MPS-001 Political Theory: guess paper and solved papers
MPS-001 is the foundation paper of IGNOU's MA Political Science. Compared with the BA course, it expects you to discuss debates and thinkers, not just define concepts.
Need the MPS-001 guess paper or solved papers?
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Quick facts
| Course code | MPS-001 |
|---|---|
| Course | Political Theory |
| Programme | MA Political Science (MPS) |
| Exam | Term End Examination, held in June and December |
| Assignments | Must be submitted to your Learner Support Centre before you take the exam |
What this course covers
The course covers the nature of political theory and the major concepts and ideologies:
| Unit / area | What you study and what the exam looks for |
|---|---|
| Meaning and decline or revival of political theory | Debates on whether political theory declined after the 1950s and how it revived. |
| Liberty, equality, rights and justice | Core normative concepts and their competing interpretations. |
| Democracy and its theories | Classical, elitist, participatory and deliberative theories. |
| Power, authority and legitimacy | Weber's types of authority and the basis of legitimacy. |
| Liberalism, Marxism, socialism and other ideologies | The main ideologies and their view of the state. |
| Contemporary debates: multiculturalism, feminism, communitarianism | Challenges to liberal individualism. |
How the exam paper is usually set
Usually a set of long answer questions with internal choice. Answers are expected to refer to thinkers, so mention names like Rawls, Berlin, Marx and Gramsci where they fit.
| Question type | Suggested length in the exam | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Long answer (about 20 marks) | 3 to 4 pages | 35 to 40 minutes |
| Medium answer (about 10 to 12 marks) | 2 pages | 18 to 20 minutes |
| Short note (about 5 to 6 marks) | Half to one page | 8 to 10 minutes |
Marks per question vary by paper; read the marks printed against each question and divide your 3 hours in that ratio.
Where to spend your preparation time
| Area | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Theories of justice | Rawls and his critics are a frequent long answer topic. |
| Liberty and rights | Berlin's two concepts of liberty and rights theories come up often. |
| Ideologies | Liberalism and Marxism give you material for several questions. |
| Contemporary debates | Communitarian and multicultural critiques add depth to any answer. |
Practice questions in exam style
Write answers to these without looking at notes, then compare with your study material. These are our own practice questions in the IGNOU style, not copied from any paper.
- Critically examine the debate on the decline of political theory.
- Discuss the communitarian critique of liberalism.
- Explain Berlin's two concepts of liberty.
- What is legitimacy? How is it related to authority?
- Examine the Marxist theory of the state.
- Discuss Rawls's theory of justice and its critics.
- Explain the elitist theory of democracy.
- What is deliberative democracy?
- Examine the feminist critique of the public-private divide.
- Discuss Gramsci's idea of hegemony.
How to write a high scoring answer: worked outline
Question: Discuss the communitarian critique of liberalism.
Introduction (4 to 5 lines): Introduce liberalism's view of the individual as prior to society, and the communitarian challenge of the 1980s.
Main body (one short heading per point):
- The 'unencumbered self' critique (Sandel).
- MacIntyre on virtue and tradition.
- Taylor on identity and recognition.
- Walzer on spheres of justice.
- Liberal responses and the middle ground.
Conclusion (3 to 4 lines): Conclude that the debate pushed liberals to take community and identity more seriously.
Use this shape for any long answer in this course: define, develop four or five points with examples, conclude.
A 4 week study plan
| Week | What to do for MPS-001 |
|---|---|
| 1 | Read the blocks for: Meaning and decline or revival of political theory, Liberty, equality, rights and justice, Democracy and its theories. Make one page notes per unit. |
| 2 | Read the rest: Power, authority and legitimacy, Liberalism, Marxism, socialism and other ideologies, Contemporary debates: multiculturalism, feminism, communitarianism. Add notes. |
| 3 | Solve two previous year papers under time. Compare with solved answers and note gaps. |
| 4 | Revise notes and the guess paper. Write two full answers by hand. Rest the night before. |
Mistakes that cost marks in MPS-001
- Writing BA level definitions without debate.
- No thinker named.
- One sided answers to 'critically examine' questions.
Our tip for MPS-001
Learn five thinkers deeply instead of twenty lightly. A good MPS answer names a thinker, explains the argument and then gives a criticism.
What you get in the guess paper and solved papers
The Gullybaba guess paper for MPS-001 groups likely questions by unit, with answers written to the length the exam needs. The solved paper set has complete answers for recent June and December papers.
A guess paper is a revision tool. Nobody can promise which questions will come, so read the whole syllabus and use the guess paper to revise faster.
Official IGNOU resources
- Current assignments: IGNOU assignments portal
- Previous question papers from December 2024: IGNOU question papers page
- Older papers: IGNOU's previous question paper archive (linked from the Downloads page of ignou.ac.in)
- Official study material: eGyanKosh, IGNOU's digital repository
Frequently asked questions
How is MPS-001 different from BPSC-131?
Both cover political theory, but MPS-001 expects debate between thinkers and longer analytical answers.
How long should MPS answers be?
For a 20 mark answer, about 800 to 1000 words in the exam, with an introduction, four or five arguments and a conclusion.
Need the MPS-001 guess paper or solved papers?
Send your course code and medium (English or Hindi). We reply with price and a sample page.