POLS 209 EXAM 1 STUDY QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
Political science - ANSWER-The study of power, its distribution, and its
consequences
American politics - ANSWER-examines American political system,
structures/institutions in the US (electoral process, voting behavior)
Comparative politics - ANSWER-explains differences across different
countries or political systems, research concerned with explaining how
different countries make different decisions
International politics - ANSWER-interactions between nations, how countries
interact with each other
Political theory - ANSWER-more philosophical questions about politics,
explore concepts like justice power, and liberty
Questions - ANSWER-begin with fundamental questions) want them to be
specific, and researchable
Models/theories - ANSWER-(provide explanations for certain phenomena)
(they are abstract, abstract arguments or concepts
Theory = - ANSWER-is a self-interrelated concept explaining something about
political behavior)
Implications - ANSWER-(every theory makes a prediction) (observable data)
Empirical testing - ANSWER-gathering data about politics, which could be
collected through surveys of the public, experiments by asking questions,
and using them to statistically test the implications
Evaluate theory - ANSWER-if the data supports the theory then we might say
the theory is correct, and vice versa
Normative - ANSWER-what should the world look like
Empirical - ANSWER-questions about how the world is (usually asked)
(actually testable
types of Empirical questions - ANSWER-Descriptive, Relational, and Casual
, Descriptive Empirical questions - ANSWER-what does the world look like
EX of Descriptive Empirical questions - ANSWER-what are the current war-like
patterns
Relational Empirical questions - ANSWER-are set of phenomena related to
each other
EX of Relational Empirical questions - ANSWER-is there a relationship
between economic inequality and politics
Casual Empirical questions - ANSWER-why does the world look the way it
does (try to come up with an answer
EX of Casual Empirical questions - ANSWER-what causes the changes in
public opinion about climate change
What are concepts - ANSWER-mental constructs that help us communicate
and reason precisely
What are variables - ANSWER-map values onto concepts
Dependent variables - ANSWER-the thing that changes due to the ...
Dependent variables are A.K.A - ANSWER-Y, outcome variable
independent variable - ANSWER-the thing that affects the DV
independent variable are A.K.A - ANSWER-X, treatment, predictor
Theories - ANSWER-are no more or less than related to reasoning about the
relations among variables
Essential characteristics of theories - ANSWER-Explanation of phenomena,
Logically consistent, Non-tautological, Falsifiable, and Accurate
Non-tautological EX - ANSWER-democratic countries are peaceful because
they are democratic
Falsifiable EX - ANSWER-if democracies don't go to war with each other, the
data has to show this
Hypothesis - ANSWER-testable statements about a relationship between two
political phenomena
Qualitative analysis - ANSWER-an in-depth examination of one or a few cases
Quantitative analysis - ANSWER-transform concepts into numerical data and
study those data
AND ANSWERS
Political science - ANSWER-The study of power, its distribution, and its
consequences
American politics - ANSWER-examines American political system,
structures/institutions in the US (electoral process, voting behavior)
Comparative politics - ANSWER-explains differences across different
countries or political systems, research concerned with explaining how
different countries make different decisions
International politics - ANSWER-interactions between nations, how countries
interact with each other
Political theory - ANSWER-more philosophical questions about politics,
explore concepts like justice power, and liberty
Questions - ANSWER-begin with fundamental questions) want them to be
specific, and researchable
Models/theories - ANSWER-(provide explanations for certain phenomena)
(they are abstract, abstract arguments or concepts
Theory = - ANSWER-is a self-interrelated concept explaining something about
political behavior)
Implications - ANSWER-(every theory makes a prediction) (observable data)
Empirical testing - ANSWER-gathering data about politics, which could be
collected through surveys of the public, experiments by asking questions,
and using them to statistically test the implications
Evaluate theory - ANSWER-if the data supports the theory then we might say
the theory is correct, and vice versa
Normative - ANSWER-what should the world look like
Empirical - ANSWER-questions about how the world is (usually asked)
(actually testable
types of Empirical questions - ANSWER-Descriptive, Relational, and Casual
, Descriptive Empirical questions - ANSWER-what does the world look like
EX of Descriptive Empirical questions - ANSWER-what are the current war-like
patterns
Relational Empirical questions - ANSWER-are set of phenomena related to
each other
EX of Relational Empirical questions - ANSWER-is there a relationship
between economic inequality and politics
Casual Empirical questions - ANSWER-why does the world look the way it
does (try to come up with an answer
EX of Casual Empirical questions - ANSWER-what causes the changes in
public opinion about climate change
What are concepts - ANSWER-mental constructs that help us communicate
and reason precisely
What are variables - ANSWER-map values onto concepts
Dependent variables - ANSWER-the thing that changes due to the ...
Dependent variables are A.K.A - ANSWER-Y, outcome variable
independent variable - ANSWER-the thing that affects the DV
independent variable are A.K.A - ANSWER-X, treatment, predictor
Theories - ANSWER-are no more or less than related to reasoning about the
relations among variables
Essential characteristics of theories - ANSWER-Explanation of phenomena,
Logically consistent, Non-tautological, Falsifiable, and Accurate
Non-tautological EX - ANSWER-democratic countries are peaceful because
they are democratic
Falsifiable EX - ANSWER-if democracies don't go to war with each other, the
data has to show this
Hypothesis - ANSWER-testable statements about a relationship between two
political phenomena
Qualitative analysis - ANSWER-an in-depth examination of one or a few cases
Quantitative analysis - ANSWER-transform concepts into numerical data and
study those data
