PS 125 FIRST MIDTERM REVIEW SHEET
Your midterm will contain ten short answer questions. You should be able to answer
them in a paragraph (or two at most). The following questions will guide you to
important terms and questions. You should be able to answer these questions using
examples from class and from the readings. You should be able to define and explain the
significance of the listed terms. An example of a question from an old midterm, and a
fully correct answer, is on the last page. Good luck!
What is Hobbes’ conception of human nature? Why does he say that government is
necessary? What are some other circumstances in modern life that make government
necessary? What assumptions about human nature underlie your textbook’s and our
class’ discussion of the “logic of politics”? Based on those arguments, why are rules and
institutions important?
Terms: state of nature, public goods, externalities, politics, collective action problems,
coordination problems, free rider, tragedy of the commons, prisoners’ dilemma,
transaction costs, conformity costs
What were the framers’ motivations in designing the US Constitution? Were they
enlightened statesmen or regular politicians, or both? How does the Constitution itself
reflect the personal experiences of the Framers? Why does Dahl argue that the US
Constitution is undemocratic? How did it evolve to become more democratic? In what
ways are other democracies different from our own? In what ways are those other
systems better? Worse? Do you agree with his argument?
Terms: Articles of Confederation, Declaration of Independence, bicameral Congress,
legislative supremacy, checks and balances, unitary system, unicameral legislature, first
past the post/single member plurality system, proportional representation
Why do we have a federal system? What are the advantages and disadvantages of
federalism? What are some of the ways in which states differ in their policies and
governmental structures? Why is the commerce clause important to federalism? What are
the advantages of standardized national policies? What are the advantages of local policy
autonomy? What does the Alaska schools example tell us about this debate?
Terms: shared federalism, dual federalism, full faith and credit clause, 10th amendment,
commerce clause, supremacy clause, unitary government, little laboratories, McCulloch
v. Maryland, Gibbons v. Ogden, US v. Lopez, No Child Left Behind
Why do we want to have a democracy? Why is it important to democracy to have an
informed citizenry? What kinds of information do voters need to know? How would you
characterize American citizens’ level of political knowledge? What are some striking
examples of facts about politics that Americans don’t know? Can a democracy function
effectively based on that level of knowledge? What could we do to inform people better?
Terms: oligarchy, monarchy, democracy, heuristics
What role should the press play in a democratic society? Do the media provide the
information needed for Americans to make informed political decisions? If not, why not?
Whose fault is it? In what ways do the news media influence public opinion? In what way
is consumption of news a public good that is subject to the free rider problem? What five
W’s does the author argue really control news content? What factors make it likely that a
story will be told at all? What factors increase the production of soft news? What does the
author mean by “race to the bottom news coverage,” and what produces it? How do
economic incentives lead to herding behavior among journalists? Why does the news
have the characteristics that it does (homogeneity, repetitiveness, poor quality, soft news,
etc.)?
Terms: priming, soft news, hard news, carrying capacity, herd journalism
What are ways in which individuals can participate in the political process? What are
some barriers to voting? Who is more likely to participate in politics? Who is less likely
to participate and why? Does “who participates” systematically bias the outcomes of the
political process? Why do registration laws affect voter turnout? Why don’t young people
vote? Why are there differences among racial and ethnic groups in voter turnout?
Terms: voter turnout, civic skills, social capital
How do collective action problems make it difficult for groups to form? What kinds of
groups are easier to organize? Are those groups representative of the whole population?
Is the system fair to all groups? What would a pluralist say? Do you agree? Make a list of
all of the insider strategies an interest group might use. What can groups do in order to
lobby Congress specifically? If they lose in Congress, where else can they go? In what
ways are interest groups good for democracy? In what ways might they be problematic?
Terms: Terms: Interest groups, selective incentives, pluralism, policymaking process,
problem definition, Political Action Committee, lobbying, Anti-Saloon League, political
action committee,
What alternative strategies are available to groups who consider “insider” strategies to be
outside the reach, or incompatible with their goals? What factors make a social
movement more likely to develop? What makes a social movement more likely to
achieve its goals? What are civil rights? How are they different from civil liberties? How
have African Americans and other groups suffered from tyranny of the majority? What
strategies did African Americans use to overcome the obstacles to full citizenship placed
in their way? Is that struggle complete? How have other minority groups used similar
reasoning and tactics? Is the struggle of other groups comparable? What are the civil
rights struggles of today?
Terms: poll tax, white primary, literacy test, grandfather clauses, Jim Crow, Civil Rights
Act of 1964, Voting Rights Act of 1965
Why do political parties develop naturally from democratic government? Why do we
have a “two party system”? Who makes up a political party? How do political parties get
people to work for them?
What made the 19th century a “golden age” for political parties? What changed in the
Progressive Era? What in the middle of the 20th century further weakened parties? How
would you characterize the strength of parties today? How are parties serving as “service
organizations?” How might technology change party organizations?
Terms: political party, office seekers, benefit seekers, material incentives, solidary
incentives, expressive incentives, party in government, party in the electorate, party in
government, golden age, spoils system, Australian ballot
Sample question (and sample perfect answer) from an old midterm:
Why do we sometimes call the 50 states the “little laboratories?”
THEY ARE CALLED LITTLE LABORATORIES BECAUSE THESE STATES
‘TEST’ POLICIES AND SEE WHAT WORKS WELL BEFORE WE TRY IT
AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL. THIS CAN OCCUR BECAUSE SHARED
FEDERALISM ALLOWS STATES TO GOVERN THEIR TERRITORIES
ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES, AND THE
RESULT IS THAT THERE IS A GREAT DIVERSITY OF STATE LAWS,
AND EVEN STATE INSTITUTIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, SOME STATES
HAVE PROFESSIONAL LEGISLATURES AND OTHERS DO NOT.