Chapter 1
Comparative Politics :
Meaning, Nature, Scope and Evolution
Questions for Revision
(A) FILL IN THE BLANKS QUESTIONS
(i) The traditional studies of major constitutions and their institutions were called .......... .
(ii) The honour of being the father of comparative study of constitutions of various states belongs to .......... .
(iii) .......... is the new name of the study of .......... Government and Politics .
(iv) When the .......... of study expanded in the .......... it came to be called Comparative Government and Politics .
(v) It was in the era of .......... in Politics when the name Comparative Politics became very popular .
(vi) Comparative Politics advocates the use of .......... method to the study of all .......... .
(vii) After Aristotle the .......... of studying government and their institutions was used by Cicero Machiavelli, Montesquieu, .......... and .......... .
(viii) Comparative study of government and politics underwent a .......... in the second half of 20th century .
(ix) According to .......... comparative government is "the study of state and their government institutions on a comparative basis."
(x) Comparative Politics involves .......... of various .......... .
(xi) Philosophical, Historical and Legal Institutional .......... are used in the study of .......... .
(xii) Comparative Government involves a study of legal powers and functions of .......... .
(xiii) .......... makes use of Scientific-Empirical methods.
(xiv) The scope of Comparative Politics is much broader than .......... .
(xv) According to .......... "Comparative Politics is concerned with significant regularities, and .......... in the working of political institutions and political systems.
(xvi) Comparative Politics accepts the desirability and need for .......... focus .
(xvii) The main focus of Comparative Politics is .......... and .......... study of various Political Systems of the world .
(xviii) In Comparative Politics several scholars study Politics as .......... .
(xix) Comparative Government is .......... and Comparative Politics is .......... in approach .
(xx) Comparative Government was .......... Comparative politics places emphasis upon the study all of .......... and hence is universal in its scope .
Answer : (i) Comparative Government, (ii) Aristotle, (iii) Comparative Politics, Comparative, (iv) Scope, late 19th and early 20th centuries, (v) Behaviouralism / Behavioural Revolution, (vi) Empirical-Scientific, Polical Systems, (vii) Comparative Method, J.S. Mill and Bangehoot, (viii) Revolutionary change, (ix) GK Roberts, (x) Comparative Study, Political Systems, (xi) Approaches, Comparative Government, (xii) Political Institutions, (xiii) Comparative Politics, (xiv) Comparative Government, (xv) M. Curtis, differences, (xvi) Interdisciplinary, (xvii) Scientific, Empirical, (xviii) Political System, (xix) Normative, Scientific-Empirical, (xx) Eurocentric, Political Systems of the world .
ONE WORD OR VERY SHORT QUESTION-ANSWERS
Q.1. Who is described as the father of Politics and Comparative Study of states.
Ans. Aristotle .
Q.2. Name any four major political thinkers who used Comparative method of study in Politics .
Ans. Cicero, Montesquieum, J.S. Mill and Bagehot .
Q.3. Name Four major 20th Century writers on Comparative Government .
Ans. Ogg, Zink, Munro and C.F. Strong.
Q.4. Name four major Political Scientists who have written on Comparative Politics .
Ans. Almond, Powell, Blondel and AR Ball .
Q.5. Comparative Government uses which method for a comparative study of government ?
Ans. Historical-Normative Method .
Q.6. Which have been the three major traditional approaches to the study of Comparative Government ?
Ans. Philosophical, Historical and Legal Institutional Approaches .
Q.7. Comparative Politics uses which main method for its study of Politics ?
Ans. Scientific-Empirical Method .
Q.8. The major focus of Comparative Government was on what ?
Ans. Legal powers and functions of three main organs of government .
Q.9. What were three main weaknesses of Comparative Government study ?
Ans. (1) Formal Legalistic Comparisons, (2) Study of only major European Constitutions, (3) Normative and legal-institutional study .
Q.10. What were the two key features of Comparative Government Studies ?
Ans. (a) Descriptive-Normative Studies (b) Focus on European government Institutions .
Q.11. Comparative Politics Strongly advocates what ?
Ans. Scientific-Empirical study of all dimensions of Politics .
Q.12. Comparative Politics gives due importance to the study of what ?
Ans. Study of infrastructure of politics with an Interdisciplinary focus .
Q.13. What is the main objective of Comparative Politics ?
Ans. Building a scientific theory of politics .
Q.14. Comparative Government and Comparative Politics differ in which two key dimensions .
Ans. Difference in Approach and difference in the Scope of study .
Q.15. Comparative Politics now involves the comparative study of what ?
Ans. All Politics Systems of the world .
Q.16. Can all dimensions of Comparative Politics be studied by the use of Empirical Methods .
Ans. No, we have to use both Empirical and Normative methods .
Q.17. What has been the major contribution of Comparative Politics to Political Science .
Ans. Popularity of Scientific Comparative Method and comprehensive focus of study .
