2012 - Question #16 –country context question

(A)          Explain two reasons we would expect the British political system to be more amenable to change than the Iranian system.

(B)          In terms of being open to change, how would the Mexican system compare with the British and Iranian systems? Why?

See pp. 65-67, 151-152, and 137-138 in What You Need to Know

2012 - Question #14 –conceptual analysis question

(A)          What is meant by structural adjustment?

(B)          Identify a political power (person, group, or institution) that would oppose structural adjustment in China and explain a primary reason for that opposition.

(C)          Identify a political power (person, group, or institution) in Iran that would support structural adjustment in Iran and explain a primary reason for that support.

See pp. 44, 90-96, 143-146, and 148-151 in What You Need to Know

2012 -- Question #7 – country context question

(A)          Describe the role religious authority plays in the Iranian political system.

(B)          Describe the role religious authority plays in the Mexican political system.

(C)          In which system does religious authority better promote a democratic regime?

(D)         Why?

See pp. 142-146, 127-130, and 136-137 in What You Need to Know

Question No. 24

Here's Question No. 24 (It's a Country Context question.):

•Identify a democratic facet of the Iranian regime.
•Explain how it is limited by a non-democratic feature of the regime.
•Identify an undemocratic facet of the Iranian regime.
•Explain how it is limited by a democratic facet of the regime.

(See pp. 142 - 148 in What You Need to Know.)

---

Question No. 23

Here's Question No. 23 (It's a Country Context question.):


•Describe a difference between the electoral systems for legislators in Mexico and Iran.
•Explain why one is more likely than the other to be representative of the population.


(See pp. 131 - 132, 134 - 135, and 147 - 150 in What You Need to Know.)

---

Question No. 21

You can subscribe to these questions using the RSS feed.



Here's Question No. 21 (It's a Short Answer - Concept question.):

•Identify the primary law-making part of the Iranian regime.
•Explain two limitations on the power of that part of the Iranian regime.

(See pp. 142 - 146 and 148, in What You Need to Know.)

---

Question No. 13

You can subscribe to these questions using the RSS feed (the broadcast icon in the address bar), and you'll see them in your news reader when I post them.

You can submit an answer using the "Questions" e-mail link at the What You Need to Know web site. (Look in the lower, right-hand section of that page.)

If you submit the earliest best answer, I'll post your answer (without your name) and a critique here a week after the question was posted. It will be in the "Comments" section for that question.



Here's Question No. 13 (It's a Short Answer - Concept question.):

The governments of Iran and China have gone to great lengths to restrict the flow of information about political events beyond their borders.

•Describe a similarity in the political cultures of Iran and China.
•Explain how that similarity helps account for the countries' unwillingness to allow the free flow of international information.


(See pp. 85, 95 - 98 141 - 142, and 148 - 151 in What You Need to Know.)

---

Don't neglect the What You Need to Know Facebook pages

---

Question No. 12

You can submit an answer using the "Questions" e-mail link at the What You Need to Know web site. (Look in the lower, right-hand section of that page.)

If you submit the earliest best answer, I'll post your answer (without your name) and a critique here a week after the question was posted. It will be in the "Comments" section for that question.

Here's Question No. 12 (It's a Short Answer - Concept question.):

Explain two reasons the electoral system in Iran discourages the operation of permanent or long-term political parties.


(See pp. 148 - 151 in What You Need to Know.)

---

Don't neglect the What You Need to Know Facebook pages

---

Question No. 10

You can subscribe to these questions using the RSS feed (the broadcast icon in the address bar), and you'll see them in your news reader when I post them.

You can submit an answer using the "Questions" e-mail link at the What You Need to Know web site. (Look in the lower, right-hand section of that page.)

If you submit the earliest best answer, I'll post your answer (without your name) and a critique here a week after the question was posted. It will be in the "Comments" section for that question.


Here's Question No. 10 (It's a Short Answer - Concept Question question.):

•Identify a primary source of legitimacy for the political system in
The Peoples Republic of China
The Islamic Republic of Iran
•Explain why each source you identified is vulnerable to change


(See pp. 86 - 88, 95 - 98, and 142 -146 in What You Need to Know.)

---

Don't neglect the What You Need to Know Facebook pages

---

Question No. 22 (20 April 2009)

(Two weeks until the exam)

Here's Question No. 22:

a. What are two reasons the educated middle class of Iran has so little political power? (2 points)

b. What is an often-cited reason for the decline of political activity among the educated middle class in 2005? (1 point)

c. What is one factor that could offer greater political influence to the middle class in 2009 than they had in 2005 and why would that be so? (2 points)

(See pp. 147-149 in What You Need to Know.)

