POL 221: INTRODUCTION TO COMPARATIVE POLITICS
First Exam (2004-06-10)

Part I: Map Recognition

  1. In the above map of Europe, Britain is country "_____".
  2. In the above map of Europe, France is country "_____".
  3. In the above map of Europe, Germany is country "_____".
  4. In the above map of the world, Japan is country "_____".

Part II: True or False

Questions U. K. France Germany Japan
Area is larger than Germany's 5. True/False 6. True/False N. A. 7. True/False
Population is larger than Germany's 8. True/False 9. True/False N. A. 10. True/False
Has a written constitution 11. True/False 12. True/False 13. True/False 14. True/False
Head of state is the president 15. True/False 16. True/False 17. True/False 18. True/False
Head of state is a mostly ceremonial post 19. True/False 20. True/False 21. True/False 22. True/False
Has a parliamentary system of government 23. True/False 24. True/False 25. True/False 26. True/False
Chief executive is the prime minister 27. True/False 28. True/False 29. True/False 30. True/False
National legislature is bicameral 31. True/False 32. True/False 33. True/False 34. True/False
All members of the national legislature are directly elected by voters 35. True/False 36. True/False 37. True/False 38. True/False
Uses single-member districts in national legislative elections 39. True/False 40. True/False 41. True/False 42. True/False
Cabinet members can be national legislators concurrently 43. True/False 44. True/False 45. True/False 46. True/False
Has a two-party system in the national legislature 47. True/False 48. True/False 49. True/False 50. True/False
Current ruling party is on the political left 51. True/False 52. True/False 53. True/False 54. True/False
A federal system 55. True/False 56. True/False 57. True/False 58. True/False
Uses euro as national currency 59. True/False 60. True/False 61. True/False 62. True/False
  1. Alexis de Tocqueville was a U.S. citizen.
    1. True
    2. False

  2. Political decisions are public and authoritative.
    1. True
    2. False

  3. A political system, like all other systems, has interdependent parts and boundaries.
    1. True
    2. False

  4. In today's world, almost every government claims to be a democracy.
    1. True
    2. False

  5. The rule of law is considered as one of the necessary conditions of democracy.
    1. True
    2. False

  6. The collapse of communism at the end of 1980s is part of the "third wave of democratization".
    1. True
    2. False

  7. On the traditional left-right political spectrum, social democratic parties are on the left.
    1. True
    2. False

  8. Britain is larger than the state of Mississippi in area.
    1. True
    2. False

  9. In Britain, all adults have had the right to vote since the 17th century.
    1. True
    2. False

  10. Tony Blair's "third way" is a restoration of the orthodox socialist ideals.
    1. True
    2. False

  11. Civil society normally refers to institutions that are independent of the government.
    1. True
    2. False

  12. Interest groups influence politics mainly by competing in elections.
    1. True
    2. False

  13. France has a much larger population than Britain's.
    1. True
    2. False

  14. In France the president and prime minister are always from the same party.
    1. True
    2. False

  15. According to Duverger's Law, plurality single-member district election rules tend to create two-party system in the legislature.
    1. True
    2. False

  16. The former East Germany was a member of NATO.
    1. True
    2. False

  17. In federal elections in Germany, each voter casts two votes, one for a candidate and the other for a federal party.
    1. True
    2. False

  18. The German Bundestag can remove a chancellor through constructive vote of no-confidence.
    1. True
    2. False

  19. Interest groups are formally involved in policy process in Germany.
    1. True
    2. False

  20. The European Union is more than an economic organization or trading bloc.
    1. True
    2. False

  21. The European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community were established by the same six countries.
    1. True
    2. False

  22. Every member state of the European Union is using Euro as their national currency.
    1. True
    2. False

  23. The European Commission represents the governments of the member states.
    1. True
    2. False

  24. The European Commissioners are appointed by member states.
    1. True
    2. False

  25. The European Council is the institutionalization of regular meetings of EU heads of state and government.
    1. True
    2. False

  26. The European Central Bank manages the euro.
    1. True
    2. False

  27. Japan no longer has an emperor.
    1. True
    2. False

  28. Japan's constitution stipulates that land, sea, and air forces will never be maintained.
    1. True
    2. False

  29. The Korean War devastated Japan's economy.
    1. True
    2. False

  30. In the 1960s Japan's economic growth rate was the highest among OECD countries.
    1. True
    2. False

  31. All of Japan's postwar Prime Ministers have been leaders of the Liberal Democratic Party.
    1. True
    2. False

  32. Japan's bureaucracy is heavily involved in policymaking.
    1. True
    2. False

    Part III: Choose the ONE Best Answer

  33. Not all democracies _____.
    1. guarantee basic individual freedoms and rights
    2. rely on the rule of law
    3. have regular, free, and fair elections
    4. are affluent economically

