Exam 1: Introduction

A/an ____________________ is a stable rule that establishes a procedure or process for selecting a/an ____________________.

A person who takes advantage of a public good without contributing to it is ____________.

The term political system refers to ____________________.

King Abdullah became the ruler of the country of Jordan following the death of his father,King Hussein,in 1999.Jordan's political system may,therefore,be classified as a/an ____________________.

In the United States,important political decisions are typically made by elected representatives of the citizenry rather than directly by the people themselves.The United States' political system may,therefore,be classified as a/an ____________________.

Public opinion polls generally indicate that most Americans support high levels of government services and benefits,though they are opposed to raising taxes to pay for them.This pair of stylized facts is most indicative of a/an ____________________.

What is the principal-agent problem? Identify a principal-agent relationship in government and discuss how an agent's actions may create difficulties or costs for the principal.Describe at least two ways that institutions can minimize the negative consequences of the principal-agent problem.

When the basic dynamics of the Prisoner's Dilemma play out among many people rather than a pair of individuals,the behavioral pressures that work against the provision of a public good are called a ____________________.

What are political institutions? How do institutions influence the process and result of group decision making? How might one distinguish more effective institutions from less effective institutions?

Executive-branch agencies may not always enforce laws as Congress and the president prefer.This is an example of a ____________________.

Suppose a town charges individuals $5 to enter a park to watch its annual New Year's Eve fireworks display.The collected fees pay the cost of the fireworks.Joe parks his car across the street and watches the fireworks display without paying the fee.What is Joe doing?

Why do changes in institutional design alter outcomes?

Suppose members of the Republican Party prefer that a Republican be elected president in the next election,but they disagree about which particular member of their party would be the best choice.The problem facing members of the Republican Party is best described as a/an ____________.

Which is the best example of how an institution shapes outcomes?

How can government improve people's welfare? What might life be like without any government? What are the costs of government? What do people give up in order to gain the benefits of government?

Which of these measures how democratic a state is?

How can political preferences be best described and accounted for?

Kim Jong-Un is officially the "Supreme Leader" of North Korea,and all constitutional political authority is vested in him as an individual.North Korea's political system may,therefore,be classified as a/an ____________________.

What is the role of a political institution?

How can agenda setters help make coalitions more stable?