---

Question No. 21 (16 April 2009)

You can subscribe to these questions using the RSS feed (the little orange icon in the address bar), and you'll see them in your news reader when I post them.

You can submit an answer using the "Questions" e-mail link at the What You Need to Know web site. (Look in the lower, right-hand section of that page.)

If you submit the earliest best answer, I'll post your answer (without your name) and a critique here a week after the question was posted. It will be in the "Comments" section for that question.

Here's Question No. 21:

a. What is a reason the Iranian Majlis is a representative body? (1 point)

b. What is a reason the Iranian Majlis is not representative? (1 point)

c. What is a major difference between statute law passed by the Majlis and Islamic sharia? (1 point)

(See pp. 139, 143, and 145 in What You Need to Know.)

---

Question No. 14 (3 April 2009)

I'll post a sample FRQ here about comparative government and politics almost every week day until May 1. They're for practice, since that one of the best ways of preparing for the exam.

You can subscribe to these questions using the RSS feed (the little orange icon in the address bar), and you'll see them in your news reader when I post them.

You can submit an answer using the "Questions" e-mail link at the What You Need to Know web site. (Look in the lower, right-hand section of that page.)

If you submit the earliest best answer, I'll post your answer (without your name) and a critique here a week after the question was posted. It will be in the "Comments" section for that question.

No prizes this year. But, I'll add your school's web address to the list of "Worthwhile Links" on the left side of the blog, IF you send it to me.

---

Here's Question No. 14:

In the West European tradition, John Locke argued that government should be divided into legislative, executive, and judicial "branches." The Iranian constitution creates some institutions that don't neatly fit into Locke's three branches.

A. Identify two (2) institutions of national government that do NOT clearly belong in a legislative, executive, or judicial branch of Iranian government. (2 points)
B. Explain why each of those institutions do not coincide with Locke's categories. (4 points)

(See pages 144-146 in What You Need to Know.)

---

Question No. 12 (1 April 2009)

I'll post a sample FRQ here about comparative government and politics almost every week day until May 1. They're for practice, since that one of the best ways of preparing for the exam.

You can subscribe to these questions using the RSS feed (the little orange icon in the address bar), and you'll see them in your news reader when I post them.

You can submit an answer using the "Questions" e-mail link at the What You Need to Know web site. (Look in the lower, right-hand section of that page.)

If you submit the earliest best answer, I'll post your answer (without your name) and a critique here a week after the question was posted. It will be in the "Comments" section for that question.

No prizes this year. But, I'll add your school's web address to the list of "Worthwhile Links" on the left side of the blog, IF you send it to me.

---

Here's Question No. 12:

What is one (1) way in which the Basij in Iran are similar to Nashi in Russia? (1 point)

What is one (1) way in which the Basij are different from Nashi? (1 point)

What are two reasons political movements find such quasi-official organizations as the Basij and Nashi politically useful? (2 points)

(See pages 73-74 and 145 in What You Need to Know.)

---

Question No. 9 (27 March 2009)

I'll post a sample FRQ here about comparative government and politics almost every week day until May 1. They're for practice, since that one of the best ways of preparing for the exam.

You can subscribe to these questions using the RSS feed (the little orange icon in the address bar), and you'll see them in your news reader when I post them.

You can submit an answer using the "Questions" e-mail link at the What You Need to Know web site. (Look in the lower, right-hand section of that page.)

If you submit the earliest best answer, I'll post your answer (without your name) and a critique here a week after the question was posted. It will be in the "Comments" section for that question.

No prizes this year. But, I'll add your school's web address to the list of "Worthwhile Links" on the left side of the blog, IF you send it to me.

---

Here's Question No. 9:

A. Is the role of ideology more important in the Chinese or Iranian political system? (1 point)
B. What are two reasons for the greater importance of ideology in the country you indicated? (2 points)

This question is not asking for illustrations of the power of ideology. It is asking why ideology is more powerful in one of the political systems.

(See pages 93-97 and 143-145 in What You Need to Know.)

---

Question No. 7 (26 March 2009)

I'll post a sample FRQ here about comparative government and politics almost every week day until May 1. They're for practice, since that one of the best ways of preparing for the exam.

You can subscribe to these questions using the RSS feed (the little orange icon in the address bar), and you'll see them in your news reader when I post them.

You can submit an answer using the "Questions" e-mail link at the What You Need to Know web site. (Look in the lower, right-hand section of that page.)

If you submit the earliest best answer, I'll post your answer (without your name) and a critique here a week after the question was posted. It will be in the "Comments" section for that question.

No prizes this year. But, I'll add your school's web address to the list of "Worthwhile Links" on the left side of the blog, IF you send it to me.

