Civics Polity

Political Systems and Governance

1,972 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

Comparing the administrative systems of different countries is useful. Which of the following are reasons for this?

  1. It promotes democracy in the sense that democracy in administration is allowed to grow.
  2. It facilitates quick transplantation of western administrative institutions in aid-receiving countries
  3. It helps in formulating universal general principles concerning public administration
  4. It widens the scope for interaction among the countries concerned Choose the correct answer from the codes given below:

  1. 1 and 2

  2. 2 and 3

  3. 3 and 4

  4. 1 and 4
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Comparative Public Administration (CPA) is useful because it helps identify universal principles that apply across different cultures (3) and encourages international cooperation and learning (4). Statement 2 is incorrect because CPA scholars actually caution against the 'quick transplantation' of Western models into developing nations. Statement 1 is too broad and not a primary academic reason for comparative study.

Multiple choice

The New Public Administration movement is mainly against:

  1. administrative centralization and neutrality of administration

  2. neutrality of administration and meritocracy

  3. meritocracy and political orientation of administration

  4. political orientation of administration and administrative centralization
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

New Public Administration (NPA) was a movement that challenged the traditional 'neutrality' of administrators, arguing that they should instead be committed to social equity. It also opposed rigid administrative centralization, advocating for decentralization and greater citizen participation. It did not oppose meritocracy itself, but rather the way meritocracy was used to maintain an unresponsive status quo.

Multiple choice

Who first described the Indian Political system as 'one party dominance' to explain the congress party's hegemony in India ?

  1. W.H. Morris-Jones

  2. Rajni Kothari

  3. Myron Weiner

  4. Lloyd Rudolph and Susan Rudolph
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

W.H. Morris-Jones used the term 'one-party dominance' to describe the political reality of India where the Congress Party held power at both the center and in most states. While Rajni Kothari developed the concept of 'The Congress System' to explain this dominance, Morris-Jones provided the initial classification of the party system. This dominance lasted until the late 1960s when coalition politics began to emerge.

Multiple choice

What is meant by totalitarianism?

  1. A political system that allows freedom of speech

  2. A political system that extensively regulates people's lives

  3. A political system that allows multi-party elections

  4. A political system that allows trade unionism
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Totalitarianism is a political system where the state recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life.

Multiple choice

For which of the following does the democracy not stand?

  1. Equality

  2. Liberty

  3. Fraternity

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

Democracy is built on principles of equality, liberty, and fraternity. Dynasty rule is antithetical to the democratic principle of equal opportunity and meritocratic leadership.

Multiple choice

Democracy can function successfully in a country if the people are

  1. physically strong and healthy

  2. patriots

  3. politically conscious

  4. basically honest
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

For a democracy to function, citizens must be aware of their rights, duties, and the issues affecting the nation. Political consciousness allows citizens to make informed decisions and hold the government accountable.

Multiple choice

Dictatorship is based on

  1. force and fear

  2. public opinion

  3. will of God

  4. allegiance of the Constitution
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Dictatorships typically rely on the suppression of dissent through force, intimidation, and fear. They lack the democratic foundation of public opinion or constitutional legitimacy.

Multiple choice

A representative government is not possible without

  1. political parties

  2. impartial election

  3. political consciousness among the people

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

A representative government requires political parties to organize views, impartial elections to ensure fairness, and political consciousness among the people to make informed choices.

Multiple choice

The real work of opposition party in a democratic country is

  1. to make delays in legislation

  2. to put obstacles in the way of the government of rival parties

  3. to topple down the government of rival parties

  4. to offer healthy criticism to the government of rival parties
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Correct answer is (4). 

Multiple choice

Which of the following is a demerit of the party system?

  1. It creates awakening among the masses who starts struggling for their demands.

  2. It compels the government to work according to public opinion.

  3. It leads government to introduce reforms.

  4. It divides the nation into several groups.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Correct answer is (4). 

Multiple choice

Political equality means

  1. every citizen should be given political education

  2. every citizen should be given a chance to work in the government turn by turn

  3. every citizen should be given right to vote and contest election

  4. every citizen should be a member of any political party
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Correct Answer: given the right to vote and contest election

Multiple choice

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the question.

