100 Questions and Answers for PPE
Prelims
University: Oxford University Academic Level: Undergraduate Year 1 Academic Year:
2024/25
This document provides a full set of 100 questions and answers, including short-answer
questions and mock exam questions, covering all the Prelims papers: Politics, Philosophy
(Logic, General, Moral), and Economics.
Politics: Introduction to the Theory and Practice of Politics
Short Answer Questions (1-20)
1. What are the two main sections of the "Introduction to the Theory and Practice of
Politics" paper?
○ The Theory of Politics and The Practice of Politics.
2. Candidates are required to answer at least how many questions from section (a) and
section (b) respectively?
○ At least one question from section (a) and two from section (b).
3. Name two topics covered in The Theory of Politics section.
○ The nature and grounds of rights, democracy, liberty, state paternalism, or
free speech.
4. Name two texts that questions will be set on for The Theory of Politics section.
○ John Locke, Second Treatise on Government; Jean-Jacques Rousseau,
Social Contract; Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America; Karl Marx and
Friedrich Engels,
The Communist Manifesto; or John Stuart Mill, On Liberty.
5. What is the focus of the "Practice of Politics" section?
○ Regime types, political institutions and practice outside the advanced
industrial democracies, and parties and party systems.
6. Name a topic related to institutions in the Practice of Politics section.
○ The state and its institutions (executives, legislatures, parties, electoral
systems, courts, constitutions).
7. What is a key concept covered in Tocqueville's Democracy in America?
○ The role of civil society.
8. Which political thinker's work is relevant for studying the grounds of democracy?
○ Jean-Jacques Rousseau, in his work
Social Contract.
9. What is one of the key political institutions studied in the Practice of Politics?
○ Courts, constitutions, or legislatures.
10.What kind of political issues are studied in the "Practice of Politics"?
○ Regime types, political institutions, parties, and party systems.
, 11.Which text is associated with the topic of liberty?
○ John Stuart Mill,
On Liberty.
12.What does the concept of "state capacity" refer to?
○ A topic of study concerning the state and its institutions outside the advanced
industrial democracies.
13.What is a "regime type"?
○ A topic in the Practice of Politics that deals with the definition and
measurement of variations between different types of democracy.
14.How is the role of civil society viewed in the Politics paper?
○ As a topic for which questions are set in the Theory of Politics section.
15.Name a political value or identity covered in the course.
○ Political values and identity politics.
16.What is the key theme of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels's The Communist Manifesto
in this context?
○ It is one of the foundational texts studied for The Theory of Politics.
17.What are "electoral systems"?
○ A topic studied as part of political institutions in the Practice of Politics
section.
18.Who is the author of Second Treatise on Government?
○ John Locke.
19.What does the Politics paper explore regarding power?
○ Power in the democratic state.
20.What is a required component of answering questions in the politics paper?
○ Candidates are required to answer four questions, with a specific distribution
between the two sections.
Exam-Style Questions (21-25) 21. "Critically evaluate the arguments for and against state
paternalism, using examples from the prescribed texts where appropriate." * A good answer
should define state paternalism and its grounds, discuss arguments for it (e.g., protecting
citizens from harm) and against it (e.g., infringement on liberty), and draw on concepts and
arguments from key texts like Mill's
On Liberty.
22. "Compare and contrast the views of John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau on the
nature and grounds of democracy." * A good answer should outline each philosopher's
position on democracy as presented in their respective texts,
Second Treatise on Government and Social Contract. It should highlight key similarities and
differences in their foundational assumptions and conclusions.
23. "To what extent can political values and identity politics be explained by regime type?" *
A good answer should first define both "political values/identity politics" and "regime types"
based on the course description. It should then analyze the relationship, potentially
discussing how political institutions and party systems shape or are shaped by these values,
drawing on knowledge from the Practice of Politics section.
Prelims
University: Oxford University Academic Level: Undergraduate Year 1 Academic Year:
2024/25
This document provides a full set of 100 questions and answers, including short-answer
questions and mock exam questions, covering all the Prelims papers: Politics, Philosophy
(Logic, General, Moral), and Economics.
Politics: Introduction to the Theory and Practice of Politics
Short Answer Questions (1-20)
1. What are the two main sections of the "Introduction to the Theory and Practice of
Politics" paper?
○ The Theory of Politics and The Practice of Politics.
2. Candidates are required to answer at least how many questions from section (a) and
section (b) respectively?
○ At least one question from section (a) and two from section (b).
3. Name two topics covered in The Theory of Politics section.
○ The nature and grounds of rights, democracy, liberty, state paternalism, or
free speech.
4. Name two texts that questions will be set on for The Theory of Politics section.
○ John Locke, Second Treatise on Government; Jean-Jacques Rousseau,
Social Contract; Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America; Karl Marx and
Friedrich Engels,
The Communist Manifesto; or John Stuart Mill, On Liberty.
5. What is the focus of the "Practice of Politics" section?
○ Regime types, political institutions and practice outside the advanced
industrial democracies, and parties and party systems.
6. Name a topic related to institutions in the Practice of Politics section.
○ The state and its institutions (executives, legislatures, parties, electoral
systems, courts, constitutions).
7. What is a key concept covered in Tocqueville's Democracy in America?
○ The role of civil society.
8. Which political thinker's work is relevant for studying the grounds of democracy?
○ Jean-Jacques Rousseau, in his work
Social Contract.
9. What is one of the key political institutions studied in the Practice of Politics?
○ Courts, constitutions, or legislatures.
10.What kind of political issues are studied in the "Practice of Politics"?
○ Regime types, political institutions, parties, and party systems.
, 11.Which text is associated with the topic of liberty?
○ John Stuart Mill,
On Liberty.
12.What does the concept of "state capacity" refer to?
○ A topic of study concerning the state and its institutions outside the advanced
industrial democracies.
13.What is a "regime type"?
○ A topic in the Practice of Politics that deals with the definition and
measurement of variations between different types of democracy.
14.How is the role of civil society viewed in the Politics paper?
○ As a topic for which questions are set in the Theory of Politics section.
15.Name a political value or identity covered in the course.
○ Political values and identity politics.
16.What is the key theme of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels's The Communist Manifesto
in this context?
○ It is one of the foundational texts studied for The Theory of Politics.
17.What are "electoral systems"?
○ A topic studied as part of political institutions in the Practice of Politics
section.
18.Who is the author of Second Treatise on Government?
○ John Locke.
19.What does the Politics paper explore regarding power?
○ Power in the democratic state.
20.What is a required component of answering questions in the politics paper?
○ Candidates are required to answer four questions, with a specific distribution
between the two sections.
Exam-Style Questions (21-25) 21. "Critically evaluate the arguments for and against state
paternalism, using examples from the prescribed texts where appropriate." * A good answer
should define state paternalism and its grounds, discuss arguments for it (e.g., protecting
citizens from harm) and against it (e.g., infringement on liberty), and draw on concepts and
arguments from key texts like Mill's
On Liberty.
22. "Compare and contrast the views of John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau on the
nature and grounds of democracy." * A good answer should outline each philosopher's
position on democracy as presented in their respective texts,
Second Treatise on Government and Social Contract. It should highlight key similarities and
differences in their foundational assumptions and conclusions.
23. "To what extent can political values and identity politics be explained by regime type?" *
A good answer should first define both "political values/identity politics" and "regime types"
based on the course description. It should then analyze the relationship, potentially
discussing how political institutions and party systems shape or are shaped by these values,
drawing on knowledge from the Practice of Politics section.
