Political Science MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Political Science - Download Free PDF

Federalism can be defined as a system of government in which the powers are divided between the centre and its constituent parts such as states or provinces. Two aspects are crucial for the institutions and practice of federalism: mutual trust between the government of different levels and agreement to live together. 

Important Points

There are two kinds of routes through which federations have been formed:

• The first route involves independent States coming together on their own to form a bigger unit. This kind of “coming together” federations is formed in the USA, Switzerland and Australia.
• The second route is that a large country decides to divide its power between the constituent States and the national government. This kind of ‘holding together’ federations is followed in India, Spain and Belgium countries.

Thus, it is clear that the USA, Switzerland and Australia are examples of ‘Coming together federations’.

Article 51 A in Part IV of the Indian constitution deals with the fundamental duties of the citizens. They serve as a reminder to the citizens that while enjoying their rights, they should also be conscious of duties they owe to their country, their society and to their fellow citizens.

Important Points

The features of Fundamental duties are as follows:

• Fundamental duties are non-enforceable in nature. 
• Citizens are morally obligated by the Constitution to perform these duties. 
• The fundamental duties are not enforceable in nature. No legal sanction can be enforced by the government in case of their violation.  

From the above, it is clear that Fundamental Duties do not enjoy any legal sanction.

Additional Information

There is a total of eleven fundamental duties enshrined in the constitution. They are as follows:

• to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem;
• to cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom;
• to uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India;
• to defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so;
• to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women;
• to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture;
• to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures;
• to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform;
• to safeguard public property and to abjure violence;
• to strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour and achievement;
• who is a parent or guardian to provide opportunities for education to his child or, as the case may be, ward between the age of six and fourteen years.

The correct answer is Rule adjudication.

Key Points

• A political party is a group of individuals, often having some measure of ideological agreement, who organise to win elections, operate government, and determine public policy. It is a body of persons united for promoting national interests on some particular principles on which they all agree 
• Political Parties as defined by Edmund Burke (1729-1797), an Irish statesman, is "a body of men united, for promoting by their joint endeavours the national interest, upon some particular principle in which they are all agreed.” 
• Their functions include:

1. Interest articulation
2. Interest aggregation
3. Socialisation and Recruitment
4. Making policies
5. Running of government
6. Representation, etc.

• The rule adjudication is the function of judiciary and not of political party.

Hence, from the above discussion we can say option is correct.

The correct answer is George H Sabine.Key Points

• George H Sabine was Pioneer in  Traditional Perspective of Political Theory
• He is best known for his authoritative work "A History of Political Theory", which traces the growth of political thought from the times of Plato to modern fascism and nazism.
• Traditional approach involves the prescription and justification of political ideals or values, the historical description of governmental institutions and laws and observations of actions and activities
• The adherents of this approach believe that the study of political science should not be based on facts alone since facts and values are closely related to each other.

Thus Traditional Perspective of Political theory given by George H. Sabine.

Key Points

• Hegemony refers to the dominance of one state or group over others in the international system.
• It implies a power structure where the hegemonic state has the ability to influence or control the policies and actions of other states.
• Hegemony can be established through economic, military, and cultural means.
• Historically, hegemony has been a central concept in understanding the balance of power in international relations.

Additional Information

• Caucus
  • A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a specific political party or movement.
  • In the context of the U.S. politics, caucuses are used to select delegates to political party conventions or to determine party policy.
• Demagogue
  • A demagogue is a political leader who seeks support by appealing to the desires and prejudices of ordinary people rather than by using rational argument.
  • Demagogues often use rhetoric that stirs emotions and exploits societal tensions.
• Gerrymander
  • Gerrymandering is the practice of manipulating the boundaries of electoral constituencies to favor one party or class.
  • This can result in districts of highly irregular shapes that do not fairly represent the population distribution.

The correct answer is Chairperson of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions.

Key Points

• The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is an entity of the Government of India.
• It works for the protection of human rights in the Country. 
• It was established in 1993 under the Protection of Human Rights Act, and it is a statutory body.
• The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is composed of a Chairperson and other members is as follows.
  • Chairman: A person who has been Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, or a Judge of the Supreme Court will be the chairperson of the NHRC. 
  • First member: Judge of High court
  • Second member: Judge of Supreme Court
  • Other Two members: Persons having knowledge in the matter of Human rights
  • Special Invitee to Statutory Full Commission -  National Commission for Protection of Child Rights
  • Deemed members: Chairpersons of the following commissions:

  1. National Commission for Minorities
  2. National Commission for STs
  3. National Commission for SCs
  4. National Commission for Women
  5. National Commission for Backward Classes
  6. Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities
  7. Chairperson National Commission for Protection of Child Rights

The Fundamental Rights are enshrined in Part III of the Constitution (Articles 12-35). Part III of the Constitution is described as the Magna Carta of India.

