UNDERSTANDING THE POLITICAL WORLD
COMPREHENSIVE EXAM SCRIPT VERIFIED
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS GRADED
APLUS
●● What are the key components of democracy according to Schmitter
and Karl?
Answer: Accountability, Competition, Representation, Cooperation.
●● What does accountability in democracy mean?
Answer: Political leaders must answer to citizens and can be removed
through elections.
●● What is the difference between procedural and substantive
democracy?
Answer: Procedural democracy focuses on processes and institutions,
while substantive democracy emphasizes actual political equality and
meaningful participation.
●● What are Dahl's 8 procedural minimal conditions of democracy?
Answer: Freedom to form organizations, Freedom of expression, Right
to vote, Eligibility for public office, Political leaders competing for
support, Alternative sources of information, Free and fair elections,
Institutions depending on votes.
,●● What is the significance of freedom to form organizations in a
democracy?
Answer: It allows citizens to create political parties and groups to
challenge rulers.
●● Why is freedom of expression important in a democracy?
Answer: It enables citizens to criticize the government and engage in
public debate.
●● What does the right to vote signify in a democratic system?
Answer: It ensures that citizens have a say in governance and can
influence political outcomes.
●● What is meant by 'political leaders competing for support'?
Answer: Opposition leaders must be able to campaign and challenge
those in power.
●● What role do alternative sources of information play in democracy?
Answer: They provide citizens with independent information necessary
for informed decision-making.
●● What characterizes free and fair elections?
,Answer: Elections must be regular, free from coercion, and accurately
count votes.
●● What is the focus of formal/procedural democracy?
Answer: Emphasizes democratic procedures and institutions such as
elections and legal frameworks.
●● What is the critique of procedural democracy?
Answer: It may exist without equality, justice, or civil liberties.
●● What does substantive democracy focus on?
Answer: Actual political equality, freedom, and meaningful
participation.
●● What is the rational explanation of democratization?
Answer: Democratization occurs because political actors make strategic
cost-benefit calculations.
●● What factors can lead elites to democratize?
Answer: Costly repression, instability from protests, economic crises,
and international pressure.
●● How did the working class contribute to democracy?
, Answer: Industrialization led to urban workers and labor movements
that demanded rights and protections.
●● What is mass mobilization in the context of democratization?
Answer: Democratization driven by ordinary citizens through protests
and uprisings.
●● What is elite-driven democratization?
Answer: Democratization managed through elite negotiation and
institutional reform.
●● What cultural values are important for democracy?
Answer: Trust, tolerance, civic participation, and individualism.
●● What traditional argument is made about Confucianism and
democracy?
Answer: Confucianism is said to discourage democracy due to its
emphasis on hierarchy and authority.
●● What counterargument exists regarding Confucianism and
democracy?
Answer: Democratic Confucian societies like South Korea and Taiwan
show that culture can adapt.
COMPREHENSIVE EXAM SCRIPT VERIFIED
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS GRADED
APLUS
●● What are the key components of democracy according to Schmitter
and Karl?
Answer: Accountability, Competition, Representation, Cooperation.
●● What does accountability in democracy mean?
Answer: Political leaders must answer to citizens and can be removed
through elections.
●● What is the difference between procedural and substantive
democracy?
Answer: Procedural democracy focuses on processes and institutions,
while substantive democracy emphasizes actual political equality and
meaningful participation.
●● What are Dahl's 8 procedural minimal conditions of democracy?
Answer: Freedom to form organizations, Freedom of expression, Right
to vote, Eligibility for public office, Political leaders competing for
support, Alternative sources of information, Free and fair elections,
Institutions depending on votes.
,●● What is the significance of freedom to form organizations in a
democracy?
Answer: It allows citizens to create political parties and groups to
challenge rulers.
●● Why is freedom of expression important in a democracy?
Answer: It enables citizens to criticize the government and engage in
public debate.
●● What does the right to vote signify in a democratic system?
Answer: It ensures that citizens have a say in governance and can
influence political outcomes.
●● What is meant by 'political leaders competing for support'?
Answer: Opposition leaders must be able to campaign and challenge
those in power.
●● What role do alternative sources of information play in democracy?
Answer: They provide citizens with independent information necessary
for informed decision-making.
●● What characterizes free and fair elections?
,Answer: Elections must be regular, free from coercion, and accurately
count votes.
●● What is the focus of formal/procedural democracy?
Answer: Emphasizes democratic procedures and institutions such as
elections and legal frameworks.
●● What is the critique of procedural democracy?
Answer: It may exist without equality, justice, or civil liberties.
●● What does substantive democracy focus on?
Answer: Actual political equality, freedom, and meaningful
participation.
●● What is the rational explanation of democratization?
Answer: Democratization occurs because political actors make strategic
cost-benefit calculations.
●● What factors can lead elites to democratize?
Answer: Costly repression, instability from protests, economic crises,
and international pressure.
●● How did the working class contribute to democracy?
, Answer: Industrialization led to urban workers and labor movements
that demanded rights and protections.
●● What is mass mobilization in the context of democratization?
Answer: Democratization driven by ordinary citizens through protests
and uprisings.
●● What is elite-driven democratization?
Answer: Democratization managed through elite negotiation and
institutional reform.
●● What cultural values are important for democracy?
Answer: Trust, tolerance, civic participation, and individualism.
●● What traditional argument is made about Confucianism and
democracy?
Answer: Confucianism is said to discourage democracy due to its
emphasis on hierarchy and authority.
●● What counterargument exists regarding Confucianism and
democracy?
Answer: Democratic Confucian societies like South Korea and Taiwan
show that culture can adapt.
