Civics Polity

Political Systems and Governance

1,767 Questions

This section provides practice questions on various political systems including democracies, authoritarian regimes, and oligarchies. Understanding political governance and theories is crucial for cracking civil services and state PSC examinations. Regular practice ensures a solid grasp of political concepts and frameworks.

Authoritarian regimesLiberal democracyPolitical legitimacyOligarchy and plutocracyTransitional democracies

Political Systems and Governance Questions

Multiple choice

A citizen supporting the ideals of “Jacksonian democracy” would most likely have favored?

  1. A government by a popularly elected monarch

  2. Selection of the president by a small group of party leaders

  3. A government that services all citizens

  4. Government by a military elite of Army officers
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Jacksonian democracy promoted the idea of the common man and sought to expand political participation. It advocated for government that served the interests of the majority of citizens rather than just the wealthy elite.

Multiple choice

A study of revolutions would likely lead to the conclusion that pre-Revolutionary governments 

  1. Are more concerned about human rights than the government

  2. Refuse to modernize their military with advanced technology

  3. Attempt to bring about the separation of church and state

  4. Fail to meet the political and economic needs of the people
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Revolutions generally occur when a government becomes unresponsive to the needs and grievances of its population, creating a disconnect that leads to unrest and eventual overthrow.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is a characteristic the most fascist movement share in common?

  1. Persue of peace

  2. Self-rule

  3. Democracy

  4. Antidemocratic
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Fascist movements share antidemocratic values, opposing pluralism, individual rights, and democratic institutions. They emphasize authoritarian leadership, nationalism, and often militarism. Democracy is antithetical to fascism, which concentrates power in a single leader or party.

Multiple choice political science india and the united nations the united nations (u.n.) united nation organisation (u.n.o) international institutions

Identify correct option that has led to the demand that UN becomes more democratic.

  1. Fifteen-member Council

  2. Security Council

  3. The veto power of the five permanent members

  4. General Assembly
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States are the five permanent members having veto powers with them. The veto means the power to stop any decision; which means they can take any international decision or can stop any decision.

This makes the UN undemocratic in nature because all member states do not have equal powers with respect to taking any decision. 

Multiple choice history greek, roman and american civilisations greek civilisation greek civilization the classical world

Here each individual is interested not only in his own affairs but in the affairs of the state as well. We do not say that a man who takes no interest in politics is a man who minds his own business; we say that he has no business here at all.


This excerpt from A Funeral Oration by Pericles emphasizes which aspect of Athenian democracy?

  1. All are equal under the law

  2. Active civic participation of all citizens

  3. The importance of human reason

  4. The right to trial by jury

  5. The use of rhetoric in the political process
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Multiple choice history greek, roman and american civilisations greek civilisation greek civilization the classical world

Which of the following statements can be applied to both Athenian and Spartan democracies?

  1. All citizens voted on laws directly

  2. All citizens were encouraged to participate in civic life

  3. A small, wealthy group of citizens made political decisions

  4. An assembly of elected citizens made most decisions

  5. Executive power was distributed among the citizenry
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Multiple choice political science election and democracy elections in indian society methods or types of election election in indian democracy

Which one of the following is an appropriate reason that the government in China is not democratic? 

  1. Elections are not held

  2. Elections are held under Communist Party's approval.

  3. Members are free to contest

  4. People choose government
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation
In China, elections are regularly held after every five years for electing the country’s parliament, called Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui (National People’s Congress). The National People’s Congress has the power to appoint the President of the country. It has nearly 3,000 members elected from all over China. Some members are elected by the army. Before contesting elections, a candidate needs the approval of the Chinese Communist Party. Only those who are members of the Chinese Communist Party or eight smaller parties allied to it were allowed to contest elections held in 2002-03. The government is always formed by the Communist Party.
Multiple choice political science election and democracy elections in indian society methods or types of election election in indian democracy

The elections are considered essential for democracy because of _______________.

  1. Influence of political parties

  2. Role of independent candidates

  3. People's participation

  4. Dominance of malpractices
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Elections are the essence of democracy because they allow people to exercise their fundamental power of voting to elect their rulers. It is the active participation of the people that makes democracy a great success.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is not a characteristic of civil society organizations?

  1. They are independent of the government

  2. They are non-profit

  3. They are membership-based

  4. They are profit-making
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Civil society organizations are typically non-profit and independent of the government. They are formed by individuals who share a common interest or goal and are not motivated by profit.

Multiple choice

What are the potential drawbacks of interest groups in a democracy?

  1. They can lead to special interests having too much influence over government.

  2. They can make it difficult for the government to make decisions that are in the best interests of the country as a whole.

  3. They can lead to corruption and cronyism.

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Interest groups can also have negative effects on a democracy, such as leading to special interests having too much influence over government, making it difficult for the government to make decisions that are in the best interests of the country as a whole, and leading to corruption and cronyism.

Multiple choice

What is the main argument of anarchism in political theory?

  1. The state is a necessary evil

  2. The state should be abolished

  3. The state should be strengthened to promote social welfare

  4. The state should be limited to protecting individual rights
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Anarchism is a political theory that advocates for the abolition of the state. Anarchists argue that the state is a coercive institution that oppresses individuals and violates their freedom. They believe that a stateless society based on voluntary cooperation and mutual aid is possible and desirable.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is not a challenge to the principle of separation of powers?

  1. The rise of political parties

  2. The increasing power of the bureaucracy

  3. The growth of special interest groups

  4. The decline of public trust in government
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The decline of public trust in government is not a challenge to the principle of separation of powers. In fact, it can be argued that the decline of public trust in government is a result of the failure of the principle of separation of powers to prevent any one branch of government from becoming too powerful.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is not a way to strengthen the principle of separation of powers?

  1. Increase the independence of the judiciary

  2. Reduce the power of the bureaucracy

  3. Promote transparency and accountability in government

  4. Make it easier for the government to pass laws
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Making it easier for the government to pass laws is not a way to strengthen the principle of separation of powers. In fact, it can weaken the principle of separation of powers by making it easier for one branch of government to dominate the other two branches.