University of the West Indies Department of Government

GT22D - Politics in the Caribbean

Mid-Semester Test

Tick the correct answer which in each case is the odd one out.

1. According to our definition, "A major social group that shares the same functions, status and outlook", is called: (A) the governing class; (B) the power elite; (C) the political class; (D) the ruling class.

2. In Barbados the political class is predominantly: (A) the planter class; (B) the English class; (C) the working and middle classes; (D) the middle class;

3. The Caribbean political class emerged: (A) After universal adult suffrage; (B) after Emancipation; (C) after Independence; (D) after the Morant Bay Rebellion.

4. The most important social attributes of the political class are: (A) wealth, income, power; (B), education, profession, income; (C) colour, class, race; (D) education, race, wealth.

5. Positive contributions of the political class to Caribbean politics include: (A) middling position between working class revolution and upper class dictatorship; (B) progressive modernization; (C centralized Westminster executives; (D) redistribution of wealth from rich to poor.

6. Party systems are defined by: (A) the number of parties; (B)-the ideology of parties;

7. One-party dominant systems have existed in: (A) Antigua; (B) Trinidad; (C) Guyana;

(D) Cuba.

8. Modem Latin Caribbean parties and party systems differ from Anglo-Caribbean systems except that: (A) they were formed after; (B) parties and trade unions do not have close relationships; (C) the atmosphere has been more repressive; (D) they are presidential systems.

9. The positive democratic impact of parties is that they: (A) formulate government policy; (B) won the right to vote; (C) recruit nationals for leadership; (D)mainly represent interest groups.

10. A more negative perception has developed about parties because of: (A) a crisis of authority; (B) parties are more corrupt than in the past; (C) the passing of founding leaders; (D) more informed citizenship.

11. Which does not apply? Electoral systems; (A) give people the right to vote; (B) provide an electoral administration; (C) convert votes into seats; (D) are free and fair.

12. Which is true? Elections in Cuba: (A) are based on proportional representation; (B) only allow members of the communist party to vote; (C) are based on multi-member district constituencies; (D)/are free but not fair.

13. In which two countries is the president directly elected by the people: (A) USA/Haiti;

(B) Cuba/Dominican Republic; (C) Suriname/Haiti; (D),Haiti/Dominican Republic.

14. First-past-the-post electoral systems differ from proportional representation systems except that: (A) they produce two-party systems; (B)-they produce vote: seat disproportions; (C) they produce coalition governments; (D) they are based on constituency district elections.

15. Which country does not use proportional representation: (A)Trinidad; (B) Guyana;

16. Studies of voting behaviour provide models of voting based on: (A) socialization; (B) material needs; (C) rational voting; (D)ideology.

17. Universal adult suffrage was achieved in the Anglo-Caribbean between:

18. The principles that underlie the right to vote are: (A) universality; (B) adulthood;

(C) transferable vote; (D) personal vote.

19. Racial voting is uncommon in: (A) Trinidad; (B) Suriname; (C) Jamaica; (D) Guyana

20. Average levels of voting in the Anglo-Caribbean have been: (A) lowest in the 1950s and highest in the 1970s; (B) lowest in the 1980s and highest in the 1990s; (C) lowest in the 1960s and highest in the 1970s; (D) lowest in the 1950s and highest in the 1990s.

21. Civil and political rights would not include: (A) the right to vote; (B) the right to a fair and speedy trial; (C) the freedom of expression; (D) the right to shelter.

22. Liberal democracy places great emphasis on: (A) an active role for the state; (B) individual enterprise; (C),free markets; (D) free trade.

23. Which country places most emphasis on human development as against human rights?

(A) Jamaica; (B)Cuba; (C) Haiti; (D) Barbados.

24. With one exception. Amnesty International faults Caribbean states for: (A) poor prison conditions; (B) the death penalty; (C) gay rights; (D) police brutality.

25. Human development is not measured by: (A) infant mortality; (B) freedom of expression; (C) life expectancy; (D) access to clean water.

26. The sociology of power concentrates on: (A) the political class; (B) the ruling class;

(C) the working class; (D) the power elite.

27. "A political party is a large group of people organised under a specific label for the purposes of achieving and exercising governmental power". This is the definition provided by: (A),Patrick Emmanuel; (B) Carl Stone; (C) Karl Marx; (D) Trevor Munroe.

28. If there are three presidential candidates in the Dominican Republic who receive votes as, A = 40%; B= 35%; C=25%, then: (A) A is declared the winner; (B) C is eliminated and A and B have a run-off election; (,C) each candidate receives seats in proportion to votes; (D) A, B, and C have a run-off election.

29. Which does not match: (A) Cuba - multi-member constituencies, indirect presidential elections, voting age is 16 years; (B) Dominican Republic - single-member constituencies, direct presidential elections, mixed electoral formula; (C) Guyana -proportional representation, indirect presidential election, voting age is 18;

(D) Suriname - single-member constituencies, indirect presidential elections, proportional representation

30. When Jamaicans for Justice complain that street people were removed to other locations against their will, it was making a charge based on violation of: (A) civil and political rights (B) social and economic rights; (C) human rights and human development; (D) liberal and social democracy.

End March 4, 2004.