Comparative Political Analysis Questions and Answers

Q: Which electoral system is used in USA and Britain to elect members of Legislature ?

The USA and Britain use the simple plurality vote to elect their legislatures.Both elect members of the House of Representatives and the House of Commons from single-member constituencies by first-past-the-post: the candidate with the most votes wins, even without a majority. India uses the same system for the Lok Sabha.The alternative vote ranks candidates until one gets a majority (used for the Australian House of Representatives). Proportional representation allots seats in proportion to votes, and the single transferable vote is a proportional system with multi-member constituencies, used in Ireland and for India's Rajya Sabha.

Q: Choose the incorrect statement of the following :

The incorrect statement is that the Swiss Supreme Court may review federal laws.Switzerland gives the Federal Assembly the last word on federal statutes: Article 190 of the Swiss Constitution requires the Federal Supreme Court to apply federal acts even if it thinks them unconstitutional. The Court can review cantonal laws, but not federal laws.The other statements are correct: the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982) greatly expanded judicial review in Canada; Indian textbooks list Articles 131-136, with 13, 32 and 226, among the bases of the Supreme Court's review powers; and in the USA judicial review was first asserted in Marbury v. Madison (1803).

Q: How the President of America is elected ?

The President is elected through the electoral college: citizens elect the electors, who then vote for the President.Under Article II of the US Constitution, voters in each state choose a slate of electors equal to the state's number of Senators and Representatives. The electors then cast their votes for President, and a majority of the electoral college (270 of 538) is needed to win.The election is therefore indirect, not direct, even though the electors are pledged to candidates. Congress elects the President only if no candidate has a majority (the House then chooses), and the Senate alone never elects the President.

Q: Choose the incorrect statement :

The incorrect statement is that executive decisions should be taken by the President.The Swiss executive is the Federal Council, a collegial body of seven members elected by the Federal Assembly. Its decisions are taken by the Council as a whole. The President of the Confederation is one of the seven, elected for one year, and is only first among equals, with no power to decide alone.The other statements are correct: executive power lies with the seven-member Council, which was created by the federal constitution of 1848, and its members have equal powers and are elected by the Parliament (Federal Assembly).

Q: Who among the following has defined political development as "increased differentiation and specialization of political structure and increased secularisation of political culture".

The definition is that of Gabriel A. Almond and G. B. Powell.In Comparative Politics: A Developmental Approach (1966), Almond and Powell defined political development as the increased differentiation and specialisation of political structures and the increased secularisation of political culture, measured against the capabilities of the political system.Huntington defined political development in terms of institutionalisation (and later political order), Easton developed systems analysis, and Alfred Diamant wrote on development as the capacity of a system to sustain new goals.

Q: Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched ?

The pair not correctly matched is Gabriel Almond : Centralization.Almond, with Powell, defined political development by structural differentiation and secularisation of political culture, so pair B is correct. Huntington's account of political modernisation (Political Order in Changing Societies, 1968) includes the differentiation of new political functions and specialised structures and, above all, expanding political participation, so pairs A and C are correct.Centralisation is not one of the dimensions in Almond's account of political development.

Q: The cabinet form of government means :

Cabinet government means a system in which a group collectively decides the government's policies and is collectively responsible to the parliament.The essential features of cabinet (parliamentary) government are collective decision-making by the cabinet under the Prime Minister and collective responsibility to the popularly elected house: a cabinet that loses the confidence of the house must resign.A cabinet accountable to no one (B) contradicts responsibility; cabinet members are not each popularly elected as a cabinet (C); and a directly elected President chairing the cabinet (D) describes a presidential or semi-presidential system.

Q: A rigid constitution is one which :

A rigid constitution is one that can be amended only by a procedure other than the ordinary law-making process.The distinction, due to James Bryce, is between flexible constitutions, amended like ordinary laws (as in Britain), and rigid constitutions, which require a special procedure: special majorities, ratification by the units of a federation, or a referendum.Rigidity does not mean that the constitution cannot be amended at all, or only by a new constituent assembly. A two-thirds majority is one example of a special procedure, but defining rigidity by that one method is too narrow, so option D is the general definition.

Q: Which of the following pairs are correctly matched ?1. Dependency theory - Samir Amin2. Liberal theory of development - Lucian Pye3. Theory of alienation - Karl Marx4. Theory of negative - John RawlsSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :Codes :

The correct pairs are 1, 2 and 3.Samir Amin is a leading dependency (and world-system) theorist.Lucian Pye is a liberal theorist of political development and modernisation.Karl Marx developed the theory of alienation, in the Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844.The fourth pair, printed 'Theory of negative - John Rawls', is wrong: the theory of negative liberty is associated with Isaiah Berlin, and Rawls is known for his theory of justice. So the codes including 4 are ruled out, and '1 and 2' leaves out the correct third pair.