---

Here's Question No. 7:

Revolutions are important in the Mexican and Iranian political cultures.
A. What is a similarity in how the idea of revolution is important in Mexican and Iranian political cultures? (2 points)
B. What is a difference in how the idea of revolution is important in Mexican and Iranian political cultures? (2 points)
C. In which political culture (Mexican or Iranian) is the importance of the idea of revolution most like the importance of the idea in Chinese political culture? Why? (3 points)

(See pages 96-97, 125-127, and 149-150 in What You Need to Know.)

---

Question No. 5 (19 March 2009)

I'll post a sample FRQ here about comparative government and politics almost every week day until May 1. They're for practice, since that one of the best ways of preparing for the exam.

You can subscribe to these questions using the RSS feed (the little orange icon in the address bar), and you'll see them in your news reader when I post them.

You can submit an answer using the "Questions" e-mail link at the What You Need to Know web site. (Look in the lower, right-hand section of that page.)

If you submit the earliest best answer, I'll post your answer (without your name) and a critique here a week after the question was posted. It will be in the "Comments" section for that question.

No prizes this year. But, I'll add your school's web address to the list of "Worthwhile Links" on the left side of the blog, IF you send it to me.

---

Here's Question No. 5:

Political scientists distinguish between power and authority.
A. What is the distinction they make? (2 points)
B. Describe an example of that distinction from the politics or government in the United Kingdom. (2 points)
C. Describe an example of that distinction from the politics or government in Iran. (2 points)

(See pages 35 and 40 in What You Need to Know.)

---

Question No. 4 (18 March 2009)

I'll post a sample FRQ here about comparative government and politics almost every week day until May 1. They're for practice, since that one of the best ways of preparing for the exam.

You can subscribe to these questions using the RSS feed (the little orange icon in the address bar), and you'll see them in your news reader when I post them.

You can submit an answer using the "Questions" e-mail link at the What You Need to Know web site. (Look in the lower, right-hand section of that page.)

If you submit the earliest best answer, I'll post your answer (without your name) and a critique here a week after the question was posted. It will be in the "Comments" section for that question.

No prizes this year. But, I'll add your school's web address to the list of "Worthwhile Links" on the left side of the blog, IF you send it to me.

---

Here's Question No. 4:

A. Political scientists want to compare rule of law in Iran with rule of law in China. What are two (2) Iranian political institutions and two (2) Chinese political institutions that would be appropriate for the comparison? (4 points)

B. Why would each of the four institutions you identified be appropriate for such a comparison? (4 points)

(See pages 145-147 and 84-92 in What You Need to Know.)

---

Question No. 37 (22 April)

For the next 8 weekdays, I'll post questions about comparative government and politics.

You submit answers to the "Questions" e-mail address at the What You Need to Know web site.

If you submit the earliest best answer, I'll publish your answer here a week after the question was posted.

And you'll win a pair of What You Need to Know number two pencils to help you fill in the exam's multiple choice answer sheet. One of the pencils will have all the multiple choice answers on it and the other will display King Arthur's memorable line from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, "You don't vote for kings!"

(You can also win a pair of WYNTK pencils by posing a question that gets used here.)

---

Here's Question No. 37:
What do political scientists mean when they label Iran's economy as "rent seeking?"

What is one major political ramification of a rent seeking economy?

---

Question No. 36 (21 April)

Each weekday between now and May 1, I'll post a question about comparative government and politics.

You submit an answer to the new "Questions" e-mail link at the What You Need to Know web site.

If you submit the earliest best answer, I'll publish your answer here a week after the question was posted.

And you'll win more than one What You Need to Know number two pencil to help you fill in the exam's multiple choice answer sheet. One of the pencils will have all the multiple choice answers on it and another will display King Arthur's memorable line from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, "You don't vote for kings!"

(You can also win a pair of WYNTK pencils by posing a question that gets used here.)

---

Here's Question No. 36:
What Iranian precedent exists for Khomeini's insistence in velayat-e faqih (Guardianship of the Jurist) for representing the will of the people?

---

Question No. 30 (11 April)

Each weekday between now and May 1, I'll post a question about comparative government and politics.

You submit an answer to the "Questions" e-mail link at the What You Need to Know web site.

If you submit the earliest best answer, I'll publish your answer here a week after the question was posted.

And you'll win a pair of What You Need to Know number two pencils to help you fill in the exam's multiple choice answer sheet. One of the pencils will have all the multiple choice answers on it and the other will display King Arthur's memorable line from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, "You don't vote for kings!"

(You can also win a pair of WYNTK pencils by posing a question that gets used here.)

---

Here's Question No. 30:
How can Iran's regime be described as a theocratic republic?

---