers
country
Which of the following can be said about the relationships among states, regimes, and
governments? - Answers States are more institutionalized than governments
Modern states are built primarily on what form of legitimacy? - Answers rational-legal
Capacity can be defined as ________. - Answers The ability of the state to wield power to carry
out basic tasks, such as defending territory, making and enforcing rules, collecting taxes, and
managing the economy
Devolution is a process by which states: - Answers a process in which political power is "sent
down" to lower levels of state and government
Which of the following statements about the process of devolution is accurate? - Answers
Devolution sometimes, but not often, leads to a change from a unitary to a federalist structure.
Ethnic identity can be defined as: - Answers specific attributes and societal institutions that
make one group of people culturally different from others
Which of the following statements about ethnicity is accurate? - Answers Ethnic solidarity can
lessen willingness to share resources with groups that are ethnically different
Citizenship is best defined as: - Answers an individual's or a group's relationship to the state.
A state that encompasses one dominant nation that it claims to embody and represent is
known as: - Answers a nation-state
Which of the following is more likely to be a problem in a presidential system than in a
parliamentary system? - Answers a policy disagreement between the legislative and executive
that restricts lawmaking for a long period, even if the executive has become unpopular with the
electorate
A diverse fabric of organizations created by people, not necessarily political, to help define and
advance their own interests is known as: - Answers civil society
The executive who symbolizes and represents the people is the: - Answers head of state
The executive in charge of dealing with running the state and formulating policy is the: -
Answers head of government
In a parliamentary system, the prime minister serves as: - Answers head of government
An institution can be defined as________ - Answers An organization or activity that is self-
perpetuating and valued for its own sake
Politics is defined in the text as ________ - Answers the struggle in any group for power that will
give one or more persons the ability to make decisions for the larger group
What are some major challenge faced by political scientists in their use of the comparative
method? - Answers the difficulty in controlling variables
Which of the following would be an example of selection bias? - Answers Studying revolution by
looking at case studies of revolution only.
Endogeneity refers to ________ - Answers The issue that cause and effect are not often clear, in
that variables may be both cause and effect in relationship to one another
Recent discussions of the future of comparative politics and political science have called for: -
Answers ???a greater connection to political ideas and questions of policy.
To a comparativist, which would be of more value: discovery of a correlation or discovery of a
causal relationship? Why? - Answers causal relationship, because it describes a more concrete,
specific relationship between two variables
In which of the following ways can multicausality affect comparative politics research? -
Answers It complicates the comparative method and makes it more difficult to develop
concrete explanations about real-world phenomena.
Which of the following forms of research or data would more likely be used by a quantitative
research study than by a qualitative research study? - Answers Qualitative: evidence and
methodology, such as interview , observations, and archival and other forms of documentary
research.
Quantitative: statistical analysis and mathematical models
Political scientists, based on the work of Max Weber, define the state as________. - Answers 1)
the organization that maintains a monopoly of force over a given territory; 2) a set of political
institution to generate and execute policy regarding freedom and equality
Sovereignty is defined as ________. - Answers the ability of a state to carry out actions or policies
within a territory independently from external actors or internal rivals
What is the concept of regime? - Answers The fundamental rules and norms of politics,
embodying long-term goals regarding individual freedom and collective equality, where power
should reside, and the use of that power
, Government can be defined as________. - Answers the leadership or elite in charge of running
the state
The shorthand term for the combination of regime, state, and government is________ - Answers
country
Which of the following can be said about the relationships among states, regimes, and
governments? - Answers States are more institutionalized than governments
Modern states are built primarily on what form of legitimacy? - Answers rational-legal
Capacity can be defined as ________. - Answers The ability of the state to wield power to carry
out basic tasks, such as defending territory, making and enforcing rules, collecting taxes, and
managing the economy
Devolution is a process by which states: - Answers a process in which political power is "sent
down" to lower levels of state and government
Which of the following statements about the process of devolution is accurate? - Answers
Devolution sometimes, but not often, leads to a change from a unitary to a federalist structure.
Ethnic identity can be defined as: - Answers specific attributes and societal institutions that
make one group of people culturally different from others
Which of the following statements about ethnicity is accurate? - Answers Ethnic solidarity can
lessen willingness to share resources with groups that are ethnically different
Citizenship is best defined as: - Answers an individual's or a group's relationship to the state.
A state that encompasses one dominant nation that it claims to embody and represent is
known as: - Answers a nation-state
Which of the following is more likely to be a problem in a presidential system than in a
parliamentary system? - Answers a policy disagreement between the legislative and executive
that restricts lawmaking for a long period, even if the executive has become unpopular with the
electorate
A diverse fabric of organizations created by people, not necessarily political, to help define and
advance their own interests is known as: - Answers civil society
The executive who symbolizes and represents the people is the: - Answers head of state
The executive in charge of dealing with running the state and formulating policy is the: -
Answers head of government
In a parliamentary system, the prime minister serves as: - Answers head of government
