POWER AND DEVELOPMENTS A
LEVEL POLITICS EXAM QUESTIONS
WITH CORRECT ANSWERS
What are some characteristics and examples of non-democratic states? -
ANSWER-- No attempt to hold government accountable to citizens, or provide a
popular mandate to govern
- Power concentrated in the hands of a single individual or an elite group - who also
determine its transition
- Non-democratic states differ in the extent to which they repress individual freedom
or rights - but all deny the right to vote or participate in government to 'ordinary'
citizens
Examples include: Belarus, China, Cuba, Jordan, Morocco, Qatar, Vietnam
Who runs an autocratic state? - ANSWER-A single individual with unlimited power
Depending on the type of state this person may be:
- A monarch (e.g. King Abdulla of Saudi Arabia)
- A military general (e.g. Franco in Spain, Pinochet in Chile)
- A cleric (e.g. Ayatollah Khameini of Iran)
- A dictator in a fascist or communist system (e.g. Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin)
Are all non-democratic states autocracies? - ANSWER-No - some are governed by a
party or group without concentrating power in one individual (e.g. China's Politburo,
or the military junta that governed Thailand 2006-08)
What is meant by authoritarianism? - ANSWER-- A way of ruling that involves
restriction of individuals' rights and control of citizens through fear/force
- This may include e.g. bans on political dissent & free media, prohibition of
independent parties/groups, and government control of the judiciary
What is meant by totalitarianism? - ANSWER-- The state seeks to control all
elements of its citizens' lives including the family/private sphere and their
values/beliefs, thus denying freedom to individuals' minds as well as bodies
- North Korea is the clearest contemporary example, and perhaps Eritrea
How does Edexcel define a failed state? - ANSWER-'A state which in unable to
operate as a viable political unit'
What kind of civil disruption is often present in a failed state? - ANSWER-- Civil war
- Therefore, no one body can undisputedly claim to govern the state as a whole
- Such states may also be theatres for proxy wars between external powers backing
different sides
What are some characteristics and examples of failed states? - ANSWER-- Usually
in a full or partial state of civil war
, - Significant sectarian (ethnic, religious or provincial) divides exist which prevent a
sense of common citizenship
- May be part of an unstable region, and have hostile relationships with some or all
its neighbours
- Deep-seated corruption in government, military and other authority institutions
- Usually economically impoverished - although may possess natural resources with
are a cause of conflict
- May have suffered or be suffering atrocities at the hands of government or warring
militias e.g. use of child soldiers, torture, war crimes and human rights abuses
Examples include: Afghanistan (post 2014)?, DR Congo, Libya (post 2011)?,
Somalia, Syria, Yemen
What are some characteristics and examples of rogue states? - ANSWER-- Might
have a relatively stable internal government - but routinely defies international norms
of behaviour
- May either refuse to participate or be sidelined in major IGOs as its stance in
international relations is (deliberately) isolationist; or its regime's composition,
ideology or actions are considered extreme or unacceptable
- Generally considered a threat to regional or even global stability
- Often seeks to enhance hard power by illegally developing WMDs and/or allying
with terrorist groups
Examples include: North Korea, Iran?, Iraq (under Saddam), Libya (under Gaddafi),
Venezuela (according to Donald Trump)
How does Edexcel define polarity? - ANSWER-'Describes the nature of the
international system at any given time in terms of how power is distributed'
What are the three types of polarity? - ANSWER-1) Unipolarity (one pole)
2) Bipolarity (two poles)
3) Multipolarity (multiple poles)
What is arguably the best example of bipolarity in history? - ANSWER-- The Cold
War era (1947-91) is a classic example of a bipolar system
- Two roughly equally matches superpowers (USA and USSR) competed for global
influence
- Each had military alliances and 'client states' whose support they could rely on (e.g.
