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Quizzes > Society & Culture

Political Science Quiz: Intro Practice Questions

Quick, free political science test with 15 questions. Instant results.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Paola MartinezUpdated Aug 25, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
Questions: 15
Study OutcomesAdditional Reading
3D voxel art representing Intro to Political Science course material

Use this political science quiz to check your grasp of core ideas-institutions, ideologies, and how governments make and enforce rules. Tackle 15 quick questions and get instant results to see what to review next. Want more practice? Try our international politics quiz, the ap gov unit 1 quiz, and a focused 10 amendments quiz.

Which concept refers to a political community with a defined territory, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter relations with other states?
State
Government
Regime
Nation
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Sovereignty is best defined as which of the following?
The legal authority to rule within a territory without external interference
Popular support for leaders
Military control of borders
Economic self-sufficiency
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Legitimacy in political science primarily refers to
Public belief that a ruler or institution has the right to rule
The extent of a state's military power
The number of laws passed each year
The length of a leader's tenure
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In a unitary system, political power is primarily
Shared equally among national, regional, and local levels
Concentrated at the central government
Vested exclusively in regional governments
Held by private organizations
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Which term describes the study of how people acquire political values and attitudes over time?
Comparative method
Political socialization
Agenda-setting
Political economy
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Which concept best describes a situation where individuals benefit from a public good without contributing to its provision?
Pareto efficiency
Free rider problem
Opportunity cost
Collective action
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Max Weber's legal-rational authority is based on
Hereditary succession
Rules and offices that are impersonally applied
Tradition and customs
Personal charisma of the leader
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Which electoral system tends to translate votes into seats most proportionally?
Proportional Representation (list PR)
Block vote
First-Past-The-Post (plurality)
Single-Member Majority (two-round)
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Which ideology emphasizes limited government intervention in both economic and personal matters?
Socialism
Libertarianism
Conservatism
Liberalism (social liberalism)
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In a parliamentary system, the head of government is typically
Directly elected by the public for a fixed term
Appointed by the judiciary
The leader of the majority party or coalition in the legislature
A hereditary monarch
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Which approach in international relations emphasizes anarchy, state survival, and power balancing?
Marxism
Feminism
Realism
Constructivism
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In comparative politics, the 'most similar systems design' aims to
Compare very different cases to find common outcomes
Hold many factors constant across similar cases to isolate the effect of one variable
Analyze a single case intensively without comparison
Compare only authoritarian regimes
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The principal-agent problem in bureaucracies arises when
Voters directly instruct bureaucrats
Rules remove all discretion from agents
Elected officials perfectly control bureaucrats
Agents (bureaucrats) have different preferences and more information than principals (politicians)
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Constructivists in international relations argue primarily that
International institutions eliminate anarchy
Economic class determines all foreign policy
Material power is the only source of state behavior
Identities and norms shape state interests and actions
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A federal system differs from a confederation because in a federal system
Regional governments can unilaterally secede at any time
There is no national judiciary
Sovereignty is shared constitutionally between central and regional governments
Only the central government is sovereign
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Which electoral rule most strongly encourages a two-party system according to Duverger's law?
Single-member district plurality
Closed-list PR
Single transferable vote
Mixed-member proportional
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A median voter theorem prediction under majority rule is that
Parties converge to the preferences of the median voter
The majority cycle prevents any equilibrium
Parties always adopt extreme positions
Voters always vote sincerely
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In process tracing, researchers aim to
Analyze only quantitative datasets
Avoid using documents or interviews
Identify causal mechanisms within a single case through sequential evidence
Estimate average treatment effects across many cases
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Political opportunity structure in social movement theory refers to
Media bias only
Individual personality traits of activists
External institutional and elite conditions that facilitate or constrain mobilization
The number of protest slogans used
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The term consociationalism is associated with
Majoritarian rule in homogeneous societies
Single-party dominance
Absence of minority vetoes
Power-sharing arrangements among segmental elites in divided societies
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Study Outcomes

  1. Understand foundational political theories and concepts.
  2. Analyze various approaches to studying politics.
  3. Evaluate the impact of political ideologies and systems.
  4. Apply analytical frameworks to contemporary political issues.

Intro To Political Science Additional Reading

Embarking on your political science journey? Here are some top-notch resources to guide you through the fascinating world of politics:

  1. This comprehensive textbook from OpenStax offers a solid foundation in global political systems, emphasizing the role of individuals in the political sphere. It's packed with real-world examples to make concepts relatable and engaging.
  2. Dive into the methodologies that political scientists use to study politics. This resource covers everything from the scientific method to qualitative and quantitative research techniques, making it a must-read for budding political analysts.
  3. This textbook provides an overview of the political science discipline and is suitable for introductory courses at the undergraduate level. It covers important themes such as defining politics, ideologies, institutions of governance, concepts in democracy, and public law.
  4. Offered by Saylor Academy, this free online course delves into the foundational concepts of politics, exploring topics like governance legitimacy, political institutions, and public policy. It's a great way to supplement your studies with structured lessons and assessments.
  5. The Open Textbook Library offers a curated collection of political science textbooks covering various subfields, including international relations and comparative politics. These resources are freely accessible and provide diverse perspectives on political topics.
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