POLITICAL SCIENCE 102 FINAL EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
2025/2026
An institution can be defined as________ - ANS An organization or activity that is self-
perpetuating and valued for its own sake
Politics is defined in the text as ________ - ANS 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? - ANS the difficulty in controlling variables
Which of the following would be an example of selection bias? - ANS Studying revolution by
looking at case studies of revolution only.
Endogeneity refers to ________ - ANS 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: -
ANS ???a greater connection to political ideas and questions of policy.
1 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
,To a comparativist, which would be of more value: discovery of a correlation or discovery of a
causal relationship? Why? - ANS 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? -
ANS 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? - ANS 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________. - ANS 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 ________. - ANS 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? - ANS 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________. - ANS the leadership or elite in charge of running
the state
2 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
, The shorthand term for the combination of regime, state, and government is________ -
ANS country
Which of the following can be said about the relationships among states, regimes, and
governments? - ANS States are more institutionalized than governments
Modern states are built primarily on what form of legitimacy? - ANS rational-legal
Capacity can be defined as ________. - ANS 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: - ANS 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? -
ANS Devolution sometimes, but not often, leads to a change from a unitary to a federalist
structure.
Ethnic identity can be defined as: - ANS specific attributes and societal institutions that make
one group of people culturally different from others
Which of the following statements about ethnicity is accurate? - ANS Ethnic solidarity can
lessen willingness to share resources with groups that are ethnically different
Citizenship is best defined as: - ANS an individual's or a group's relationship to the state.
3 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
2025/2026
An institution can be defined as________ - ANS An organization or activity that is self-
perpetuating and valued for its own sake
Politics is defined in the text as ________ - ANS 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? - ANS the difficulty in controlling variables
Which of the following would be an example of selection bias? - ANS Studying revolution by
looking at case studies of revolution only.
Endogeneity refers to ________ - ANS 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: -
ANS ???a greater connection to political ideas and questions of policy.
1 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
,To a comparativist, which would be of more value: discovery of a correlation or discovery of a
causal relationship? Why? - ANS 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? -
ANS 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? - ANS 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________. - ANS 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 ________. - ANS 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? - ANS 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________. - ANS the leadership or elite in charge of running
the state
2 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
, The shorthand term for the combination of regime, state, and government is________ -
ANS country
Which of the following can be said about the relationships among states, regimes, and
governments? - ANS States are more institutionalized than governments
Modern states are built primarily on what form of legitimacy? - ANS rational-legal
Capacity can be defined as ________. - ANS 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: - ANS 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? -
ANS Devolution sometimes, but not often, leads to a change from a unitary to a federalist
structure.
Ethnic identity can be defined as: - ANS specific attributes and societal institutions that make
one group of people culturally different from others
Which of the following statements about ethnicity is accurate? - ANS Ethnic solidarity can
lessen willingness to share resources with groups that are ethnically different
Citizenship is best defined as: - ANS an individual's or a group's relationship to the state.
3 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
