POLS 102 SDSU Mercurio Midterm 1
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
100% CORRECT | NEW UPDATE 2025
The Power Problem - ANSWER the need to grant government enough power
to effectively address the problems that people expect government to address,
while also limiting power enough so that government can be held accountable
National Government - ANSWER The political organization that maintains
control of our nation, all 50 states, and divides its power among 3 branches.
Also known as the CENTRAL gov't, or the FEDERAL gov't
civil society - ANSWER voluntary action that makes cooperation easier
business - ANSWER private sector, but it is the private for-profit sector rather
than the not-for-profit sector
equality - ANSWER the state of being equal, especially in status, rights, and
opportunities.
justice - ANSWER fairness; rightfulness
Retributive Justice - ANSWER Fair punishment that fits the seriousness of the
misbehavior.
,Social Contract Theory - ANSWER The belief that the people agree to set up
rulers for certain purposes and thus have the right to resist or remove rulers who
act against those purposes. Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques
Rousseau
restorative justice - ANSWER An approach to punishment designed to repair
the harm done to the victim and the community by the offender's criminal act.
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) - ANSWER believed that life in a state of nature
(that is, life without government), would be"solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and
short" because human beings are self-interested actors who will take advantage of
others
John Locke (1632-1704) - ANSWER 1. English philosopher who wrote "The
Second Treatise of Government"
2. Viewed humans as basically rational beings who learn from experience
3. Formulated the theory of natural rights, arguing that people are born with basic
rights to "life, liberty, and property"
4. Insisted that governments are formed to protect natural rights
5. Stated that the governed have a right to rebel against rulers who violate natural
rights
Harm Principle (Mill) - ANSWER the actions of individuals should only be
limited to prevent harm to other individuals
Anarchism - ANSWER A political theory favoring the abolition of governments
, Subsidiary Principle - ANSWER directs that government action should be
limited to those situations where the private marketplace is unable to efficiently
or equitably provide a good or service.
free rider problem - ANSWER For a group, the problem of people not joining
because they can benefit from the group's activities without joining.
market failure - ANSWER - free rider problem
- externalities
- monopoly
- equity
material conception - ANSWER Harold Lasswell defined politics as the
determination of "who gets what, when, how."4 This materialistic definition
focuses on politics as the authoritative allocation of scarce resources such as
money, land, property, or other valuable things
value conception - ANSWER freedom, order, patriotism, honor, duty, religious
belief, ethics, and conceptions of morality
political science - ANSWER is the branch of the social sciences that
systematically studies the theory and practice of government. Political scientists
describe, analyze, explain, and predict
Power - ANSWER is the ability to make another person do what you want, to
force others to do what you want.
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
100% CORRECT | NEW UPDATE 2025
The Power Problem - ANSWER the need to grant government enough power
to effectively address the problems that people expect government to address,
while also limiting power enough so that government can be held accountable
National Government - ANSWER The political organization that maintains
control of our nation, all 50 states, and divides its power among 3 branches.
Also known as the CENTRAL gov't, or the FEDERAL gov't
civil society - ANSWER voluntary action that makes cooperation easier
business - ANSWER private sector, but it is the private for-profit sector rather
than the not-for-profit sector
equality - ANSWER the state of being equal, especially in status, rights, and
opportunities.
justice - ANSWER fairness; rightfulness
Retributive Justice - ANSWER Fair punishment that fits the seriousness of the
misbehavior.
,Social Contract Theory - ANSWER The belief that the people agree to set up
rulers for certain purposes and thus have the right to resist or remove rulers who
act against those purposes. Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques
Rousseau
restorative justice - ANSWER An approach to punishment designed to repair
the harm done to the victim and the community by the offender's criminal act.
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) - ANSWER believed that life in a state of nature
(that is, life without government), would be"solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and
short" because human beings are self-interested actors who will take advantage of
others
John Locke (1632-1704) - ANSWER 1. English philosopher who wrote "The
Second Treatise of Government"
2. Viewed humans as basically rational beings who learn from experience
3. Formulated the theory of natural rights, arguing that people are born with basic
rights to "life, liberty, and property"
4. Insisted that governments are formed to protect natural rights
5. Stated that the governed have a right to rebel against rulers who violate natural
rights
Harm Principle (Mill) - ANSWER the actions of individuals should only be
limited to prevent harm to other individuals
Anarchism - ANSWER A political theory favoring the abolition of governments
, Subsidiary Principle - ANSWER directs that government action should be
limited to those situations where the private marketplace is unable to efficiently
or equitably provide a good or service.
free rider problem - ANSWER For a group, the problem of people not joining
because they can benefit from the group's activities without joining.
market failure - ANSWER - free rider problem
- externalities
- monopoly
- equity
material conception - ANSWER Harold Lasswell defined politics as the
determination of "who gets what, when, how."4 This materialistic definition
focuses on politics as the authoritative allocation of scarce resources such as
money, land, property, or other valuable things
value conception - ANSWER freedom, order, patriotism, honor, duty, religious
belief, ethics, and conceptions of morality
political science - ANSWER is the branch of the social sciences that
systematically studies the theory and practice of government. Political scientists
describe, analyze, explain, and predict
Power - ANSWER is the ability to make another person do what you want, to
force others to do what you want.