  34. According to Samuel P. Huntington, the "third wave of democratization" started in _____ in mid-1970s.
    1. Portugal and Spain
    2. South America
    3. Asia
    4. East Europe
    5. South Africa

  35. The United Kingdom does NOT include _____.
    1. England
    2. Scotland
    3. Wales
    4. Northern Ireland
    5. Ireland

  36. The capital of Britain is _____.
    1. London
    2. Oxford
    3. Berlin
    4. Madrid
    5. Edinburgh

  37. In a parliamentary system, the prime minister is chosen by the _____.
    1. voters
    2. president
    3. parliament
    4. upper house
    5. monarch

  38. Britain's electoral system does NOT use _____.
    1. single-member districts
    2. first-past-the-post rule
    3. winner-take-all rule
    4. proportional representation

  39. Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was a _____ Party leader.
    1. Labour
    2. New Labour
    3. Conservative
    4. Liberal
    5. Social Democratic

  40. British Prime Minister's residence is located _____.
    1. on Downing Street
    2. on Whitehall Street
    3. in the Palace of Westminster
    4. in the Buckingham Palace
    5. in the White House

  41. The current leader of the New Labour Party is _____.
    1. Margaret Thatcher
    2. John Major
    3. Tony Blair
    4. Chirac
    5. Le Pen

  42. The Trades Union Congress in Britain is traditionally affiliated with the _____ Party.
    1. Conservative
    2. Liberal
    3. Social Democratic
    4. Socialist
    5. Labour

  43. Which of the following state has the largest area?
    1. Mississippi
    2. Britain
    3. California
    4. France
    5. Texas

  44. The current French Republic is often referred to as the _____ Republic.
    1. First
    2. Second
    3. Third
    4. Fourth
    5. Fifth

  45. Charles de Gaulle was a political leader in _____.
    1. Britain
    2. France
    3. Germany
    4. Italy
    5. Japan

  46. French president is elected by _____.
    1. voters
    2. an electoral college
    3. the National Assembly
    4. the Senate
    5. the Council of Ministers

  47. _____ is the largest and the ruling party in France today.
    1. Rally for the Republic (RPR)
    2. Union for French Democracy (UDF)
    3. National Front (FN)
    4. Socialist Party (PS)
    5. French Communist Party (PCF)

  48. Which of the following party is the most nationalistic in France today?
    1. Rally for the Republic (RPR)
    2. Union for French Democracy (UDF)
    3. National Front (FN)
    4. Socialist Party (PS)
    5. French Communist Party (PCF)

  49. _____ is the current French president.
    1. Charles de Gaulle
    2. Francois Mitterrand
    3. Jacques Chirac
    4. Gerhard Schroder
    5. Le Pen

  50. According to Duverger's Law, proportional representation electoral systems generate _____ in the legislature.
    1. one-party dominance
    2. two-party system
    3. multiple-party system
    4. extremist parties
    5. party coalitions

  51. The "iron triangle" in French politics refers to the relationship between _____.
    1. president, prime minister, and cabinet
    2. president, parliament, and court
    3. party politicians, top bureaucrats, and big-business leaders
    4. party politicians, government, and civil society
    5. France, Germany, and Italy

  52. The full official name of Germany today is _____.
    1. Weimar Republic of Germany
    2. Federal Republic of Germany
    3. German Republic
    4. German Democratic Republic
    5. United Republic of Germany

  53. _____ is the most populous country in Europe.
    1. Britain
    2. France
    3. Russia
    4. Spain
    5. Germany

  54. The largest economy in Europe is _____.
    1. Britain
    2. France
    3. Germany
    4. Spain
    5. Italy

  55. Germany was reunified in _____.
    1. 1945
    2. 1949
    3. 1970
    4. 1990
    5. 2000

  56. The capital of Germany is _____.
    1. London
    2. Munich
    3. Bonn
    4. Berlin
    5. Frankfurt

  57. In Germany, the _____ represents the state governments at the federal level.
    1. Bund
    2. Bundestag
    3. Bundesrat
    4. Reichstag
    5. Landtag

  58. The chief executive of the federal government in Germany is called _____.
    1. President
    2. Prime Minister
    3. Chancellor
    4. Bundestag
    5. Bundesrat

