POLS 1101 TEST 1 QUESTIONS WITH
100% CORRECT ANSWERS
What is agency loss? - Answer-what a principal would ideally like its agents to do and
what they actually do
Why does agency loss occur? - Answer-might arise "accidentally" by incompetence or
the principal's failure to communicate goals clearly; can occur due to the imbalance of
the extremes of a principal and an agent
Agency losses may reflect... - Answer-the inherent differences between the goals of the
principal and its agents
What are examples of agency loss? - Answer-various forms of shirking/slacking off
How can you prevent the agency loss problem? - Answer-whistle-blower laws reward
members of the bureaucracy who report instances of malfeasance; government can
also create an agent who monitors the performance of other agents
What's separation of powers? - Answer-the distribution of government powers among
several political institutions; in the USA, at the national level power is divided between
the three branches: Congress, the president, and the Supreme Court
Why would the founders create the separation of powers? - Answer-this system
promotes majority rule in the sense that the political party or coalition of parties that
controls the legislature controls the executive; in effect, parliamentary systems are able
to forgo the higher transaction costs embedded in the US constitution's separation of
powers
What is a coalition? - Answer-a combination of unlike minded interests who nonetheless
agree, for their own distinct reasons, to a common course of action
To win at elections, what must politicians do? - Answer-succeed at building coalitions
Why do politicians act strategically? - Answer-politicians act strategically in order to
persuade a plurality of voters to support them or a common action by offering different
constituencies their own reasons for doing so
When are politicians being strategic? - Answer-politicians are strategic when they
subordinate their sincere preferences to what is best for their constituents in order to
achieve results that stand a better chance of success
, Definition of a private good - Answer-things people buy and consume themselves in a
marketplace that supplies these goods according to the demand for them; vast majority
of Americans buy private goods, which is why much of what Americans do and
consume as individuals has little or nothing to do with the government (toll road)
Definition of a public good - Answer-everyone participates in supplying (for example,
through tax dollars) & which everyone can freely consume as much as he or she
desires; no on can be excluded from benefits and costs are borne collectively
What's a representative government? - Answer-modern democracies that blend
delegation with majority rule; citizens limit their decisions to the selection of government
officials who, acting as their agents, deliberate and commit the citizenry to collective
enterprises
What's a direct democracy? - Answer-in which citizens participate directly in collective
decision making; reserved primarily for small communities and organizations
t/f - representative government is reserved for small communities and organizations -
Answer-false; makes a large scale democracy available for a large group or society
through delegation
what is a republic? - Answer-designed to allow some degree of popular control and also
avoid tyranny; a form of democracy in which power is invested in elected
representatives; voters elect their representatives
what's a parliamentary system government? - Answer-a form of government in which
the chief executive is chosen by the majority party or by a coalition of parties in the
legislature; executive +legislature
definition of politics - Answer-"the process through which individuals and groups reach
agreement on a course of common or collective action, even as they disagree on the
intended goals of that action"
why are politics important? - Answer-how people attempt to manage conflicts that breed
from social choices; each party needs to find a solution to its conflict or disagreement
definition of bargaining - Answer-prolonged exchange of proposals and counter
proposals
definition of compromise - Answer-the settlement in which each side concedes some of
its preferences in order to secure others
100% CORRECT ANSWERS
What is agency loss? - Answer-what a principal would ideally like its agents to do and
what they actually do
Why does agency loss occur? - Answer-might arise "accidentally" by incompetence or
the principal's failure to communicate goals clearly; can occur due to the imbalance of
the extremes of a principal and an agent
Agency losses may reflect... - Answer-the inherent differences between the goals of the
principal and its agents
What are examples of agency loss? - Answer-various forms of shirking/slacking off
How can you prevent the agency loss problem? - Answer-whistle-blower laws reward
members of the bureaucracy who report instances of malfeasance; government can
also create an agent who monitors the performance of other agents
What's separation of powers? - Answer-the distribution of government powers among
several political institutions; in the USA, at the national level power is divided between
the three branches: Congress, the president, and the Supreme Court
Why would the founders create the separation of powers? - Answer-this system
promotes majority rule in the sense that the political party or coalition of parties that
controls the legislature controls the executive; in effect, parliamentary systems are able
to forgo the higher transaction costs embedded in the US constitution's separation of
powers
What is a coalition? - Answer-a combination of unlike minded interests who nonetheless
agree, for their own distinct reasons, to a common course of action
To win at elections, what must politicians do? - Answer-succeed at building coalitions
Why do politicians act strategically? - Answer-politicians act strategically in order to
persuade a plurality of voters to support them or a common action by offering different
constituencies their own reasons for doing so
When are politicians being strategic? - Answer-politicians are strategic when they
subordinate their sincere preferences to what is best for their constituents in order to
achieve results that stand a better chance of success
, Definition of a private good - Answer-things people buy and consume themselves in a
marketplace that supplies these goods according to the demand for them; vast majority
of Americans buy private goods, which is why much of what Americans do and
consume as individuals has little or nothing to do with the government (toll road)
Definition of a public good - Answer-everyone participates in supplying (for example,
through tax dollars) & which everyone can freely consume as much as he or she
desires; no on can be excluded from benefits and costs are borne collectively
What's a representative government? - Answer-modern democracies that blend
delegation with majority rule; citizens limit their decisions to the selection of government
officials who, acting as their agents, deliberate and commit the citizenry to collective
enterprises
What's a direct democracy? - Answer-in which citizens participate directly in collective
decision making; reserved primarily for small communities and organizations
t/f - representative government is reserved for small communities and organizations -
Answer-false; makes a large scale democracy available for a large group or society
through delegation
what is a republic? - Answer-designed to allow some degree of popular control and also
avoid tyranny; a form of democracy in which power is invested in elected
representatives; voters elect their representatives
what's a parliamentary system government? - Answer-a form of government in which
the chief executive is chosen by the majority party or by a coalition of parties in the
legislature; executive +legislature
definition of politics - Answer-"the process through which individuals and groups reach
agreement on a course of common or collective action, even as they disagree on the
intended goals of that action"
why are politics important? - Answer-how people attempt to manage conflicts that breed
from social choices; each party needs to find a solution to its conflict or disagreement
definition of bargaining - Answer-prolonged exchange of proposals and counter
proposals
definition of compromise - Answer-the settlement in which each side concedes some of
its preferences in order to secure others
