1) With specific references to Great Britain, France, and Germany explain how custom, culture, and historical experience shape political structures and constitutional arrangements.

2) What are some major differences between presidential and parliamentary democracies? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? In your opinion, which system is better?

3) What are the causes of underdevelopment? What are some of the symptoms? Are the major causes internal or external? Are natural circumstances or human beings to blame? Can the maladies of underdevelopment be treated? What prescripti ons, if any, are likely to work on the causes and not merely the symptoms? (A satisfactory answer must identify and discuss the various theories and approaches in the study of political development).

4) What is the European Union, who belongs to it, and how does it work? How did it get where it is today, and where is it going? Does it have a bright future, or has it outlived its usefulness?

5) How do the electoral systems of Great Britain, France, and Germany differ, and with what consequen ces? (A complete answer must address the following questions: How does the differences between electoral systems influence the party system? How does it influence the outcome of elections? Which of the systems comes closest to providing a perfect way of translating the public will into public policy? Why?)

6) Describe the operation of the cabinet system of government, including the relationship of the prime minister to the rest of the Cabinet and the relationship of the Cabinet (Government) to parli ament.

7) Describe the operation of the unwritten British constitution and contrast its evolution and constraints with those of the written constitutions of France and the United States.

8) The scholarly study of international relations in the twentieth century has gone through several discernible phases. Delineate chronologically the approaches that have been dominant in each successive phase and identify the international political problems each approach sought to address. (N)

9) What is the meaning of the word revolution? Burke's view of revolutions. His view of representation.

His view about the East India company? His view about representation?

10) Is there such a thing as a just war? Are all wars equally objectionable from a moral standpoint?

11) Compare and contrast the assumptions about international phenomena made by political idealism and political realism. Is either of these theoretical perspectives more appropriate for understanding world poli tics? Why or why not? (N)

12) There are many views of the multinational corporation. Write an essay outlining the positive and negative views on the MNC.

13) The decision process of unitary actors pursuing their national interests are typically described as rational. What is rationality? Describe the intellectual steps involved in the rational decision-making model, and then contrast this idealized standard with the actual process of foreign policy decision making. (N)

14) The two decades following World War I were the high point of political idealism. Among the proposals advocated by idealists were bringing state sovereignty under the jurisdiction of international law, substituting collective security for rival alliances of the balance of power system, and creating a League of Nations to mediate disputes and safeguard peace. Unfortunately, the idealists' proposals failed to deter the resumption of great-power rivalry. Another global war was on the horizon, one that would result in the death of nearly 17 million soldiers and 34 million civilians, Why did the idealists believe that their proposals would successfully manage conflict in the post World War I world? Why did these proposals fail? What alternative steps might have been taken to prevent the onset of World War II? (N)

15) What prompted the founding of the United Nations? How successful have the peacekeeping operations of the UN been? Where has it succeeded and where has it failed?

16) Does in ternational law serve a useful purpose in contemporary international politics? What are the limitations of international law? How effectively has the World Court functioned? What suggestions for improvement will you make if you were called upon to advice an international body of jurists.

17) What do we mean by the national interest? Are all foreign policy actions taken to enhance the national interest equally acceptable? Explain your answer.

18) What are the most common explanations of the c auses of War? Which account of the causes of war is correct? Explain your answer.

19) How does the contemporary international system differ from its predecessor(s)? A complete answer must include -- among other things -- a discussion of the classical European balance-of- power system, the Soviet-U.S rivalry, and international governmental and non-governmental organizations.

20) The term "Third World" often masks important differences among the world's less developed countries. Included amo ng the nearly 170 independent countries and dependent territories that make up the Third World are several identifiable subgroups. Compare the characteristics of three of these subgroups: least developed countries, oil-exporting countries, and newly industrialized countries. Based on your comparison, discuss the analytic utility of "third World" as a concept for understanding world politics. (N)

21) Rules governing international commerce often evolve according to the wishes of the powerful. D escribe the Liberal International Economic Order (LIEO) that was established at the end of World War II. How useful is hegemonic stability theory in accounting for the creation of the postwar international economic regime? (N)

22) Describe the mixed system of the French Fifth Republic. In what ways is it similar to or different from the presidential and parliamentary systems? If you were a British MP suddenly transferred to the French National Assembly, how would you have to change your mode operating?

23) Third World nations have pursued two strategies in an effort to build their own industrialized bases: import-substitution and export-led industrialization. Supporters of the latter strategy see trade as the key to realizing their economic aspirations. Write an essay in which you: (1) describe the major obstacle that the Third World sees to achieving economic development through trade; and (2) discuss the remedies proposed by the Third World for these difficulties. (N)

24) In what sense did the writings of several notable political philosophers make authoritarianism appear attractive? Make democracy appear attractive? Make socialism appear attractive? To what extent does the contemporary debate over political and economic arrangements reflect the earlier opinions of thinkers such as Adam Smith, Locke, Machiavelli and Karl Marx?

