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MTEL Political Science and Political Philosophy Test Breakdown

Political Philosophy has four subareas with a total of 18 to 20 questions and counts 15 percent of the final score.

1. Political Science: theories and concepts and legal, political, and government terms.
2. Political Philosophy of the Classical and Medieval Eras: political thinkers, concepts and documents of Greece and Rome, and the basis of medieval political thinking.
3. Political Philosophy from the Renaissance through the 17^th Century: political philosophers of the Renaissance and the Reformation, English constitution and parliamentary system, influence of 17^th century English political thinkers, and the beginning of absolute states.
4. Political Philosophy from 1700 to the Present: political philosophers of the French Enlightenment, political statements of the Age of Revolution, impact of the concepts of liberalism nationalism and socialism, and significant political thinkers of the 20^th century.

US Government and Civics has five subareas with a total of 24 to 26 questions and counts 20 percent of the final score.

1. Founding Documents and Debates of the United States and Massachusetts: Declaration of Independence, basic provisions of state constitutions, Articles of Confederation, Massachusetts Constitution of 1870, the Northwest Ordinance, basic principles of the US Constitution and Bill of Rights, and the arguments used and compromises reached during the drafting of the constitution.
2. History of Political Thought from the Beginning through the 20^th Century: colonial documents, influential writings in political thought, Shay’s Rebellion, evolution of the constitution, landmark Supreme Court decisions, and 20^th century developments in politics and government.
3. Federal, State and Local Government: structure, organization, operation, forms, functions and powers of the executive, legislative and judicial branches, enacting laws, judicial review, role and influence of lobbyists, bureaucrats and congressional staff, federalism, relationship between federal, state and local governments, checks and balances in state government, the Massachusetts Constitution and format, and institutions of Massachusetts’ state and local government.
4. Election Process: major components, filling appointive offices, origins, structure, operations and development of political patties in Massachusetts and the United States, third parties, voter turnout and how and why people vote, interest groups, the media, public opinion and campaign finance, and how these factors influence the election process.
5. Citizenship: rights, responsibilities and personal attributes, rights guaranteed in the Constitution and how they protect individual freedoms, difference between legal obligations and civic responsibilities, how individuals influence the political process and government decisions, how and why the democratic process expanded, representative versus plebiscitary democracy, and how democracy promotes social change and secures individual rights.

Comparative Government and International Relations has two subareas with a total of 18 to 20 questions and counts 15 percent of the final score.

1. Forms of Government: characteristics and purposes of different systems; compare and contrast various government forms; government authority; compare the United States party system with other countries; and the influence of history, culture and religious traditions on various forms of government.
2. International Relations: basic concepts and gradual development of international law; structure, functions, goals and limitations of various global organizations; significant events in 20^th century diplomacy; contemporary issues; influence of non-governmental groups; components of and the cultural, economic and ideological issues that formed American foreign policy; and major US initiatives in various parts of the world.

History has three subareas with a total of 24 to 26 questions and counts 20 percent of the final score.

1. United States History: political, economic, cultural and social developments; Native American societies; characteristics of the colonies; the American Revolution, the westward movement and American expansion; the Civil War and Reconstruction; industrialization, immigration and urbanization; the Progressive Movement, World War I, the Great Depression, the New Deal, World War II, the Cold War, Vietnam and the anti-war movement; civil rights and the women’s movement; globalization and the impact of science, technology, the media; and popular culture.
2. Evolution of Western Civilization: political, economic, cultural and social developments; ancient Israel and the classic cultures of Greece and Rome; impact of the Renaissance, the Reformation and constitutional governments; the scientific revolution and the Enlightenment; antislavery movement, growth of democratic government, capitalism, technology and the role of science; and the spread of western civilization.
3. World History: political, economic, cultural and social developments; human origins and early civilizations; ancient Mediterranean and Byzantine cultures; Medieval society; early civilizations in Asia, Africa and the Americas; Age of Exploration; absolute monarchies; agricultural and industrial revolutions; European colonialism; causes, events and consequences of both World Wars; Russian and Chinese Revolutions; Communism and Nazism; new countries in Asia and Africa; the global economy; and developments in the arts, religion, literature, philosophy, science and technology.

Geography and Economics has three subareas with a total of 11 to 13 questions and counts 10 percent of the final score.

1. Geography: physical features; concepts and terms; land masses and bodies of water, maps, atlases, almanacs and other resources and how to use them to analyze data and solve problems; and the influence on human movement, settlement, history, politics, economy and culture.
2. Economics: concepts, theories, models, definitions, characteristics, market structures and applications, major economists and their theories, and historic and current systems.
3. United States Economic System: history, principles, components, organization, and operation of the United States, New England and Massachusetts systems, profit, capital and competition, functions and relationships of the various components, role of the government, what influences American producers and consumers in the global economy, and domestic issues that impact the economy.

MTEL Political Science and Political Philosophy Test Practice Questions