Deck 2: States

Question 1

Recent research suggests that the rise of political organizations came about in large part because of the

A)rise of monotheistic religions.
B)extreme violence of pre-state societies.
C)innovation of writing.
D)expansion of slavery.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which one of the following lists accurately reflects the order of concepts from weakly institutionalized to highly institutionalized?

A)state,regime,government
B)regime,government,state
C)government,state,regime
D)government,regime,state

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Sovereignty is primarily is defined as the ability of

A)individuals to vote freely in elections without restriction by the state or external actors.
B)individuals to depend on laws and regulations to be enforced with impartiality.
C)states to carry out actions or policies within a territory independent of external actors or internal rivals.
D)states to influence other actors in the international system by means of physical,cultural,or economic force.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following is most likely a reason for the emergence of the modern state in Europe rather than elsewhere?

A)absence of significant internal geographic boundaries
B)guidance of the Roman Empire in government formation
C)presence of impressive farming and war-making technologies
D)collapse of the Roman Empire and the rise of a form of organized crime

Question 5

An institution that is recognized and accepted as right and proper by the public is seen as

A)sovereign.
B)legitimate.
C)rational.
D)despotic.

Question 6

The development of the modern state in Europe was partly encouraged by

A)linguistic and ethnic fragmentation.
B)the leadership of the Holy Roman Emperor.
C)lucrative trade with Africa.
D)the Crusades.

Question 7

The legitimacy of modern states is primarily derived from

A)tradition.
B)charisma.
C)rational-legal authority.
D)technological specialization.

Question 8

Thomas Hobbes believed that people gave up their rights to the coercive power of the state in order to

A)seek greater equality between peoples.
B)gain religious freedom.
C)escape anarchy.
D)escape authoritarianism.

Question 9

The modern state eventually supplanted which system of economic organization?

A)city-states focused on trade
B)farming and agricultural model
C)feudalism
D)mercantilism

Question 10

Which of the following statements about the development and spread of the modern state is accurate?

A)Many states were able to use ethnicity as a nationalizing force even as people began to define themselves less through characteristics like religion or town of residence.
B)The rapid spread of states reduced the ability of individuals and groups to eliminate political rivals,leading to greater political violence.
C)The increased warfare resulting from the rise of modern states in Europe restricted technological innovation for centuries.
D)China's inability to forge a powerful state structure before Europe led to its marginalization in world affairs for over a thousand years.

Question 11

Government can be defined as

A)a body that monopolizes violence,such as the army and police.
B)the leadership that runs the state.
C)bureaucrats who manage the paperwork and policies of the state.
D)any individual elected to office.

Question 12

Max Weber's three forms of political legitimacy are

A)traditional,charismatic,and rational-legal.
B)traditional,charismatic,and technocratic.
C)technocratic,democratic,and authoritarian.
D)authoritarian,democratic,and revolutionary.

Question 13

Political scientists,based on the work of Max Weber,define the state as

A)a small regional unit within a country,found only under federalism.
B)an organization that maintains a monopoly of violence over a territory.
C)the basic rules and norms of politics.
D)any condition that leads to political action.

Question 14

Which of the following can be said about the concept of a regime?

A)A regime is a set of political institutions that generate and carry out policy.
B)Regimes are most often transformed slowly by the evolving legislative and social preferences of citizens.
C)A regime guides the state with regard to individual freedom and collective equality,where power should reside,and how power should be used.
D)A regime may consist of democratically elected legislators,presidents,and prime ministers,or it may be made up of leaders who gained office through force.

Question 15

In which of the following ways does a government built primarily on charismatic legitimacy differ from one based on traditional legitimacy?

A)Charismatic legitimacy is much more likely to transform into rational-legal legitimacy.
B)Charismatic legitimacy has a better chance of being institutionalized.
C)Charismatic legitimacy would likely be much shorter-lived.
D)Charismatic legitimacy increases in power more from length of office than does traditional legitimacy.

Question 16

The emergence of the modern state followed what specific developments?