  59. Members of the German Bundesrat are _____.
    1. directly elected by voters
    2. directly elected by an electoral college
    3. appointed by federal government
    4. appointed by state governments
    5. appointed by state legislatures

  60. The ruling coalition in Germany since 1998 is composed of _____.
    1. Social Democratic Party and Party of Democratic Socialism
    2. Party of Democratic Socialism and Greens
    3. Social Democratic Party and Greens
    4. Christian Democratic Union and Free Democratic Party
    5. Christian Democratic Union and Greens

  61. The current chief executive of Germany is _____.
    1. Kohl
    2. Schroder
    3. Chirac
    4. Mitterand
    5. Putin

  62. The constructive vote of no-confidence _____ in Germany.
    1. provides the Bundestag with a mechanism to remove the chancellor
    2. provides the Bundesrat with a mechanism to remove the president
    3. makes removal of incumbent chancellor easier
    4. makes removal of incumbent president easier
    5. has been used repeatedly since 1982

  63. The 16 members of the German Federal Constitutional Court are _____.
    1. directly elected by voters
    2. appointed by the president
    3. appointed by the chancellor
    4. selected by the parliament
    5. selected by state governments

  64. The cooperation between government and interest groups is often described as _____.
    1. the iron triangle
    2. cohabitation
    3. corporatism
    4. communism
    5. political class

  65. The European Union _____.
    1. has 9 member states
    2. has a larger population than that of the United States
    3. was established in 1950
    4. does not interfere in member states' justice and home affairs
    5. has a harmonious foreign and security policy

  66. The "Europe Day" originated in _____.
    1. 1945
    2. 1950
    3. 1967
    4. 1991
    5. 2002

  67. The _____ was established in 1992 as a result of the Treaty of Maastricht.
    1. European Coal and Steel Community
    2. European Atomic Energy Community
    3. European Economic Community
    4. European Community
    5. European Union

  68. _____ and Portugal joined the European Community in 1986.
    1. Spain
    2. United Kingdom
    3. Sweden
    4. Estonia
    5. Latvia

  69. _____ is NOT a criterion of eligibility to join the European Union?
    1. a functioning and stable democracy
    2. market-oriented capitalist economy
    3. acceptance of EU laws and regulations
    4. geographical location in Europe

  70. Members of the European Parliament are _____.
    1. selected by the governments of member states
    2. elected by voters in all member states
    3. appointed by the European Commission
    4. chosen by the Council of the European Union
    5. selected by the European-level party groups

  71. The current president of the European Commission is _____.
    1. Schuman from France
    2. Patten from Britain
    3. Prodi from Italy
    4. Delors from France
    5. Santer from Luxembourg

  72. Members of the _____ are all required to swear to "neither seek nor take instructions from any government or from any other body".
    1. European Parliament
    2. Council of the European Union
    3. General Affairs Council
    4. European Council
    5. European Commission

  73. The _____ is where member states express their respective preferences.
    1. European Parliament
    2. Council of the European Union
    3. European Commission
    4. European Court of Justice
    5. European Central Bank

  74. Under the qualified majority voting rule at the Council of the European Union, which of the following has the smallest number of votes?
    1. Germany
    2. France
    3. Italy
    4. United Kingdom
    5. Austria

  75. The Presidency of the Council of Ministers does NOT _____.
    1. rotate among member states every 6 months
    2. oversee Council-Commission relationships
    3. coordinate Council-Parliament interactions
    4. preside over and prepare the European Council summits
    5. speak for the EU externally only on trade issues

  76. _____ is allocated with the largest number of seats at the European Parliament.
    1. Germany
    2. Italy
    3. Spain
    4. Austria
    5. the Netherlands

  77. The capital of Japan is _____.
    1. Fuji
    2. Sushi
    3. Tokyo
    4. Toyota
    5. Osaka

  78. Commodore Matthew Perry, who forced Japan to open up for trade, was from _____.
    1. Britain
    2. France
    3. Germany
    4. United States
    5. Italy

  79. The Upper House in Japan's national legislature is called _____.
    1. National Diet
    2. Senate
    3. House of Councillors
    4. House of Representatives
    5. House of Lords

  80. Japan's Prime Minister is chosen by the _____.
    1. eligible voters
    2. Senate
    3. House of Councillors
    4. House of Representatives
    5. House of Lords

  81. The _____ Party is the largest conservative catch-all party in Japan.
    1. Liberal Democratic
    2. Japan Socialist
    3. Social Democratic
    4. Japan Communist
    5. Clean Government