PS 1010 Mid-Term Exam
Study Guide
There will be 3 types of short answers for the midterm: Questions requiring students to
match authors with book titles and authors with concepts, theories; multiple choices, i.e.,
selecting the appropriate answer(s) to complete a statement or answering a question; and,
true/false statements.
Authors
Book Titles
Theories
Plato
The Republic
Noble Lie
Myth of Metal
Philosopher Kings, Guardian
And Artisans
Adam Smith
Wealth of Nations
The invisible had of
competition
commerce is more important
to wealth than land.
Roberto Michels
Political Parties: The Iron
Laws of Oligarchy
elistism (oligarchy) as a
result of the nature of
organization: size and the
need for experts principles
Thomas Hobbes
The Leviathan
Anti-social nature of people
The state of nature is “a war
of every man, against every
man”.
Karl Marx
Communist Manifesto
“All history is the history of
Class struggle”
Economic Determinism
Dialectical Materialism
Bourgeoise v. Proletariat
Nobility v. Peasants
Max Weber
The Protestant Ethic and the
Rise of Capitalism
Culture (values) influences
economics, The values are
Materialism, Rationalism and
Individualism
Samuel Huntington
The Clash of Civilization
The new world order
(post USSR) will be wars of
culture conflicts
William Riker
The Theory of Political Coalition
The minimum winning
coalition
Francis Bacon
New Atlantis
Science is the key to
Humanity’s comfortable
Self-preservation
a technological utopia
B. F. Skinners
Walden Two
The science of behavioral
engineering
Aldous Huxley
The Brave New World
dystopia based on the
Republic
George Orwell
Nineteen Eighty-Four
totalitarian
Ruler (Big Brother)
Alexis de Tocqueville Democracy In America
tyranny of the majority
Machiavelli
“an instructor’s manual
for successful authoritarian
ruler”
The Prince
Authors/Concepts/Theories
Max Weber
Three Types of Legitimacy:
Charismatic
Traditional
Rational Legal
Aristotle
Classifications of Political Systems: Monarchy-Autocracy
Aristocracy v. Oligarchy
Polity v. Democracy
David Easton
The Political System:
The Regime
The Personnel
The Community
Multiple Choice/True False
Elitism:
Plato’s Republic
Marx’s Feudalism and Capitalism
Robert Michels Political Parties: Iron Law of Oligarchy
Pluralism
democratic elitism
competition of group interest
arena theory of government
umpire theory of government
consensus ruling out violence
Participatory Democracy
democratizing hierarchical
structures in society i.e.
family, schools, churches and the workplace
the many ruling themselves
Marx’s Communism (anarchy).
Traditional Legitimacy
Acceptance of government based on Custom/Habit
Charismatic Legitimacy
Acceptance of Government based on the leader’s
personality
Rational-Legal Legitimacy
Acceptance of government based on reason, logic and/or
A constitution.
Political Stability
Dealing well with Change and the Transition of Power.
Charismatic Legitimacy
Deals well with Change not the Transition of Power.
Rational-Legal Legitimacy
Deals well with both Change and Transition of Power.
Traditional Legitimacy
Deals well with Transitions of Power but not with Change.
Characteristics of Marx’s
Feudalism
City-state, nobility v peasants, religion for legitimacy
and agrarian economy
Characteristics of Marx’s
Capitalism
nation-state, bourgeoisie v. proletariat,
nationalism for legitimacy and industrialized economy.
Characteristics of Marx’s
Socialism
regional state proletariat v. bourgeoisie
working class consciousness for legitimacy and a highly
industrialized economy
Characteristics of Marx’s
Communism
A global society, stateless and classless, equality for
legitimacy and a nearly automated economy
Marx
“Religion is the Opiate of the Masses”
“Workers unite and rebel you have nothing to loose but
your chains”.
Devine Rights of Kings
God appoints the rulers to rule in his name.
To rebel is to risk your life as well as your soul.
Three Branches of American
Government
Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branch.
Three Levels of American
Government
Federal, State and Local
Examples of the Executive Branch
The President, the Governor and the Mayor
Examples of the Legislative Branch Congress, the State Senate/Assembly and City
Council.
The Cold War
Period after WWII to the Collapse of the Soviet Union (USSR).
A coup de tat
A blow to the state
A group tries to overthrow the existing ruler.
Virtual Representation
Representing what is good for society not necessarily
What the people want.
Literal Representation
Representing what people want not necessarily what is
Good for society.
An Authoritarian State
A government in which all political power rests in one
Person (dictatorship) or a small group of persons
(oligarchy). Individual political rights are subordinate to
the state.
Totalitarianism
A political system in which every facet of the society, the
economy and the government is tightly controlled by the
Ruling elite.
Laissez-faire capitalism
Government that governs the least governs the best
Marxism-Leninism
“the dictatorship of the proletariat”
Anarchism
Without government
Sovereignty
A government’s capacity to assert supreme power
Successfully in a political state.
Basic Concepts of Politics
Power, Order and Justice
Self-Interest v. the Public Interest
What’s good for the individual versus
What’s good for society.
Propaganda
The use of mass media to create whatever impression is
desired among the general population and to influence
thoughts and activities toward desired ends.
A mixed economy
An economic system that combines both publicly and
Privately owned enterprises.
Law of Primogeniture
Transferring power and/or wealth to the first born