'Tolerable state of balance' in the last sentence may mean _____________________.


Democratic societies from the earliest times have expected their governments to protect the weak against the strong. No ‘era of good feeling’ can justify discharging the police force or giving up the idea of public control over concentrated private wealth. On the other hand, it is obvious that a spirit of self – denial & moderation on the part of those who hold economic power will greatly soften the demand for absolute equality. Men are more interested in freedom & security than in an equal distribution of wealth. The extent to which government must interfere with business, therefore, is not
exactly measured by the by the extent to which economic power is concentrated into a few hands . The required degree of government interference depends mainly on weather economic powers are oppressively used, and on the necessity of keeping economic factors in a tolerable state of balance.
             But with the necessity of meeting all these dangers and threats to liberty, the power of government are unavoidably increased, whichever political party may be in office. The growth of government is a necessary result of

Of the growth of technology and of the problems that go with the use of machines and science. Since the government in our nation, must take on more powers to meet its problems, there is no way to preserve freedom except by making democracy more powerful.

 

  1. an adequate level of police force

  2. a reasonable amount of government interference

  3. Both 1 and 2

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The passage discusses the necessity of keeping economic factors in a 'tolerable state of balance' to avoid oppressive use of power. None of the provided options (A or B) capture the full meaning of this phrase as described in the context of the passage.

Multiple choice

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the question.

A spirit of moderation on the economically sound people would make the less privileged _________________.


Democratic societies from the earliest times have expected their governments to protect the weak against the strong. No ‘era of good feeling’ can justify discharging the police force or giving up the idea of public control over concentrated private wealth. On the other hand, it is obvious that a spirit of self – denial & moderation on the part of those who hold economic power will greatly soften the demand for absolute equality. Men are more interested in freedom & security than in an equal distribution of wealth. The extent to which government must interfere with business, therefore, is not
exactly measured by the by the extent to which economic power is concentrated into a few hands . The required degree of government interference depends mainly on weather economic powers are oppressively used, and on the necessity of keeping economic factors in a tolerable state of balance.
             But with the necessity of meeting all these dangers and threats to liberty, the power of government are unavoidably increased, whichever political party may be in office. The growth of government is a necessary result of

Of the growth of technology and of the problems that go with the use of machines and science. Since the government in our nation, must take on more powers to meet its problems, there is no way to preserve freedom except by making democracy more powerful.

 

  1. unhappy with the rich people

  2. more interested in freedom & security

  3. unhappy with their lot

  4. clamour less for absolute equality
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The passage states that a spirit of self-denial and moderation on the part of those who hold economic power will 'greatly soften the demand for absolute equality'. This means people will clamour less for it.

Multiple choice

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the question.

'Era of good feeling' in sentence 2 refers to _________________.


Democratic societies from the earliest times have expected their governments to protect the weak against the strong. No ‘era of good feeling’ can justify discharging the police force or giving up the idea of public control over concentrated private wealth. On the other hand, it is obvious that a spirit of self – denial & moderation on the part of those who hold economic power will greatly soften the demand for absolute equality. Men are more interested in freedom & security than in an equal distribution of wealth. The extent to which government must interfere with business, therefore, is not
exactly measured by the by the extent to which economic power is concentrated into a few hands . The required degree of government interference depends mainly on weather economic powers are oppressively used, and on the necessity of keeping economic factors in a tolerable state of balance.
             But with the necessity of meeting all these dangers and threats to liberty, the power of government are unavoidably increased, whichever political party may be in office. The growth of government is a necessary result of

Of the growth of technology and of the problems that go with the use of machines and science. Since the government in our nation, must take on more powers to meet its problems, there is no way to preserve freedom except by making democracy more powerful.

 

  1. time of prosperity

  2. time of adversity

  3. time without government

  4. time of police atrocities
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The phrase 'era of good feeling' in this context refers to a hypothetical time of prosperity or peace where one might mistakenly believe that government intervention or police forces are no longer necessary.