25) The old adage "if you want peace, prepare for war" is often cited by realists who believe that world politics is a struggle for power. In contrast, critics of this position contend that if you prepare for war you will get it. Which side of this long-standing debate do you support? Why? Defend your position with empirical evidence. (N)

26) What are the sources of power in world politics? Given the changes occurring in world politics, is the nature of power being transformed? If so, how? Given your interpretation, how might one go about measuring the power of nation-states? (N)

27) Some Third World leaders have viewed foreign aid as a moral obligation of the rich to the poor necessary to redress the injustices of the imperial past. On the other hand, many First World leaders have experienced "donor fatigue" with the seeming intractability of the development process. What is more, both sides disagree over the form, value, and volume of foreign aid. Critically evaluate the charges that the volume and value of foreign aid received by developing nations has been unjustifiably low, and that too many political strings have been attached to the meager amount of aid that they have obtained. (N)

28) Compare the federalist, functionalist, and neofunctionalist approaches to international integration. Include in your comparison an analysis of (1) the major assumptions each makes about international reality, (2) the basic concepts used to explain how integration will occur, and (3) the end result of the integration process. (N)

29) Drawing upon British, German, French and American examples, illust rate how formal differences between democratic systems with legislative supremacy (parliamentary systems) differ from systems with executive supremacy (presidential systems) as well as how these alternatives sometimes converge in practice. Which of the two systems do you think is best suited to deal with contemporary societal (political, social and economic) problems? Advance arguments to support your choice.

30) Critically evaluate the following statement: "In the interests of the North and the So uth, the economic well-being of all countries must be accepted as a policy goal to be factored into all resource allocation."

31) Explain the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the resolution of conflict in the post-cold War era.

32) Economic, political, and moral considerations are some of the more important determinants of foreign policy. To what extent do these considerations also drive American foreign policy. Is each consideration usually "pure," or is it commonly mixed wi th other motives?

A complete answer must include references to specific examples of U.S. foreign policy initiatives.

33) What is a balance of power? How did the traditional balance of power system work? What were its chief characteristics?

34) Write an essay describing French political culture and the effects that it has on politics.

35) According to the realist school of thought, the aim of foreign policy makers is to achieve and maintain a "balance of power" in the interna tional system. This is viewed as the indispensable precondition for the maintenance of global peace and stability.

Write an essay contrasting the applicability of such thinking to international relations before and after World War II. How valid was this interpretation before the Second World War? In what respect has it had to be modified -- or perhaps even completely abandoned -- as an acceptable path to peace.

A satisfactory answer must include references to other military and political pat hs to peace.

36) With specific references to Nigeria and any other country of your choice, critically evaluate the impact of ethnic diversity on the process of political and economic development in the Third World.

37) Write an essay describing how the Britain, France and Germany came to be ethnically and racially plural societies. What are some of the important socio/political consequences of America's ethnic/racial pluralism.

A complete answer must include a discussion of governme nt policies relating to ethnic/racial issues in these countries, as well as the impact of anti-immigrant parties and groups.

38) With specific reference to Britain, explain why many countries maintain ceremonial executive and legislative bodies without substantial political powers.

39) One of the popular myths in South America is that South American societies are mostly, if not entirely, colorblind -- that after centuries of coexistence a truly hybrid culture has emerged, one that draws from both the European and Indian worlds.

Write a critical review essay in which you discuss the divide between the indigenous peoples of Latin America and the Whites. How far have these societies come along the path to complete assimilation. Identify and discuss the regional variations.

40) What impact did the Cold War and its conclusion have on U.S. foreign policy in such areas as defense spending, arms control, and military intervention?

41) The colonial heritage of the Third World i s central to many explanations of the problems faced by Middle Eastern, African, Asian, and Latin American countries. European imperial expansion into these regions occurred in two waves of empire building. Compare the economic strategies underlying the relations between colonies and colonizers during each of these two periods. (NN)

42) The post-colonial era began in earnest in 1947, when the British relinquished political control of the Indian subcontinent and India and Pakistan joined the i nternational community as sovereign members. For the most part, the process of decolonization that began in 1947 and extended through the 1980s was extraordinary rapid but remarkably peaceful. What accounts for the rapid erosion of support for colonialism following World War II? (NN)

43) To what extent does contemporary social, political and economic arrangements reflect the earlier opinions of thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rouss eau and Marx.

With specific references to any three of the above theorists, each from a distinct era of political thought, a satisfactory answer must address the following questions: What are the goals of the state? What activities are "necessary and proper" to the attainment of these goals? Who is to decide? What procedures are to be followed? What limitations are to be imposed upon the states? Upon its rulers? How can these limitations be enforced?

An adequate discussion of these questions requires specific references to their views on the ideal state, justice, monarchy, aristocracy, democracy, tyranny, the rule of law, economic relations, the church, etc.

* Distinct eras of political thought include the following: Ancient and Medieval, Machiavelli and the Reformation, early liberalism and the enlightenment (1500s to the 1700s) and modern (nineteenth and twentieth centuries)