Right to constitutional remedies (Article 32):

• Article 32 is considered the most important article of the Constitution as it provides that the right to get Fundamental Rights protected is itself a fundamental right.
  • It confers the right to remedies for the enforcement of the fundamental rights of an aggrieved citizen.
• The Supreme Court has ruled that Article 32 is a basic feature of the Constitution. Hence, it cannot be abridged or taken away even by way of an amendment to the Constitution.
• It contains the following four provisions:
  • The right to move the Supreme Court by appropriate proceedings for the enforcement of the Fundamental Rights.
  • The Supreme Court shall have the power to issue directions or orders or writs for the enforcement of any of the fundamental rights.
  • Parliament can empower any other court to issue directions, orders and writs of all kinds.
    • Any other court here does not include high courts because (Article 226) has already conferred these powers on the high courts.
  • The right to move the Supreme Court shall not be suspended except as otherwise provided for by the Constitution.
    • In the case of a national emergency, the right can be suspended by the President (Article 359).
• Only the Fundamental Rights guaranteed by the Constitution can be enforced under Article 32 and not any other right like non-fundamental constitutional rights, statutory rights, customary rights etc.
  • The violation of a fundamental right is the sine qua non (absolutely necessary condition) for the exercise of the right conferred by Article 32.

Thus, we can conclude that Supreme and High Court has the power to implement fundamental right.

Separate electorates are usually demanded by minorities who feel it would otherwise be difficult for them to get fair representation in government. For example, a separate electorate for Muslims means that Muslims will choose their separate leader by separate elections for Muslims.

Important Points

Act 1909:

• The Indian Councils Act 1909 was an act of the British Parliament that introduced a few reforms in the legislative councils and increased the involvement of Indians (limited) in the governance of British India.
• It was more commonly called the Morley-Minto Reforms after the Secretary of State for India John Morley and the Viceroy of India, the 4th Earl of Minto. 
• One of the important provision of this act was that it introduced separate electorates for the Muslims.
• Some constituencies were earmarked for Muslims and only Muslims could vote their representatives.

Thus, we can conclude that the "Separate Electorate system" was introduced in Act 1909.

Key Points

Major provisions of the Act 1909 are as follows: 

• The legislative councils at the Centre and the provinces increased in size.
  • Central Legislative Council – from 16 to 60 members
  • Legislative Councils of Bengal, Madras, Bombay and United Provinces – 50 members each
  • Legislative Councils of Punjab, Burma and Assam – 30 members each
• The legislative councils at the Centre and the provinces were to have four categories of members as follows:
  • Ex officio members: Governor-General and members of the executive council.
  • Nominated official members: Government officials who were nominated by the Governor-General.
  • Nominated non-official members: nominated by the Governor-General but were not government officials.
  • Elected members: elected by different categories of Indians.
• The elected members were elected indirectly. The local bodies elected an electoral college that would elect members of the provincial legislative councils. These members would, in turn, elect the members of the Central legislative council.
• The elected members were from the local bodies, the chambers of commerce, landlords, universities, traders’ communities and Muslims.
• In the provincial councils, non-official members were in the majority. However, since some of the non-official members were nominated, in total, a non-elected majority was there.
• Indians were given membership to the Imperial Legislative Council for the first time.
• The members could discuss the budget and move resolutions. They could also discuss matters of public interest.
• They could also ask supplementary questions.
• No discussions on foreign policy or on relations with the princely states were permitted.
• Lord Minto appointed (on much persuasion by Morley) Satyendra P Sinha as the first Indian member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council.
• Two Indians were nominated to the Council of the Secretary of State for Indian affairs.

Additional Information  

• The Pitt’s India Act, 1784 also called the East India Company Act, 1784 was passed by the British Parliament to correct the defects of the Regulating Act of 1773.
  • This act resulted in dual control of British possessions in India by the British government and the Company with the final authority resting with the government.
  • This act continued in effect until 1858.
• The Indian Councils Act 1861 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that transformed India's executive council to function as a cabinet run on the portfolio system.
• The Regulating Act of 1773 was passed by the British Parliament to control the territories of the East India Company majorly in Bengal.
  • This act was passed due to the misgovernment by the British East India government that introduced a situation of bankruptcy and the government had to interfere with the affairs of the Company.

