Analysis of the Sentence
1. The Contrast: The sentence sets up a contrast between theory and reality.
2. The Theory: Political theories ________ (i) propound (put forward an idea or theory) that daily politics should be "clear, thorough, and consistent."
3. The Reality: The reality is that daily politics does not have to conform to the theory's ideal, meaning reality is often messy, unclear, and inconsistent.
4. Required Meaning: The blank must describe the type of theories that demand or describe the world in an overly organized, systematic, or structured way-the opposite of the messy reality of "daily politics."

Evaluating the Options
We are looking for synonyms that mean "organized," "structured," or "systematic."
- A. neat: Tidy, orderly, or carefully arranged. (Strong fit for theories that demand clarity and consistency.)
- F. tidy: Arranged neatly and in order. (Synonym of "neat" and also a strong fit.)
- B. vague: Unclear or undefined. (Opposite of the required meaning, as the theories propound clarity.)
- C. assertive: Having or showing a confident and forceful personality. (Describes style, not the structured content of the theory.)
- D. casual: Relaxed and unconcerned; not serious or formal. (Opposite of the type of theories that demand strict consistency.)
- E. vicious: Deliberately cruel or violent. (Irrelevant.)

The two words that best describe theories that are overly clean, structured, and fail to account for the messiness of reality are neat and tidy.

The correct answers are A. neat and F. tidy.