Answers and Review for Multiple Choice Practice on Political Systems, Regimes, and Governments

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⛔STOP!⛔ Before you look at the answers make sure you gave this practice quiz a try so you can assess your understanding of the concepts covered in unit 1. Click here for the practice questions: AP Comparative Government Unit 1 Multiple Choice Questions.

Facts about the test: The AP Comparative Government exam has 55 multiple choice questions and you will be given 1 hour to complete the section. That means it should take you around 15 minutes to complete 15 questions.

*The following questions were not written by CollegeBoard and although they cover information outlined in the AP Comparative Government Course and Exam Description the formatting on the exam may be different.

1. If a study finds that a change in one variable is accompanied by a change in another, a researcher has proved the existence of

A. Empirical data

B. A causation

C. A correlation

D. Normative influence

Answer: Correlation is a mutual relationship or connection between two or more things

📄 Study AP Comparative Government, Unit 1.1: The Practice of Political Scientists

2. A low Gini coefficient indicates that a country has

A. More equal income or wealth distribution

B. A low overall GNP

C. Low levels of educational enrollment

D. A low average PPP per capita

Answer: Gini measures distribution of income

📄 Study AP Comparative Government, Unit 1.1: The Practice of Political Scientists

3. Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) per capita is different from GDP per capita in that it takes into consideration

A. Adult literacy rates

B. What people can buy using their income in the local economy

C. Life expectancy rates

D. Levels of income inequality

Answer: Purchasing is the important word here

📄 Study AP Comparative Government, Unit 1.1: The Practice of Political Scientists

4. If a state’s boundaries do not closely follow the outline of a group bonded by a common political identity, the state is not consistent with

A. The nation

B. Its sovereignty

C. Its core area

D. Devolutionary forces

Answer: One of the most important indicators of a nation is similar groups of people

📄 Study AP Comparative Government, Unit 1.2: Defining Political Institutions

5. Which of the following is a normative statement?

A. Iran’s head of state is not directly elected by Iran’s citizens.

B. The head of government in Iran is the president.

C. The presidents of Mexico and Russia are both directly elected by the people.

D. The Chinese judicial system would serve the country better if it were more independent.

Answer: A normative statement makes a judgement

📄 Study AP Comparative Government, Unit 1.1: The Practice of Political Scientists

6. Which of the following statements about the Human Development Index is CORRECT?

A. It assesses the level of interaction between people in a political system.

B. It is used to measure and compare levels of achievement in health, knowledge, and the standard of living.

C. It includes measures for sustainable development.

D. In 2010, the countries with the highest HDI rankings were the United States, New Zealand, and Norway.

Answer: HDI measures life expectancy, years of education, expected years of schooling, and Gross National Income per capita

📄 Study AP Comparative Government, Unit 1.2: Defining Political Institutions

7. In comparative politics, the term state refers to

A. The government in power in a country.

B. The total area of a country.

C. The key political institutions in a country.

D. A group of people with a common ethnicity.

Answer: States are political organizations over a defined territory; nation is a group of people with commonalities

📄 Study AP Comparative Government, Unit 1.1: The Practice of Political Scientists

8. If a government’s citizens and other nations recognize its authority to rule, then that government almost certainly has

A. A high level of legitimacy

B. Integration

C. Strong linkage institutions

D. Democratic consolidation

Answer: Legitimacy is when constituents believe their government has the right to use power the way they do

📄 Study AP Comparative Government, Unit 1.8 and 1.9: Political Legitimacy and Sustaining It

9. As compared with consolidated democracies and authoritarian regimes, transitional democracies are characterized by

A. More legal protection for economic and social rights but less for political rights

B. More legal protection than consolidated democracies but less than in authoritarian regimes.

C. Fewer legal protections of citizen rights and liberties than in a consolidated democracy but more than in authoritarian regimes.

D. Fewer legal protections than in either consolidated democracies or authoritarian regimes.

Answer: Transitional democracies are often moving along the spectrum of democracy

📄 Study AP Comparative Government, Unit 1.4: Democratization

10. Authoritarian regimes are characterized by all of the following EXCEPT

A. They lack an effective procedure for selecting political leaders or holding them accountable.

B. They have a totalitarian system that seeks to control every aspect of their citizen’s lives and allows no personal freedoms whatsoever.

C. Those in power claim an exclusive right to govern and use various means, including force, to impose their will on their citizens.

D. Power (or authority) is highly concentrated in a single individual, small group of people, single party, or institution.

Answer: Authoritarian regimes are not Totalitarian

📄 Study AP Comparative Government, Unit 1.3: Democracy vs. Authoritarianism

11. Which of the following is an accurate description of civil society?

A. The sense of belonging and identity that distinguishes one nation from another

B. The process through which citizens learn about political values and beliefs

C. Stable, long-lasting organizations in government that help to turn political ideas into policies

D. The way that citizens organize and define themselves and their interests

Answer: Civil Society is the formal and informal organizations that are not part of the state but operate in public

📄 Study AP Comparative Government, Unit 1.3: Democracy vs. Authoritarianism 

12. A unitary political system is one that

A. Concentrates policymaking power in one geographic place

B. Has only one branch of government- the executive

C. Does not allow direct elections of public officials

D. Has only one house in the legislature

Answer: While some unitary political systems have one house, one branch or do not allow direct elections, ALL unitary political systems are centralized to one location.

📄 Study AP Comparative Government, Unit 1.7: Federal and Unitary Systems 

13. A political system with a high degree of political efficacy is one in which citizens

A. Share many of the same political beliefs and values

B. Have a well-developed capacity to understand and influence political events

C. Are divided into a large number of sub-groups with different identities

D. Are likely to obey laws and respect government authority

Answer: Political Efficacy is when citizens have faith and trust in government, believe they can influence politics

📄 Study AP Comparative Government, Unit 1.3: Democracy vs. Authoritarianism 

14. All of the following have been proposed as necessary conditions for democracy to succeed EXCEPT

A. Parliamentary system government.

B. Secure national boundaries.

C. Minimal level of economic development.

D. Widespread acceptance of democratic values.

Answer: Many types of governments could function in a democracy, not just parliamentarian

📄 Study AP Comparative Government, Unit 1.3: Democracy vs. Authoritarianism 

15. Countries that have democratic procedures in place but have significant restrictions on them are referred to as

A. Totalitarian regimes

B. Substantive democracies

C. Illiberal democracies

D. Authoritarian regimes

Answer: Many types of governments could function in a democracy, not just parliamentarian

📄 Study AP Comparative Government, Unit 1.3: Democracy vs. Authoritarianism 

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