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS (MCQS)
1. Who is regarded as the father of a comparative study of state ?
(a) Plato
(b) Aristotle
(c) Polybius
(d) Cicero
2. The study of Comparative Government was greatly popularized by :
(a) J S Mill
(b) Montesquiu
(c) Ogg and Zink
(d) S E Finer
3. In which century Comparative Government studies got really popular :
(a) Late 18th Century
(b) Late 19th Century
(c) Late 20th Century
(d) late 19th and early 20th Centuries
4. Who advocated that comparative Government was the study of state and their government institutions and processes on a comparative basis :
(a) Jean Blondel
(b) G K Roberts
(c) Freeman
(d) Munro
5. Comparative Government did not involve the use of which method :
(a) Normative Studies
(b) Historical Method
(c) Empirical Method
(d) Legal-Institutions Method
6. Comparative Politics uses which approach :
(a) Normative Approach
(b) Scientific-Empirical Approach
(c) Historical Approach
(d) Legal Approach
7. Who observed, "Comparative Politics is the study of patterns of national government in contemporary world" :
(a) M Curtis
(b) Blondel
(c) Macridis
(d) J Smith
8. Which is not a features of Comparative Government :
(a) Interdisciplinary Focus
(b) Emphasis on the study of infrastructure
(c) Objectivity in the study of Politics
(d) All the above
9. Comparative Politics wants to build what :
(a) A True theory of Politics
(b) Normative and Ethical theory of politics
(c) Scientific Theory of Politics
(d) Scientific-Empirical Theory of Politics
10. Modern Scientific Theory of Politics means :
(a) No place for values in political theory
(b) Systematic Theory
(c) Systematic-empirical and realistic theory of Politics
(d) Universally applicable ideal theory of politics
11. Inter-disciplinary Focus means :
(a) Full Autonomy of Politics
(b) Relations between Politics and Economy
(c) Study of Politics with the help of other social science
(d) Focusing on a universal and ideal theory of government and politics
12. In Comparative Politics we study :
(a) Government Institutions
(b) All formal and non-formal structures and functions of politics
(c) All constitutions of the world
(d) All government institutions and constitutionalism of all states .
Answer : 1. (b), 2. (c), 3. (d), 4. (a), 5. (c), 6. (b), 7. (b), 8. (d), 9. (d), 10. (c), 11. (c), 12. (b).
SHORT ANSWER-QUESTIONS (ANSWER IN ONE OR TWO LINES)
Q.1. Who were the major supporters and authors of Comparative Government in the first half of 20th century ?
Ans. Ogg, Zink, Munro, CF Strong, Harman Finer and several constitutional jurists .
Q.2. Who were the major political scientists who theorized and advocated Comparative Politics instead of Comparative Government ?
Ans. In the era of behaviouralism, Almond, Powell Coleman, David Apter, Macridis . Ward and SE Finer got recognition as major supporters of the Comparative Politics .
Q.3. Briefly state the meaning of Comparative Government .
Ans. Comparative study of legal and formal government institution i.e. study of powers, functions, positions, relative merits and demerits of formal political institutions .
Q.4. How Edward Freeman defines Comparative Government ?
Ans. Comparative Government involves "a comparative analysis of the various forms of government and diverse political institutions ."
Q.5. What were the main weakness of Comparative Governments which compelled political scientists to reject it in favour of Comparative Politics ?
Ans. Narrow scope, legal-institutional approach, normative focus, unrealistic comparisons and focus on only formal political intitutions compelled Political Scientists to reject it in favour of comparative politics . Politics .
Q.6. Briefly state the meaning of Comparative Politics .
Ans. Comparative Politics seeks to study the formal as well as all non-formal structures and functions which directly and indirectly operate in various Political Systems of the world .
Q.7. How did MG Smith define Comparative Politics ?
Q.8. Name some of the major protagonists of Comparative Politics .
Q.9. What is meant by Empirical research and analysis ?
Q.10. What is meant by inter-disciplinary focus in Comparative Politics ?
Q.11. What are the four major goals of Comparative Politics ?
Q.12. State the major difference in the natures of Comparative Government and Comparative Politics ?
Q.13. What according to you what are the basic features of Comparative Politics ?
Q.14. What is the Scope of Comparative Politics ?
Q.15. What is meant by the study of Comparative Politics and Government ?
SHORT QUESTIONS (ANSWER IN 4-5 LINES)
Q.1. Briefly explain the importance of Comparative Politics in Contemporary Times .
Q.2. When did Comparative Politics replaced Comparative Government ?
Q.3. According to you what is meant by Comparative Government ?
Q.4. Give 2 two definitions of Comparative Government .
Q.5. Why was it held that Comparative Government was parochial ?
Q.6. Briefly describe any four features of Comparative Government .
Q.7. What is the core focus of Comparative Politics .
Q.8. Name seven major features of Comparative Politics .
Q.9. What is the place of the concept of Political System in Comparative Politics ?
Q.10. What is the difference between the scopes of Comparative Government and Comparative Politics ?
Q.11. Describe two main points of difference between Comparative Government and Comparative Politics ?
Q.12. Why the terms Comparative Politics and Comparative Government and Politics are currently very popular ?
Q.13. What is meant by the study of similarities and dissimilarities in political structures and functions .
Q.14. What is meant by the study of Political Processes in Comparative Politics ?
Q.15. What is meant by the goal of Search for Realism in Comparative Politics ?
DESCRIPTIVE QUESTIONS
1. What is Comparative Politics ? Briefly describe its evolution as a major dimension of Political Science .
2. Define Comparative Politics ? Discuss its Nature .
3. Discuss the Nature and Scope of Comparative Politics .
4. Discuss the Scope of Comparative Politics .
5. What is Comparative Politics ? Explain the difference between it and Comparative Government . What are its basic features ?
6. Define Comparative Politics and Comparative Government Point out the major points of difference between these two .
7. Explain the meaning and natures of Comparative Politics .
8. Trace the evolution of Comparative Politics with particular reference to the process of transformation from Comparative Government to Comparative Politics .
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