11.

Which electoral system is used in USA and Britain to elect members of Legislature ?

A.Simple plurality vote
B.Alternative vote
C.Proportional Representation
D.Single transferable vote

Exam Year(s)

MH SET - 2018, SET Exam - 2018,

Answer: A

The USA and Britain use the simple plurality vote to elect their legislatures.

Both elect members of the House of Representatives and the House of Commons from single-member constituencies by first-past-the-post: the candidate with the most votes wins, even without a majority. India uses the same system for the Lok Sabha.

The alternative vote ranks candidates until one gets a majority (used for the Australian House of Representatives). Proportional representation allots seats in proportion to votes, and the single transferable vote is a proportional system with multi-member constituencies, used in Ireland and for India's Rajya Sabha.

Discuss in Forum

12.

Choose the incorrect statement of the following :

A.The scope of Judicial Review in Canada was expanded with Canadian Charter of rights and freedom in 1982
B.In India Articles 131-136 of the Constitution have vested in the Supreme Court the powers of Judicial Review
C.In US, Judicial Review was asserted for the first time in 1803 in Marbury Vs. Medison case
D.In Switzerland Supreme Court is empowered to make Judicial Review of Federal Law

Exam Year(s)

MH SET - 2018, SET Exam - 2018,

Answer: D

The incorrect statement is that the Swiss Supreme Court may review federal laws.

Switzerland gives the Federal Assembly the last word on federal statutes: Article 190 of the Swiss Constitution requires the Federal Supreme Court to apply federal acts even if it thinks them unconstitutional. The Court can review cantonal laws, but not federal laws.

The other statements are correct: the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982) greatly expanded judicial review in Canada; Indian textbooks list Articles 131-136, with 13, 32 and 226, among the bases of the Supreme Court's review powers; and in the USA judicial review was first asserted in Marbury v. Madison (1803).

Discuss in Forum

13.

How the President of America is elected ?

A.Directly by people
B.Citizens elect the members of electoral college, these electors then cast direct votes for the President
C.The US Congress elects the President of America
D.The Senators elect the President of America

Exam Year(s)

MH SET - 2018, SET Exam - 2018,

Answer: B

The President is elected through the electoral college: citizens elect the electors, who then vote for the President.

Under Article II of the US Constitution, voters in each state choose a slate of electors equal to the state's number of Senators and Representatives. The electors then cast their votes for President, and a majority of the electoral college (270 of 538) is needed to win.

The election is therefore indirect, not direct, even though the electors are pledged to candidates. Congress elects the President only if no candidate has a majority (the House then chooses), and the Senate alone never elects the President.

Discuss in Forum

14.

Choose the incorrect statement :

A.Executive power in Switzerland is held by a committee consisting of 7 members
B.Switzerland's constitution of 1848 provided for a Federal Council
C.Each of the ministers in Federal Council has equal power and is elected by Parliament
D.The Swiss Constitution expects that the executive decisions should be taken by the President

Exam Year(s)

MH SET - 2018, SET Exam - 2018,

Answer: D

The incorrect statement is that executive decisions should be taken by the President.

The Swiss executive is the Federal Council, a collegial body of seven members elected by the Federal Assembly. Its decisions are taken by the Council as a whole. The President of the Confederation is one of the seven, elected for one year, and is only first among equals, with no power to decide alone.

The other statements are correct: executive power lies with the seven-member Council, which was created by the federal constitution of 1848, and its members have equal powers and are elected by the Parliament (Federal Assembly).

Discuss in Forum

15.

In which state the upper house of the legislature, gets equal representation from federating units ?

A.India
B.USA
C.UK
D.None of the above

Exam Year(s)

MH SET - 2018, SET Exam - 2018,

Answer: B

Equal representation of the federating units in the upper house is found in the USA.

Every American state, whatever its population, elects two Senators, so the Senate represents the states equally. This was the 'Great Compromise' of 1787 between large and small states.

In India the Rajya Sabha seats are allotted to states roughly in proportion to population (Uttar Pradesh has 31, several small states one). The UK is a unitary state, and its House of Lords is not a chamber of federating units. Since the USA fits, 'none of the above' is wrong.

Discuss in Forum

16.

Who among the following has defined political development as "increased differentiation and specialization of political structure and increased secularisation of political culture".

