POLS 207 Texas Government Exam 1 (67 Questions) – Conservatism, Political Culture, Ideologies, Data Analysis – Texas A&M University

This comprehensive study document contains 67 exam-style questions and answers from POLS 207 – Texas Government, covering key topics for the 2025/2026 academic year. Structured in a clear Q&A format, it thoroughly reviews fundamental political science concepts such as Texas’s dual political culture (individualistic and traditionalistic), the Texas brand of conservatism, and ideological frameworks including liberalism, conservatism, socialism, capitalism, and totalitarianism. In addition to core ideologies, the document explores Elazar’s theory of political culture, the role of government, and differing views on economic regulation, social order, and individual freedoms. Students will also gain insights into public goods theory, the trickle-down effect, and laissez-faire economics, providing a strong theoretical foundation. A significant portion is dedicated to political psychology and analysis, featuring content on implicit bias, heuristics (availability and representativeness), and findings from Kahneman and Tversky. The final section focuses on data interpretation in political science, explaining correlation vs. causation, spurious relationships, and visual data tools such as heat maps and scatterplots. Concepts like normative vs. empirical measures, validity, reliability, and fixed vs. current dollars are also included to aid in understanding public data and economic indicators. This document is ideal for: Political Science majors, especially those taking introductory courses in American or state-level government. Public Administration, Economics, and Sociology students exploring government structures and public policy. Students enrolled in POLS 207 at Texas A&M University or similar government and politics courses across other institutions. Learners seeking high-yield revision material for exams or standardized tests involving political systems and data analysis. Keywords: Texas government, POLS 207, political culture, conservatism, liberalism, individualism, traditionalism, socialism, capitalism, Elazar theory, trickle-down theory, laissez-faire, social darwinism, public goods, political ideologies, implicit bias, heuristics, Kahneman and Tversky, availability heuristic, correlation, causation, spuriousness, heat maps, scatterplots, normative measures, empirical data, data analysis