Introduction to Comparative Politics Exam (C)

Unit E01
Name: Nikita Reznik

Date: 4/16/2020

TSW 1:

1. Explain the concept of institutions and their role in studying comparative politics.
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2. Explain the comparative method using appropriate terminology.
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TSW 2:

3. Why is Machiavelli considered the first modern political scientist?

a. Machiavelli was the first scholar to start comparing different political systems
and states in order to find their shortcomings. Instead of focusing on ideals, he
focused on facts, that he believed would contribute to bureaucrats that would
avoid making the same mistakes that other states made. His methods would
later be used in the study of comparative politics we know today.
4. How did Aristotle contribute to the study of politics?
a. Aristotle was the first person to stop looking at politics as a philosophy, but
rather as something more practical. Aristotle basically laid the groundwork for
modern political scientists. He analyzed how different states worked, to better
understand how politics worked. This way of looking at politics as something
practical with a set of rules and principles, would later inspire other scholars
(like Machiavelli) to even compare politics in between states, to find what
were their shortcommings.

TSW 3:

5. In terms of comparative politics, what is a state?

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 Introduction to Comparative Politics Exam (C)
Unit E01
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6. In terms of comparative politics, what is a government?
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7. What is the relationship between the regime and the government?
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TSW 4:

8. What is traditional legitimacy?

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9. What is rational-legal legitimacy?
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10. What are the similarities & differences between charismatic legitimacy and traditional
legitimacy?

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 Introduction to Comparative Politics Exam (C)
Unit E01
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11. What are the similarities & differences between charismatic legitimacy and rational-legal
legitimacy?
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TSW 5:

12. Explain the causes of ethnic conflict.

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13. Imagine a state compromised of two ethnicities. One ethnic group within the state pushes
its members to take control of the current state institutions through the use of violence.
Would this example best describe ethnic or national conflict? Explain your answer.
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 Introduction to Comparative Politics Exam (C)
Unit E01
TSW 6:

14. Explain the similarities and differences between radicals and reactionaries.
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15. Explain the similarities and differences between radicals and conservatives.
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16. Explain the similarities and differences between reactionaries and conservatives.
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17. Explain the similarities and differences between anarchism and social democracy.
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18. Explain the similarities and differences between fascism and communism.
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19. Explain the similarities and differences between social democracy and communism.
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