A.Samuel P. Huntington
B.David Easton
C.Gabriel A. Almond and G.B. Powell
D.Alfred Diamont

Exam Year(s)

MH SET - 2018, SET Exam - 2018,

Answer: C

The definition is that of Gabriel A. Almond and G. B. Powell.

In Comparative Politics: A Developmental Approach (1966), Almond and Powell defined political development as the increased differentiation and specialisation of political structures and the increased secularisation of political culture, measured against the capabilities of the political system.

Huntington defined political development in terms of institutionalisation (and later political order), Easton developed systems analysis, and Alfred Diamant wrote on development as the capacity of a system to sustain new goals.

Discuss in Forum

17.

Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched ?

A.Huntington : Differentiation
B.Gabriel Almond : Structural Differentiation
C.Huntington : Participation
D.Gabriel Almond : Centralization

Exam Year(s)

MH SET - 2018, SET Exam - 2018,

Answer: D

The pair not correctly matched is Gabriel Almond : Centralization.

Almond, with Powell, defined political development by structural differentiation and secularisation of political culture, so pair B is correct. Huntington's account of political modernisation (Political Order in Changing Societies, 1968) includes the differentiation of new political functions and specialised structures and, above all, expanding political participation, so pairs A and C are correct.

Centralisation is not one of the dimensions in Almond's account of political development.

Discuss in Forum

18.

The cabinet form of government means :

A.A system of govrnment which is marked by the existence of a group which collectively decides on the politics of the government and which is also collectively responsible to the parliament
B.A form of government in which the cabinet is supreme and is not accountable to any other organ of the state
C.A form of government in which all the members of the cabinet are popularly elected on the basis of universal audit franchise
D.A form of government in which it is the President, and not the Prime Minister, who presides over the cabinet meetings for the reason that he is directly elected by the people

Exam Year(s)

MH SET - 2018, SET Exam - 2018,

Answer: A

Cabinet government means a system in which a group collectively decides the government's policies and is collectively responsible to the parliament.

The essential features of cabinet (parliamentary) government are collective decision-making by the cabinet under the Prime Minister and collective responsibility to the popularly elected house: a cabinet that loses the confidence of the house must resign.

A cabinet accountable to no one (B) contradicts responsibility; cabinet members are not each popularly elected as a cabinet (C); and a directly elected President chairing the cabinet (D) describes a presidential or semi-presidential system.

Discuss in Forum

19.

A rigid constitution is one which :

A.cannot be amended
B.can be amended only by a new constituent assembly
C.can be amended only by two-thirds majority of the members present and voting
D.can be amended by any procedure other than ordinary law making process prescribed by the constitution

Exam Year(s)

MH SET - 2018, SET Exam - 2018,

Answer: D

A rigid constitution is one that can be amended only by a procedure other than the ordinary law-making process.

The distinction, due to James Bryce, is between flexible constitutions, amended like ordinary laws (as in Britain), and rigid constitutions, which require a special procedure: special majorities, ratification by the units of a federation, or a referendum.

Rigidity does not mean that the constitution cannot be amended at all, or only by a new constituent assembly. A two-thirds majority is one example of a special procedure, but defining rigidity by that one method is too narrow, so option D is the general definition.

Discuss in Forum

20.

Which of the following pairs are correctly matched ?

1. Dependency theory - Samir Amin
2. Liberal theory of development - Lucian Pye
3. Theory of alienation - Karl Marx
4. Theory of negative - John Rawls

Select the correct answer using the codes given below :

Codes :

A.1, 2, 3 and 4
B.1 and 2
C.3 and 4
D.1, 2 and 3

Exam Year(s)

MH SET - 2018, SET Exam - 2018,

Answer: D

The correct pairs are 1, 2 and 3.

Samir Amin is a leading dependency (and world-system) theorist.
Lucian Pye is a liberal theorist of political development and modernisation.
Karl Marx developed the theory of alienation, in the Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844.

The fourth pair, printed 'Theory of negative - John Rawls', is wrong: the theory of negative liberty is associated with Isaiah Berlin, and Rawls is known for his theory of justice. So the codes including 4 are ruled out, and '1 and 2' leaves out the correct third pair.

Comparative Political Analysis Questions and Answers

Topics

Other Subjects

Tags: Comparative Political Analysis Questions and Answers

About Us

Comparative Political Analysis Questions and Answers

Topics

Other Subjects

Tags: Comparative Political Analysis Questions and Answers

About Us

Stay informed about all important Dates & Notifications