Question 1

A falsifiable statement means that

Accepted Answer

A)  the statement is not scientific. 
B)  the statement is wrong. 
C)  the statement is potentially testable. 
A)  the statement is not scientific. 
B)  the statement is wrong. 
C)  the statement is potentially testable.

Question 2

Necessary and Sufficient Conditions
-"Countries have many parties only WHEN THEY EMPLOY PROPORTIONAL ELECTORAL RULES." Are the conditions shown in capital letters sufficient or necessary to produce the effects described?

Accepted Answer

A)  Sufficient 
B)  Necessary 
A)  Sufficient 
B)  Necessary

Question 3

Major premise: If theory T is correct, all rich countries will be democracies.
Minor premise: All rich countries are democracies.
Conclusion: Therefore, theory T is correct.
What form (what type of categorical syllogism) does this argument take?

Accepted Answer

A)  affirming the antecedent 
B)  denying the antecedent 
C)  affirming the consequent 
D)  denying the consequent 
A)  affirming the antecedent 
B)  denying the antecedent 
C)  affirming the consequent 
D)  denying the consequent

Question 4

"All good students get high grades." Is this statement scientific if "good" is defined in terms of a student's enthusiasm?

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Major premise: If the president commits a criminal act, then he can be impeached.
Minor premise: The president cannot be impeached.
Conclusion: Therefore, the president has not committed a criminal act.
Is a valid argument?

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Major premise: If theory T is correct, all rich countries will be democracies.
Minor premise: All rich countries are democracies.
Conclusion: Therefore, theory T is correct.
Is a valid argument?

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

Science is a collection of facts-it tells us what we know about the world.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

A valid argument is

Accepted Answer

A)  one where the conclusion is true. 
B)  one where the conclusion is false. 
C)  one where you do not have to accept the conclusion if you accept the premises. 
D)  one where you have to accept the conclusion if you accept the premises. 
A)  one where the conclusion is true. 
B)  one where the conclusion is false. 
C)  one where you do not have to accept the conclusion if you accept the premises. 
D)  one where you have to accept the conclusion if you accept the premises.

Question 9

Major premise: If a country has a strong economy, the government will be popular.
Minor premise: The government is not popular.
Conclusion: Therefore, the country does not have a strong economy.
Is a valid argument?

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

Statements that cannot ever be tested must be wrong.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

Necessary and Sufficient Conditions
-"Countries always have few parties WHEN THEY EMPLOY MAJORITARIAN ELECTORAL RULES." Are the conditions shown in capital letters sufficient or necessary to produce the effects described?

Accepted Answer

A)  Sufficient 
B)  Necessary 
A)  Sufficient 
B)  Necessary

Question 12

Major premise: If the president commits a criminal act, then he can be impeached.
Minor premise: The president cannot be impeached.
Conclusion: Therefore, the president has not committed a criminal act.
What form (what type of categorical syllogism) does this argument take?

Accepted Answer

A)  affirming the antecedent 
B)  denying the antecedent 
C)  affirming the consequent 
D)  denying the consequent 
A)  affirming the antecedent 
B)  denying the antecedent 
C)  affirming the consequent 
D)  denying the consequent

Question 13

According to the discussion in Chapter 2, it is possible for scientists to draw valid inferences from Mill's Methods of Agreement and Difference only if

Accepted Answer

A)  the causal process is deterministic. 
B)  all the potential causes have been identified. 
C)  there is a single cause of the outcome. 
D)  none of these 
E)  all of the assumptions listed must hold. 
A)  the causal process is deterministic. 
B)  all the potential causes have been identified. 
C)  there is a single cause of the outcome. 
D)  none of these 
E)  all of the assumptions listed must hold.

Question 14

"Democracies are less likely to go to war than dictatorships." Is a scientific statement?

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

Major premise: If a country employs proportional representation electoral rules, it will have many parties.
Minor premise: The country does not employ proportional representation electoral rules.
Conclusion: Therefore, the country does not have many parties.
What form (what type of categorical syllogism) does this argument take?