A)rise of the Chinese Empire
B)collapse of the Roman Empire and the European Dark Ages
C)expansion of European empires around the globe
D)development of the Mayan and Incan empires

Question 17

Country is a shorthand term for the combination of

A)regime,government,nation.
B)nation,state,ideology.
C)territory,regime,state.
D)regime,state,government.

Question 18

The modern state spread throughout the world primarily through

A)increased international commerce and trade.
B)colonial dominance imposed by European states.
C)the spread of philosophical treatises by European thinkers.
D)a centuries-long process of wars and indigenous development of the state.

Question 19

Which of the following might be a characteristic of a state with low autonomy?

A)a limited ability to disobey the public
B)freedom from a state of "capture"
C)government pursuit of the best interests of the country,despite public opinion
D)a tendency to resist the interests of well-organized groups

Question 20

Asymmetric federalism refers to a system in which power is divided unevenly between

A)federal departments or authorities.
B)regional bodies.
C)national and federal bodies.
D)federal and judicial authorities.

Question 21

Which of the following statements about the federal system in both the United States and India is accurate?

A)The U.S.federal system is established in the Constitution;in India,it is informal.
B)Individual states in India and the United States have equal power to challenge the federal government.
C)States and territories in India reflect ethnic and linguistic differences;in the United States,they do not.
D)The U.S.federal system resembles "asymmetric federalism";India's resembles "symmetric federalism."

Question 22

The text suggests that the difficulty of amending the U.S.Constitution is evidence of the power of

A)rational-legal legitimacy.
B)traditional legitimacy.
C)federalism.
D)charismatic legitimacy.

Question 23

Which of the following characteristics is more likely to be seen in a federalist state than a unitary state?

A)concentration of power in a central government
B)underrepresentation of ethnic minorities
C)limited local policymaking
D)devolution of taxation to regional bodies

Question 24

How is power typically divided in a federal system? What conditions in a country are most likely to lead to a system of asymmetric federalism?

Question 25

Which of the following statements about the top twenty failed or fragile states is accurate?

A)None is a European country.
B)Most of the countries are extremely poor.
C)Most of the countries were previously colonies.
D)All of these statements are correct.

Question 26

Russia is a good example of a state with

A)high capacity but low autonomy.
B)low capacity but high autonomy.
C)high capacity and high autonomy.
D)low capacity and low autonomy.

Question 27

Which of the following statements about Pakistan's slide toward state failure is accurate?

A)Pakistan's lack of a central government at the time of formation may have contributed to its continued weakness.
B)Central authority in Pakistan is too strong,leading to the formation of rebellious military groups on its borders.
C)Constant warfare has led to a weak Pakistani military that is unable to provide sufficient state support.
D)The first Pakistani leadership regime was too strongly institutionalized after independence.

Question 28

Describe Weber's three forms of political legitimacy.Is one of them more associated with the modern state than the others? Briefly describe how each form of legitimacy is represented in the U.S.government.

Question 29

Capacity can be defined as the

A)ability of the state to wield power in order to carry out the basic tasks of providing security and reconciling freedom and equality.
B)ability of the state to use its legitimacy to raise revenue and encourage adherence to rules and regulations.
C)state's ability to influence international actors either through military force or diplomatic means.
D)level of economic modernization of a country.

Question 30

States with high capacity and high autonomy are

A)unable to provide basic services.
B)typically democratic.
C)running the risk of threatening individual freedom.
D)more likely to provoke public unrest.

Question 31

Do you live under a weak or strong state? How do the concepts of autonomy and capacity help in thinking about the categories of strong and weak?

Question 32

Which of the following is a common argument for a centralized,unitary state (with no federalism or devolution of power)?

A)A centralized state increases economic productivity.
B)More centralized power enhances the legitimacy of ethnic groups.
C)Local interests can be effectively represented without recourse to regional political institutions.
D)A centralized state will have more legitimacy and sovereignty.

Question 33

What is the "state" and what are its primary features?

Question 34

What was the primary reason the state consolidated earlier in Germany than in China?

A)Germany's militarism
B)China's entrepreneurialism
C)lack of industrialization in China
D)dynastic rule in China

Question 35

How is a regime different from a government? What are the components that make up the regime of the United States?