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MA Political Science Polity — practice by topic

Browse 206 questions across 194 Polity topics. Choose what you want to revise, then open a question to check its answer and worked solution.

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Aristotle (4)Article 32 (2)Article 356 (2)CAG — Article 148 (2)Elite Theory (2)Japan — Article 9 (2)Liberalism (2)Ministerial Responsibility (2)Money Bills (2)Power (2)Preamble (2)President (2)Reserved Seats — Article 330 (2)Speaker — Money Bill Certification (2)Warsaw Pact (2)1991 Reforms (1)74th Amendment (1)9/11 — Afghanistan (1)Administrative Tribunals (1)AIS (1)Ambedkar — Annihilation of Caste (1)Ambedkar — Buddhist Conversion (1)Ambedkar — Drafting Committee (1)Ambedkar — SCF (1)Anti-Defection Law (1)ASEAN — Founding (1)Aurobindo — Extremist Phase (1)Bangladesh Liberation (1)Basic Structure Doctrine (1)Bentham — Utilitarianism (1)Berlin — Two Concepts of Liberty (1)Berlin Wall — Fall (1)Bose — Slogans (1)Brexit (1)BRICS — Membership (1)Cabinet Secretary (1)Canada — Parliamentary Federalism (1)China — One-Party System (1)Cicero — Natural Law (1)Citizen's Charter (1)Citizenship (1)Civil Society (1)Coalition Government (1)Cold War — Timeline (1)Collective Responsibility (1)Communitarianism (1)Comparative Politics — Definition (1)Concurrent List (1)Conservatism (1)Consociational Democracy (1)Constitutional Amendments (1)Constitutional Borrowings — FR (1)Constructivism — IR Theory (1)Cuban Missile Crisis (1)Decentralization (1)Democracy — Etymology (1)Democratic Backsliding (1)Direct Democracy (1)Distributive Justice (1)DPSP — Location (1)

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Who authored "The Republic", advocating rule by philosopher-kings?Read the answer and worked solution →Aristotle classified governments by number of rulers and:Read the answer and worked solution →Machiavelli's "The Prince" is most associated with which doctrine?Read the answer and worked solution →Thomas Hobbes' state of nature is famously described as:Read the answer and worked solution →

Worked practice questions

Who authored "The Republic", advocating rule by philosopher-kings?

  1. Aristotle
  2. Plato
  3. Cicero
  4. St Augustine
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Correct answer: B. Plato

1. "The Republic" presents Plato's ideal state. 2. Justice is achieved when each class performs its proper role. 3. Philosopher-kings rule because they grasp the Form of the Good. __Source: syllabus Political Theory Ch 1 §1.1 — references Plato__

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Aristotle classified governments by number of rulers and:

  1. territorial size
  2. wealth distribution
  3. interest served (common vs self)
  4. religious adherence
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Correct answer: C. interest served (common vs self)

1. Aristotle's six-fold classification combines two criteria. 2. First criterion: one, few, or many rule. 3. Second criterion: rule for the common good (correct forms) or for the ruler's self-interest (perverted forms). __Source: syllabus Political Theory Ch 1 — classical political thought__

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Machiavelli's "The Prince" is most associated with which doctrine?

  1. social contract
  2. divine right of kings
  3. separation of ethics from politics
  4. natural rights
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Correct answer: C. separation of ethics from politics

1. Machiavelli wrote during Italian city-state turbulence. 2. He argued effective rulers must sometimes act outside conventional morality. 3. This realpolitik separated political action from Christian ethics. __Source: syllabus Political Theory Ch 1 — Renaissance political thought__

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