Accepted Answer

A)  affirming the antecedent 
B)  denying the antecedent 
C)  affirming the consequent 
D)  denying the consequent 
A)  affirming the antecedent 
B)  denying the antecedent 
C)  affirming the consequent 
D)  denying the consequent

Question 16

Imagine that an analyst is interested in understanding why civil wars occur. If the analyst chooses to study only cases in which civil wars have occurred (e.g., in the Congo, Greece, Spain, Sri Lanka, the United States, and Yugoslavia), then she is using

Accepted Answer

A)  Mill's Method of Agreement. 
B)  Mill's Method of Difference. 
C)  Mill's Method of Agreement and Method of Difference. 
A)  Mill's Method of Agreement. 
B)  Mill's Method of Difference. 
C)  Mill's Method of Agreement and Method of Difference.

Question 17

If I observe a pattern in political events and decide to generate an explanation for those events, I am practicing ______ approach to learning.

Accepted Answer

A)  deductive 
B)  inductive 
C)  deterministic 
D)  probabilistic 
A)  deductive 
B)  inductive 
C)  deterministic 
D)  probabilistic

Question 18

"All mainstream U.S. senators agree that the House bill is unacceptable." Is this statement scientific if "mainstream" is defined in terms of the ideology of the senators?

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

"Democratic leaders are more likely to provide public goods for their citizens than dictators are." Is a scientific statement?

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

"All mainstream U.S. senators agree that the House bill is unacceptable." Is this statement scientific if "mainstream" is defined in terms of the acceptability of the House bill?

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

A falsifiable statement means that

Necessary and Sufficient Conditions -"Countries have many parties only WHEN THEY EMPLOY PROPORTIONAL ELECTORAL RULES." Are the conditions shown in capital letters sufficient or necessary to produce the effects described?

Major premise: If theory T is correct, all rich countries will be democracies. Minor premise: All rich countries are democracies. Conclusion: Therefore, theory T is correct. What form (what type of categorical syllogism) does this argument take?

"All good students get high grades." Is this statement scientific if "good" is defined in terms of a student's enthusiasm?

Major premise: If the president commits a criminal act, then he can be impeached. Minor premise: The president cannot be impeached. Conclusion: Therefore, the president has not committed a criminal act. Is a valid argument?

Major premise: If theory T is correct, all rich countries will be democracies. Minor premise: All rich countries are democracies. Conclusion: Therefore, theory T is correct. Is a valid argument?

Science is a collection of facts-it tells us what we know about the world.

A valid argument is

Major premise: If a country has a strong economy, the government will be popular. Minor premise: The government is not popular. Conclusion: Therefore, the country does not have a strong economy. Is a valid argument?

Statements that cannot ever be tested must be wrong.

Necessary and Sufficient Conditions -"Countries always have few parties WHEN THEY EMPLOY MAJORITARIAN ELECTORAL RULES." Are the conditions shown in capital letters sufficient or necessary to produce the effects described?

Major premise: If the president commits a criminal act, then he can be impeached. Minor premise: The president cannot be impeached. Conclusion: Therefore, the president has not committed a criminal act. What form (what type of categorical syllogism) does this argument take?

According to the discussion in Chapter 2, it is possible for scientists to draw valid inferences from Mill's Methods of Agreement and Difference only if

"Democracies are less likely to go to war than dictatorships." Is a scientific statement?

Imagine that an analyst is interested in understanding why civil wars occur. If the analyst chooses to study only cases in which civil wars have occurred (e.g., in the Congo, Greece, Spain, Sri Lanka, the United States, and Yugoslavia), then she is using

If I observe a pattern in political events and decide to generate an explanation for those events, I am practicing ______ approach to learning.

"All mainstream U.S. senators agree that the House bill is unacceptable." Is this statement scientific if "mainstream" is defined in terms of the ideology of the senators?

