01
True or false
1 point
True or false: Holding elections is sufficient by itself to make a country a democracy.
Free Practice Quiz Question List
6 Comparative Politics Online Quiz Questions
Use this free practice quiz with 20 questions to review 6 Comparative Politics, test your knowledge, and prepare for your next test or exam.
20 questions
02
Written response
1 point
What term describes the set of rules and practices governing access to political power and its exercise?
03
Fill in the blank
1 point
A system that places ultimate authority at the national level, while potentially delegating substantial powers, is a .
04
Choose one
1 point
Which option best describes state capacity?
- A
The number of agencies and employees in the government
- B
The government's ability to carry out decisions and perform public functions
- C
The extent to which citizens can replace leaders through competitive elections
- D
The range of policies a government chooses to pursue
05
Written response
1 point
What is the name of the design that compares otherwise unlike cases sharing an outcome to look for a possible common explanation?
06
Choose one
1 point
Which statement best describes a general tendency associated with proportional electoral systems?
- A
Plurality systems generally represent a wider range of parties than proportional systems
- B
Proportional systems generally tend to represent a wider range of parties than plurality systems
- C
Electoral systems do not affect how votes translate into legislative seats
- D
Proportional systems guarantee that every party wins seats
07
Choose all
1 point
Which of the following are examples of public functions that state capacity can include? Select all correct answers.
- A
Collecting taxes
- B
Guaranteeing that every policy is fair
- C
Administering laws
- D
Ensuring that citizens can replace leaders in competitive elections
- E
Gathering information
08
Fill in the blank
1 point
A compares cases alike in many respects but different in a factor of interest.
09
True or false
1 point
True or false: Regime labels should be treated as measured judgments because categories simplify a continuum and borderline cases may be classified differently.
- A
True
- B
False
10
Choose one
1 point
A researcher compares a small number of countries and observes that a political factor varies alongside an outcome. Which conclusion is most justified?
- A
A comparison of a few countries proves that the factor being studied caused the outcome
- B
Alternative explanations need not be considered when the cases are similar
- C
A comparison of a few countries may suggest explanations but rarely proves causation by itself
- D
A comparison is valid only if all countries have identical political institutions
11
Choose all
1 point
A researcher asks whether proportional electoral rules increase the representation of smaller parties. Which steps support a systematic comparison? Select all correct answers.
- A
Define the outcome being studied
- B
Assume that any observed difference was caused by the factor of interest
- C
Select cases for a clear reason
- D
Consider alternative explanations, such as social divisions or the number of parties
- E
Treat a single national score as a complete account of all regional variation
12
Open ended
1 point
Explain why a government with high state capacity is not necessarily making fair or beneficial policy. Include one example of a public function that capacity may help the government perform.
13
Choose one
1 point
A researcher uses one national score to compare public-service quality across countries. What limitation should the researcher keep in mind?
- A
A national score always makes regional differences easier to identify
- B
A single national score can hide differences between regions within a country
- C
A national score eliminates concerns about data quality
- D
Regional variation means cross-country measures cannot be used
14
True or false
1 point
True or false: An authoritarian government can have a strong bureaucracy.
- A
True
- B
False
15
Choose one
1 point
A government can remain in office only while it retains the legislature’s confidence. Which institutional design does this describe?
- A
The executive has a separate mandate and a fixed term.
- B
The government must retain the confidence of the legislature.
- C
Regional governments hold constitutionally divided authority.
- D
Votes are translated into seats using proportional rules.
16
Choose one
1 point
A country’s constitution assigns some governing powers to its national government and others to regional governments. Which system best describes this arrangement?
- A
A unitary system, because any substantial regional powers mean the national government has no ultimate authority.
- B
A presidential system, because regional governments are constitutionally independent.
- C
A federal system, because authority is constitutionally divided between national and regional governments.
- D
A parliamentary system, because regional governments are accountable to the legislature.
17
Choose one
1 point
A country holds elections, but authorities restrict genuine competition among candidates and parties. Which regime category best fits this description?
- A
Electoral autocracy
- B
Liberal democracy
- C
Electoral democracy
- D
Closed autocracy
18
Choose one
1 point
Researchers compare two governments’ ability to enforce a newly adopted law. Which concept are they primarily assessing?
- A
Whether citizens can meaningfully replace national leaders.
- B
How many public agencies a government maintains.
- C
Whether a policy produces fair outcomes for every group.
- D
Whether the government can carry out its chosen policy.
19
Written response
1 point
What term describes the set of rules and practices that governs access to political power and how that power is exercised?
20
Written response
1 point
A researcher compares two countries that differ in many respects but share the same political outcome, seeking a possible common explanation. What case-comparison design is this? Enter the complete design name.