EXAM 1 STUDY GUIDE FOR INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL SCIENCE
EXPECTED QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED ANSWERS 2026 TO 2027
1. All the relations, processes, and values associated with the practice of government
Politics
2. Systematic and scientific study of politics
Political Science
3. Politics is the object of political science inquiry
Relationship between Political Science and Politics
4. A state is a human community that (successfully) claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of
physical force within a given territory
Max Weber's definition of the state
5. Politics means striving to share power or striving to influence the distribution of power, either
among states or among groups within the state
Weber's understanding of the relationship between the state and politics
6. Ethical recommendation, Empirical understanding, Prudential judgment
Main tasks of political science
7. Traditional study of politics (how things should be)
Ethical recommendation
8. Describes and explains political reality (how things are)
Empirical understanding
9. Recommendations for conducting policy (how things can be done)
Prudential judgment
10. 1. Formulating a research question, 2. Developing a theory, 3. Identifying the variables, 4.
Operationalizing the variables, 5. Generating hypotheses, 6. Testing the hypotheses with evidence, 7.
Reporting results
Seven steps of scientific inquiry
11. Knowledge can only be derived from observation
Positivism
12. Purpose of scientific inquiry is to discover observable patterns of behavior
Behavioralism
13. American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Theory and Philosophy
Four main sub-disciplines of political science
14. Empirical understanding and prudential judgment
Main tasks: American Politics
15. Empirical understanding and prudential judgment
Main tasks: Comparative Politics
1
, 16. Empirical understanding and prudential judgment
Main tasks: International Relations
17. Ethical recommendation
Main tasks: Political Theory and Philosophy
18. Aristocracy
Plato's ideal regime
19. polity
Aristotle's ideal regime
20. City of God
Augustine's Famous Work
21. Summa Theologica
Thomas Aquinas's Famous Work
22. A virtuous republic
Machiavelli's ideal regime
23. State of war 'of every man against every man'
Hobbes's state of nature
24. People delegate to a sovereign power the right to maintain social peace
Social contract (Hobbes)
25. The Leviathan
Hobbes' Famous Work
26. government by a sovereign
Hobbes' Ideal Regime
27. Delegation of authority to maintain social peace
Social contract
28. The Republic
Plato's Famous Work
29. Politics
Aristotle's Famous Work
30. Founder of modern liberal democracy
John Locke
31. Foundations of political realism
St. Augustine
32. Document limiting government power and ensuring accountability
Constitution
33. The Social Contract
Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Famous Work
2
EXPECTED QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED ANSWERS 2026 TO 2027
1. All the relations, processes, and values associated with the practice of government
Politics
2. Systematic and scientific study of politics
Political Science
3. Politics is the object of political science inquiry
Relationship between Political Science and Politics
4. A state is a human community that (successfully) claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of
physical force within a given territory
Max Weber's definition of the state
5. Politics means striving to share power or striving to influence the distribution of power, either
among states or among groups within the state
Weber's understanding of the relationship between the state and politics
6. Ethical recommendation, Empirical understanding, Prudential judgment
Main tasks of political science
7. Traditional study of politics (how things should be)
Ethical recommendation
8. Describes and explains political reality (how things are)
Empirical understanding
9. Recommendations for conducting policy (how things can be done)
Prudential judgment
10. 1. Formulating a research question, 2. Developing a theory, 3. Identifying the variables, 4.
Operationalizing the variables, 5. Generating hypotheses, 6. Testing the hypotheses with evidence, 7.
Reporting results
Seven steps of scientific inquiry
11. Knowledge can only be derived from observation
Positivism
12. Purpose of scientific inquiry is to discover observable patterns of behavior
Behavioralism
13. American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Theory and Philosophy
Four main sub-disciplines of political science
14. Empirical understanding and prudential judgment
Main tasks: American Politics
15. Empirical understanding and prudential judgment
Main tasks: Comparative Politics
1
, 16. Empirical understanding and prudential judgment
Main tasks: International Relations
17. Ethical recommendation
Main tasks: Political Theory and Philosophy
18. Aristocracy
Plato's ideal regime
19. polity
Aristotle's ideal regime
20. City of God
Augustine's Famous Work
21. Summa Theologica
Thomas Aquinas's Famous Work
22. A virtuous republic
Machiavelli's ideal regime
23. State of war 'of every man against every man'
Hobbes's state of nature
24. People delegate to a sovereign power the right to maintain social peace
Social contract (Hobbes)
25. The Leviathan
Hobbes' Famous Work
26. government by a sovereign
Hobbes' Ideal Regime
27. Delegation of authority to maintain social peace
Social contract
28. The Republic
Plato's Famous Work
29. Politics
Aristotle's Famous Work
30. Founder of modern liberal democracy
John Locke
31. Foundations of political realism
St. Augustine
32. Document limiting government power and ensuring accountability
Constitution
33. The Social Contract
Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Famous Work
2