"Democratic leaders are more likely to provide public goods for their citizens than dictators are." Is a scientific statement?

"All mainstream U.S. senators agree that the House bill is unacceptable." Is this statement scientific if "mainstream" is defined in terms of the acceptability of the House bill?

What Is Politics

The Origins of the Modern State

Democracy and Dictatorship: Conceptualization and Measurement

The Economic Determinants of Democracy and Dictatorship

The Cultural Determinants of Democracy and Dictatorship

Democratic Transitions

Democracy or Dictatorship: Does It Make a Difference

Varieties of Dictatorship

Problems With Group Decision Making

Parliamentary, Presidential, and Semi-Presidential Democracies

Elections and Electoral Systems

Social Cleavages and Party Systems

Institutional Veto Players

Consequences of Democratic Institutions

Filters

Exam 1: What Is Science

A falsifiable statement means that

Necessary and Sufficient Conditions -"Countries have many parties only WHEN THEY EMPLOY PROPORTIONAL ELECTORAL RULES." Are the conditions shown in capital letters sufficient or necessary to produce the effects described?

Major premise: If theory T is correct, all rich countries will be democracies. Minor premise: All rich countries are democracies. Conclusion: Therefore, theory T is correct. What form (what type of categorical syllogism) does this argument take?

"All good students get high grades." Is this statement scientific if "good" is defined in terms of a student's enthusiasm?

Major premise: If the president commits a criminal act, then he can be impeached. Minor premise: The president cannot be impeached. Conclusion: Therefore, the president has not committed a criminal act. Is a valid argument?

Major premise: If theory T is correct, all rich countries will be democracies. Minor premise: All rich countries are democracies. Conclusion: Therefore, theory T is correct. Is a valid argument?

Science is a collection of facts-it tells us what we know about the world.

A valid argument is

Major premise: If a country has a strong economy, the government will be popular. Minor premise: The government is not popular. Conclusion: Therefore, the country does not have a strong economy. Is a valid argument?

Statements that cannot ever be tested must be wrong.

Necessary and Sufficient Conditions -"Countries always have few parties WHEN THEY EMPLOY MAJORITARIAN ELECTORAL RULES." Are the conditions shown in capital letters sufficient or necessary to produce the effects described?

Major premise: If the president commits a criminal act, then he can be impeached. Minor premise: The president cannot be impeached. Conclusion: Therefore, the president has not committed a criminal act. What form (what type of categorical syllogism) does this argument take?

According to the discussion in Chapter 2, it is possible for scientists to draw valid inferences from Mill's Methods of Agreement and Difference only if

"Democracies are less likely to go to war than dictatorships." Is a scientific statement?

Imagine that an analyst is interested in understanding why civil wars occur. If the analyst chooses to study only cases in which civil wars have occurred (e.g., in the Congo, Greece, Spain, Sri Lanka, the United States, and Yugoslavia), then she is using

If I observe a pattern in political events and decide to generate an explanation for those events, I am practicing ______ approach to learning.

"All mainstream U.S. senators agree that the House bill is unacceptable." Is this statement scientific if "mainstream" is defined in terms of the ideology of the senators?

"Democratic leaders are more likely to provide public goods for their citizens than dictators are." Is a scientific statement?

"All mainstream U.S. senators agree that the House bill is unacceptable." Is this statement scientific if "mainstream" is defined in terms of the acceptability of the House bill?

What Is Politics

The Origins of the Modern State

Democracy and Dictatorship: Conceptualization and Measurement

The Economic Determinants of Democracy and Dictatorship

The Cultural Determinants of Democracy and Dictatorship

Democratic Transitions

Democracy or Dictatorship: Does It Make a Difference

Varieties of Dictatorship

Problems With Group Decision Making

Parliamentary, Presidential, and Semi-Presidential Democracies

Elections and Electoral Systems

Social Cleavages and Party Systems

Institutional Veto Players

Consequences of Democratic Institutions

Filters