POLI 201 Final Exam Questions &
Answers
Constitutional - ANSWERSa system in which the majority chooses rulers who must then govern
within the rule of law
Liberal Democracy - ANSWERSa system of government characterized by universal adult suffrage,
political equality, majority rule, and constitutionalism
Franchise - ANSWERSthe right to vote
Plurality - ANSWERSa voting decision based on assigning victory to the largest number of votes
but not necessarily a majority
Majority - ANSWERSfifty percent plus one of those voting; also called a simple majority
Qualified Majority - ANSWERSin which a simple majority requirement of (50 percent plus one) is
raised to a higher level in order to protect the rights of minorities
Unanimity - ANSWERSa decision rule in which any action must be approved by all participation
Direct Democracy - ANSWERSa system of democratic based on public decisions made by citizens
meeting in an assembly or voting by ballot
Representative Democracy - ANSWERSa system of government based on election of decision-
makers by the people
Referendum: a decision on policy proposals by a direct vote of the electorate
,Plebiscite - ANSWERSan advisory referendum
Initiative - ANSWERSinitiation of legislative action on a particular issue by way of a voters'
petition
Recall - ANSWERSthe ability of voters in a constituency to remove their elevated representative
from office by means of a petition
Elite - ANSWERSa small group of people with a disproportionate amount of public decision-
making power
Autonomy - ANSWERSa state of independence from outside control
Crisis of Governability - ANSWERSthe inability of representative governments to respond to the
demands of their citizens in the wake of the Great Recession of 2008
Polyarchy - ANSWERSRobert Dahl's term for pluralist forms of liberal democracy, in which many
different interests complete
Corporatism - ANSWERSorganization of a liberal democracy in such a way that the state is the
dominant force in society and the activities of all interests in society are subordinate to that
force
Consociationalism - ANSWERSa form of democracy in which harmony in segmented societies is
maintained through the distinctive roles of elites, the autonomy of organized interests, and a
balance of power among those interests
, Globalization - ANSWERSthe processes and consequences of increasing the scope of exchange
in goods, and services, money, people and ideas
Autocracy - ANSWERSan arbitrary system of government unconstrained by the rule of law and
the consent of the governed
Despotism - ANSWERSa form of government in which an individual rules through fear, without
regard to law, and is not answerable to the people
Authoritarianism - ANSWERSa system of government in which leaders are not subjected to the
test of free elections
Right-Wing Authoritarian - ANSWERSan authoritarian regime with limited political pluralism and
little guiding ideology or political mobilization, combined with a statist bias and a major political
role for the military
Statism - ANSWERSheavy intervention of the state in societal affairs, especially in the economic
system
Left-Wing Authoritarian - ANSWERSan official ideology that has a vision of fundamental social
transformation, extensive political mobilization, and centralized economic planning but lacks the
full intensity of totalitarian regimes
Totalitarianism - ANSWERSa modern form of despotic rule in which the state undertakes to
remake society according to an ideological design
Separation of Powers - ANSWERSassignment of different powers to the executive, legislative,
and judicial branches of government
Legislative - ANSWERSthe branch of government responsible for making laws for the society
Answers
Constitutional - ANSWERSa system in which the majority chooses rulers who must then govern
within the rule of law
Liberal Democracy - ANSWERSa system of government characterized by universal adult suffrage,
political equality, majority rule, and constitutionalism
Franchise - ANSWERSthe right to vote
Plurality - ANSWERSa voting decision based on assigning victory to the largest number of votes
but not necessarily a majority
Majority - ANSWERSfifty percent plus one of those voting; also called a simple majority
Qualified Majority - ANSWERSin which a simple majority requirement of (50 percent plus one) is
raised to a higher level in order to protect the rights of minorities
Unanimity - ANSWERSa decision rule in which any action must be approved by all participation
Direct Democracy - ANSWERSa system of democratic based on public decisions made by citizens
meeting in an assembly or voting by ballot
Representative Democracy - ANSWERSa system of government based on election of decision-
makers by the people
Referendum: a decision on policy proposals by a direct vote of the electorate
,Plebiscite - ANSWERSan advisory referendum
Initiative - ANSWERSinitiation of legislative action on a particular issue by way of a voters'
petition
Recall - ANSWERSthe ability of voters in a constituency to remove their elevated representative
from office by means of a petition
Elite - ANSWERSa small group of people with a disproportionate amount of public decision-
making power
Autonomy - ANSWERSa state of independence from outside control
Crisis of Governability - ANSWERSthe inability of representative governments to respond to the
demands of their citizens in the wake of the Great Recession of 2008
Polyarchy - ANSWERSRobert Dahl's term for pluralist forms of liberal democracy, in which many
different interests complete
Corporatism - ANSWERSorganization of a liberal democracy in such a way that the state is the
dominant force in society and the activities of all interests in society are subordinate to that
force
Consociationalism - ANSWERSa form of democracy in which harmony in segmented societies is
maintained through the distinctive roles of elites, the autonomy of organized interests, and a
balance of power among those interests
, Globalization - ANSWERSthe processes and consequences of increasing the scope of exchange
in goods, and services, money, people and ideas
Autocracy - ANSWERSan arbitrary system of government unconstrained by the rule of law and
the consent of the governed
Despotism - ANSWERSa form of government in which an individual rules through fear, without
regard to law, and is not answerable to the people
Authoritarianism - ANSWERSa system of government in which leaders are not subjected to the
test of free elections
Right-Wing Authoritarian - ANSWERSan authoritarian regime with limited political pluralism and
little guiding ideology or political mobilization, combined with a statist bias and a major political
role for the military
Statism - ANSWERSheavy intervention of the state in societal affairs, especially in the economic
system
Left-Wing Authoritarian - ANSWERSan official ideology that has a vision of fundamental social
transformation, extensive political mobilization, and centralized economic planning but lacks the
full intensity of totalitarian regimes
Totalitarianism - ANSWERSa modern form of despotic rule in which the state undertakes to
remake society according to an ideological design
Separation of Powers - ANSWERSassignment of different powers to the executive, legislative,
and judicial branches of government
Legislative - ANSWERSthe branch of government responsible for making laws for the society