Israel and NATO countries, Cuba and Warsaw Pact); and continually sought to
reduce the other's influence in non-aligned states (e.g. India, Indonesia)
- The UN was relatively sidelined as both superpowers held vetoes in the UNSC and
could prevent the other from pursuing its interests in ways that threatened their own
What do neo-realists such as Kenneth Waltz believe about the system of bipolarity
during the Cold War? - ANSWER-- The Cold War led to an equilibrium between the
two evenly balanced powers which generally preserved peace
- In particular the existence of nuclear weapons and the principle of mutually assured
destruction meant neither power would launch an attack on the other
LEVEL POLITICS EXAM QUESTIONS
WITH CORRECT ANSWERS
What are some characteristics and examples of non-democratic states? -
ANSWER-- No attempt to hold government accountable to citizens, or provide a
popular mandate to govern
- Power concentrated in the hands of a single individual or an elite group - who also
determine its transition
- Non-democratic states differ in the extent to which they repress individual freedom
or rights - but all deny the right to vote or participate in government to 'ordinary'
citizens
Examples include: Belarus, China, Cuba, Jordan, Morocco, Qatar, Vietnam
Who runs an autocratic state? - ANSWER-A single individual with unlimited power
Depending on the type of state this person may be:
- A monarch (e.g. King Abdulla of Saudi Arabia)
- A military general (e.g. Franco in Spain, Pinochet in Chile)
- A cleric (e.g. Ayatollah Khameini of Iran)
- A dictator in a fascist or communist system (e.g. Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin)
Are all non-democratic states autocracies? - ANSWER-No - some are governed by a
party or group without concentrating power in one individual (e.g. China's Politburo,
or the military junta that governed Thailand 2006-08)
What is meant by authoritarianism? - ANSWER-- A way of ruling that involves
restriction of individuals' rights and control of citizens through fear/force
- This may include e.g. bans on political dissent & free media, prohibition of
independent parties/groups, and government control of the judiciary
What is meant by totalitarianism? - ANSWER-- The state seeks to control all
elements of its citizens' lives including the family/private sphere and their
values/beliefs, thus denying freedom to individuals' minds as well as bodies
- North Korea is the clearest contemporary example, and perhaps Eritrea
How does Edexcel define a failed state? - ANSWER-'A state which in unable to
operate as a viable political unit'
What kind of civil disruption is often present in a failed state? - ANSWER-- Civil war
- Therefore, no one body can undisputedly claim to govern the state as a whole
- Such states may also be theatres for proxy wars between external powers backing
different sides
What are some characteristics and examples of failed states? - ANSWER-- Usually
in a full or partial state of civil war
, - Significant sectarian (ethnic, religious or provincial) divides exist which prevent a
sense of common citizenship
- May be part of an unstable region, and have hostile relationships with some or all
its neighbours
- Deep-seated corruption in government, military and other authority institutions
- Usually economically impoverished - although may possess natural resources with
are a cause of conflict
- May have suffered or be suffering atrocities at the hands of government or warring
militias e.g. use of child soldiers, torture, war crimes and human rights abuses
Examples include: Afghanistan (post 2014)?, DR Congo, Libya (post 2011)?,
Somalia, Syria, Yemen
What are some characteristics and examples of rogue states? - ANSWER-- Might
have a relatively stable internal government - but routinely defies international norms
of behaviour
- May either refuse to participate or be sidelined in major IGOs as its stance in
international relations is (deliberately) isolationist; or its regime's composition,
ideology or actions are considered extreme or unacceptable
- Generally considered a threat to regional or even global stability
- Often seeks to enhance hard power by illegally developing WMDs and/or allying
with terrorist groups
Examples include: North Korea, Iran?, Iraq (under Saddam), Libya (under Gaddafi),
Venezuela (according to Donald Trump)
How does Edexcel define polarity? - ANSWER-'Describes the nature of the
international system at any given time in terms of how power is distributed'
What are the three types of polarity? - ANSWER-1) Unipolarity (one pole)
2) Bipolarity (two poles)
3) Multipolarity (multiple poles)
What is arguably the best example of bipolarity in history? - ANSWER-- The Cold
War era (1947-91) is a classic example of a bipolar system
- Two roughly equally matches superpowers (USA and USSR) competed for global
influence
- Each had military alliances and 'client states' whose support they could rely on (e.g.
Israel and NATO countries, Cuba and Warsaw Pact); and continually sought to
reduce the other's influence in non-aligned states (e.g. India, Indonesia)
- The UN was relatively sidelined as both superpowers held vetoes in the UNSC and
could prevent the other from pursuing its interests in ways that threatened their own
What do neo-realists such as Kenneth Waltz believe about the system of bipolarity
during the Cold War? - ANSWER-- The Cold War led to an equilibrium between the
two evenly balanced powers which generally preserved peace
- In particular the existence of nuclear weapons and the principle of mutually assured
destruction meant neither power would launch an attack on the other
