8/8/2019 POL 321: Midterm Study Guide

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POL 321: Latin American Politics Fall 2010

Midterm Exam & Map Quiz Study Guide

The midterm exam and map quiz are worth 25% and 5% of your semester grade, respectively (for a total

of 30%). The exam is broken down into three sections: multiple choice (vocabulary), short answer, and

short essay. The points for the midterm and map quiz are as follows:

Map quiz 5 points ( point for each correct identification)

Multiple choice 10 points (2 points for each correct answer)

Short answer 10 points (2 points for each correct answer)

Short essay 5 points

The combined exam and map quiz should take about 70 minutes. You are allowed one 5x7 index card

with notes (on both sides). I suggest spending no more than 15 minutes on the map quiz, 15 minutes on

the multiple choice section, 15 minutes on the short answer, and the remaining time on the short essaysection.

Map Quiz

This portion of the exam will ask you to correctly locate 10 countries, drawn from the following list:

Brazil

Mexico

Argentina

Chile

Uruguay Colombia

Cuba

Bezlie

Guatemala

Nicaragua

Costa Rica

Peru

Ecuador Bolivia

Suriname

Haiti

Multiple Choice

This portion of the exam will ask you to correctly identity the definition of 10 vocabulary terms, drawn

from the following list:

corporatism

caudillo clientelism

natural rights

populism

social rights

cultural rights

economic rights

pluralism

dependency theory pacted transition

fueros

state capitalism

haciendas

mercantilism

absolute poverty

bureaucratic-authoritarian regime

import-substitution industrialization modernization theory

liberation theology

praetorianism

Washington Consensus

code law

double-minority president

8/8/2019 POL 321: Midterm Study Guide

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POL 321: Latin American Politics Fall 2010

Short Answer

I will select five of the following questions for you to answer. Aim for about 2-3 sentences per answer.

1. Compare and contrast corporatism and pluralism as forms of interest group representation.

2. Compare and contrast Spanish colonialism in Latin America and British colonialism in the

Thirteen Colonies.

3. Compare and contrast economic rights and political rights.

4. Compare and contrast the case law tradition (used in the United States) and the code law

tradition (used in Latin America).

5. Compare and contrast the transition to democracy in Mexico and Brazil.

6. Compare and contrast the party systems in Mexico and Brazil.

7. Liberalism has a different historyand is defined a bit differentlyin Latin America than in the

United States. Briefly identify two differences.

8. Blake highlights a debate over the merits ofpresidentialism and parliamentarism. Identify two

weaknesses typically associated with presidential democracy.

Short Essay

I will select one of the following short essay prompts for you to answer. Aim for 2-3 paragraphs.

1. Discuss how Roman and medieval influences shaped Latin Americas constitutionaltraditions.

Discuss at least one way each is different from the Anglo-American social contract tradition, but

also one way each is supportive of democracy.

2. In the United States, our politics were heavily influenced by the Anglo-American liberal political

philosophers. Latin America was greatly influenced by other, including Aquinas, Rousseau, and

the experience of the Roman Republic. Pick two and discuss how they shaped Latin American

political development.

3. Peeler suggests that Latin Americas history includes some roots for democracy. In particular,

he mentions elite politics and popular resistance as elements of a distinct Latin American

democratic tradition. Explain, discussing both elements.