The correct answer is (C), (D), (A), (B).

Key Points

•  On November 8, 2016, the government announced that the biggest denominations of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 will be demonetised and would no longer be legal money.
  • Demonetisation is the process of removing a currency unit's legal tender or fiat money status.
  • It happens whenever a country's currency is changed and the present form or forms of currency are removed from use and retired, frequently to be replaced with new notes or coins.
• The largest indirect tax change in India's history, the Goods and Services Tax Act, went into effect on July 1, 2017.
  • It uses a multiple-stage collection process. The supply of products and services, from the maker to the consumer, is subject to a single tax.
  • GST is essentially a tax only on value addition at each level because credits of input taxes paid at each stage will be available in the following stage of value addition.
  • Thus, with set-off advantages at all earlier stages, the ultimate consumer will only be responsible for paying the GST that the last dealer in the supply chain charged.
  • It is intended to be a uniform indirect tax on goods and services throughout the nation.
• On August 28, 2014, Narendra Modi introduced the Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY).
  • It is a national purpose to make a variety of financial services, such as remittance, credit, insurance, pension, and banking savings and deposit accounts, accessible to all in an inexpensive way.
  • This programme was initially introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15, 2014, during his speech commemorating Independence Day.
• The Indian government introduced "Beti Bachao Beti Padhao" in 2015, which is a very significant project.
  • It was started to raise awareness among the general public and encourage girl education in the nation. Even in the twenty-first century, there is significant prejudice towards girls in a country like India.
  • The Indian government has therefore introduced this programme in an effort to overcome outdated beliefs and close the gap between the two.
  • The Prime Minister introduced this programme on January 22, 2015, in Panipat, Haryana, with an initial investment of Rs. 100 crore.

The Indian Councils Act 1909 was an act of the British Parliament that introduced a few reforms in the legislative councils and increased the involvement of Indians (limited) in the governance of British India.

• It was more commonly called the Morley-Minto Reforms after the Secretary of State for India John Morley and the Viceroy of India, the 4th Earl of Minto.

Important Points

Major Provisions of the Morley-Minto Reforms:

• The legislative councils at the Centre and the provinces increased in size.
  • Central Legislative Council – from 16 to 60 members
  • Legislative Councils of Bengal, Madras, Bombay and United Provinces – 50 members each
  • Legislative Councils of Punjab, Burma and Assam – 30 members each
• The legislative councils at the Centre and the provinces were to have four categories of members as follows:
  • Ex officio members: Governor-General and members of the executive council.
  • Nominated official members: Government officials who were nominated by the Governor-General.
  • Nominated non-official members: nominated by the Governor-General but were not government officials.
  • Elected members: elected by different categories of Indians.
• The elected members were elected indirectly. The local bodies elected an electoral college that would elect members of the provincial legislative councils. These members would, in turn, elect the members of the Central legislative council.
• The elected members were from the local bodies, the chambers of commerce, landlords, universities, traders’ communities and Muslims.
• In the provincial councils, non-official members were in the majority. However, since some of the non-official members were nominated, in total, a non-elected majority was there.
• Indians were given membership to the Imperial Legislative Council for the first time.
• It introduced separate electorates for the Muslims. Some constituencies were earmarked for Muslims and only Muslims could vote their representatives.
• The members could discuss the budget and move resolutions. They could also discuss matters of public interest.
• They could also ask supplementary questions.
• No discussions on foreign policy or on relations with the princely states were permitted.
• Lord Minto appointed (on much persuasion by Morley) Satyendra P Sinha as the first Indian member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council.
• Two Indians were nominated to the Council of the Secretary of State for Indian affairs.

Thus, it is clear that In the Indian council act 1909 (Minto-marle act) seats of the legislative council was increased to 60.

Indian Parliament is bicameral in nature i.e. that it has two houses.

• Lok Sabha is one of those two houses.
• The other house is the Rajya Sabha. 
• Lok Sabha is the first chamber of the parliament and represents the people of India as a whole.
• The members elected by universal adult suffrage are part of the Lok Sabha.

