Political & Economic Systems of SW Asia Test Study Guide Name: ______
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1. What is true of a ‘theocracy’?
Government sees God as the supreme leader
2. Which BEST describes the government of Saudi Arabia?
Monarchy
3. Who makes most of the important governmental decisions in an oligarchy?
Small group of powerful leaders
4. Who is the most powerful elected official in Iran?
Supreme Leader
5. In a unitary system, most of the power is in the hands of the:
Central government
6. Which country is an example of a unitary system?
Saudi Arabia
7. Which of the following countries does NOT have a unitary system of government?
United States
8. In a parliamentary system of government, how is the leader chosen?
By the political party with the most members in the legislature
9. Which Southwest Asian country has a democracy?
Israel
10. Why is Iran sometimes called a theocratic republic?
The government is led by an elected parliament and powerful religious leaders.
11. What is Shariah law?
Laws based on the teachings of the Quran
12. Which Southwest Asian country permits only men to vote in elections?
Saudi Arabia
13. The Israeli parliament is called the:
Knesset
14. Who is allowed to vote in Israeli elections?
All citizens over the age of 18
15. Saudi Arabia is ruled by a:
King
16. Who makes most of the important governmental decisions in an autocracy?
The ruler
17. What role do the people play in Saudi Arabia’s government?
They have little influence.
18. What is an Ayatollah?
A Shia religious leader
19. In which Southwest Asian country do citizens have the most political freedom?
Israel
20. What is a weakness of a confederation?
The central government only has as much power as the local governments are willing to give.
21. What 3 economic questions are asked when studying the similarities of traditional, command, market, and mixed economies among nations of the world?
What to produce, how to produce, and for whom to produce?
22. What is ‘specialization’?
Producing goods a country can make most easily so that they can trade for goods that they can’t produce locally
23. Why is specialization so valuable to international trade today?
Specialization allows people to do a more efficient job at producing what they make best and trade for the things they need.
24. Saudi Arabia specializes in the production of:
Oil and natural gas
25. Why has Israel specialized in the area of technology?
It has few natural resources and little farmland.
26. The economies of Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Iran can best be described as:
Mixed
27. In a traditional economy, how are economic decisions made?
Customs and traditions
28. Why was OPEC created?
To regulate the supply and price of oil
29. Where are most OPEC countries located?
Southwest Asia
30. What happens to the price of oil when OPEC countries decide to reduce production?
Oil prices increase
31. What is the definition of Gross Domestic Product (GDP)?
The total value of all the goods and services a country produces in a year
32. Which Southwest Asian country’s businesses are under the LEAST amount of government control?
Israel
33. Tariffs and quotas are alike because they both ______.
restrict or limit trade between countries.
34. In 1973, Southwest Asian countries stopped exporting oil to the United States in protest against the US’ support of Israel. What type of trade barrier is this?
Embargo
35. The relationship between the literacy rate and standard of living in Southwest Asia is ______.
The higher the literacy rate the higher the standard of living.
66. If Saudi Arabia’s government puts a limit on how much Israeli Dead Sea salt it will import this year, what trade barrier is this?
Quota
37. Which of the following would reflect Israel’s mixed economy?
A combination of privately-owned businesses and government regulations.
38. Syria has not built new factories or used new technology in many years. What is the country NOT investing in?
Capital goods
39. One of Iran’s biggest problems with their state-run oil industry is:
Inefficiency and poor organization
40. A person who takes risks by starting a new business is known as a(n):
Entrepreneur
© 2015 Brain Wrinkles