Political and Social Cleavages Practice Test
•15 QuestionsRead the passage: Scenario—Ethnic Cleavages. Ethnic cleavages in Nigeria and India influence political processes by shaping party competition, federal arrangements, and patterns of participation. Nigeria’s ethnic and regional diversity becomes politically salient during and after colonial rule, and post-independence politics features recurring debates over power-sharing, resource allocation, and federal restructuring. Ethnic identities intersect with religion and region, and political entrepreneurs sometimes mobilize voters through claims about access to oil revenues, public employment, and subnational autonomy. Institutions such as federalism and informal zoning arrangements aim to manage distributional conflict, yet tensions can persist and sometimes coincide with episodes of electoral violence and distrust in state capacity. India’s ethnic, linguistic, and caste-based divisions develop within a constitutional framework that combines federalism with strong national parties and regional parties. The state uses mechanisms such as linguistic reorganization of states and constitutionally recognized affirmative action (reservations) to address group-based inequalities, while competitive elections allow multiple identities to be represented. In both countries, ethnic cleavages affect political culture by shaping perceptions of fairness and inclusion, and they influence participation through turnout, party mobilization, and protest. Policy-making often reflects bargaining among groups, and stability depends on whether institutions credibly channel demands and constrain exclusionary politics. References: Horowitz, D. L. (1985). Ethnic groups in conflict. University of California Press; Chandra, K. (2004). Why ethnic parties succeed. Cambridge University Press; Lijphart, A. (1977). Democracy in plural societies. Yale University Press. How do ethnic cleavages in Nigeria differ from those in India?
Read the passage: Scenario—Ethnic Cleavages. Ethnic cleavages in Nigeria and India influence political processes by shaping party competition, federal arrangements, and patterns of participation. Nigeria’s ethnic and regional diversity becomes politically salient during and after colonial rule, and post-independence politics features recurring debates over power-sharing, resource allocation, and federal restructuring. Ethnic identities intersect with religion and region, and political entrepreneurs sometimes mobilize voters through claims about access to oil revenues, public employment, and subnational autonomy. Institutions such as federalism and informal zoning arrangements aim to manage distributional conflict, yet tensions can persist and sometimes coincide with episodes of electoral violence and distrust in state capacity. India’s ethnic, linguistic, and caste-based divisions develop within a constitutional framework that combines federalism with strong national parties and regional parties. The state uses mechanisms such as linguistic reorganization of states and constitutionally recognized affirmative action (reservations) to address group-based inequalities, while competitive elections allow multiple identities to be represented. In both countries, ethnic cleavages affect political culture by shaping perceptions of fairness and inclusion, and they influence participation through turnout, party mobilization, and protest. Policy-making often reflects bargaining among groups, and stability depends on whether institutions credibly channel demands and constrain exclusionary politics. References: Horowitz, D. L. (1985). Ethnic groups in conflict. University of California Press; Chandra, K. (2004). Why ethnic parties succeed. Cambridge University Press; Lijphart, A. (1977). Democracy in plural societies. Yale University Press. How do ethnic cleavages in Nigeria differ from those in India?