•  States with the maximum number of Lok Sabha seats:
  • Uttar Pradesh (80) & Maharashtra (48)
• States with a low number of Lok Sabha seats:
  • Mizoram (1), Nagaland (1) & Sikkim (1)
• Other States with no. of seats in Lok Sabha:
  • Bihar (40)
  • Andhra Pradesh (25)
  • West Bengal (42)

Thus, among the mentioned states Maharashtra has the highest Lok sabha seats.

Additional Information

Composition of Lok Sabha:

• Maximum Strength – 552
  • ​530 represent the States
  • 20 are the representatives of Union Territories
  • 2 were nominated by the President from Anglo-Indian Community, Which was abolished by the 104th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2019.

The combination of politics and social divisions is very dangerous and explosive.

• Democracy involves competition among various political parties.
• Their competition tends to divide any society.
• If they start competing in terms of some existing social divisions, it can make social divisions into political divisions and lead to conflict, violence or even disintegration of a country.
• This has happened in many countries.

Important Points

The Breakup of Yugoslavia occurred as a result of a series of political upheavals and conflicts during the early 1990s.

• Political competition along religious ending ethnic lines led to the disintegration of Yugoslavia into six independent countries. 
• After a period of the political and economic crisis in the 1980s, constituent republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia split apart, but the unresolved issues caused bitter inter-ethnic Yugoslav wars.
• The wars primarily affected Bosnia and Herzegovina, neighbouring parts of Croatia and, some years later, Kosovo.

Thus, it is clear that Yugoslavia suffered disintegration due to political fights on the basis of religious and ethnic identities.

A political party is a group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in the government. They agree on some policies and programmes for the society with a view to promoting the collective good.

Important Points

Challenges for Indian political parties:

• The first challenge is the lack of internal democracy within parties.
  • All over the world, there is a tendency in political parties towards the concentration of power in one or few leaders at the top.
  • Parties do not keep membership registers, do not hold organisational meetings, and do not conduct internal elections regularly.
  • Ordinary members of the party do not get sufficient information on what happens inside the party.  
• The second challenge is dynastic succession.
  • Since most political parties do not practice open and transparent procedures for their functioning, there are very few ways for an ordinary worker to rise to the top in a party.
  • Those who happen to be the leaders are in a position of unfair advantage to favour people close to them or even their family members. 
• The third challenge is about the growing role of money and muscle power in parties, especially during elections.
  • Since parties are focused only on winning elections, they tend to use short-cuts to win elections.
  • They tend to nominate those candidates who have or can raise lots of money.
  • Rich people and companies who give funds to the parties tend to have an influence on the policies and decisions of the party.
• The fourth challenge is that very often parties do not seem to offer a meaningful choice to the voters.
  • In order to offer meaningful choices, parties must be significantly different.
  • In recent years there has been a decline in the ideological differences among parties in most parts of the world.

From the above, we can say that offering meaningful alternatives to voters are not a challenge for Indian political parties.

People’s successful struggle against the privatisation of water in Bolivia reminds us that popular struggles are integral to the working of democracy.

Important Points

Bolivia is a poor country in Latin America.

• The World Bank pressurised the government to give up its control of the municipal water supply.
• The government sold these rights for the city of Cochabamba to a multinational company (MNC).
• The company immediately increased the price of water by four times.
• Many people received a monthly water bill of Rs 1000 in a country where the average income is around Rs 5000 a month.
• This led to a spontaneous popular protest.

Thus, we can conclude that the conflict in Bolivia was related to water.

The correct answer is Foreign Policy and Inter -state relation

Key Points

• Interstate relations and foreign policy find a prominent place in Kautilya’s Arthashastra.
• He has tried to explain the dynamics of interstate relations through his mandala theory.
• According to the Rajamandala hypothesis, there are four main categories of states:

1. Vijigishu, who aspires to rule the globe,
2. Ari, a rival king whose domain borders Vijigishu,
3. Madhyama, a middle king who is stronger than both of them, and
4. Udasina (kingdom lying outside or neutral and more powerful than that of Vijigishu, Ari, and Madhyama).

• Each of them has an ally and an ally's ally, making a total of 12 kings and 60 different combinations known as material constituents.
• Together, these make up the 72 components that make up the Raja Mandala.
• This plan is predicated on the idea that two neighboring governments that share borders are at war with one another and that an adversary of an at war neighbor is a natural ally. 

Hence, the correct option is 3.