Americans & Their Political Values Flashcards
Government
Institutions and procedures through which a territory and it’s people are ruled
Politics
Conflict over leadership, structure and policies of government
Autocracy
Single individual rules
Oligarchy
Small group of landowners, military officers, wealthy merchants control most governing decisions
Popular sovereignty
Principle of democracy where political authority rests in the hands of the people
Democracy
System that allows citizens to play significant role in the governmental process (through elections in US) can either be representative or direct
Three main types of government
- Totalitarian- No formal limits on gov power, seeks to eliminate any institutions that may challenge it
- Authoritarian- No formal limits on gov power, can be restrained by social institutions
- Constitutional- Formal and effective limits placed on the government
Majority rule, minority rights
Government follows preferences of majority of voters, but protects interests of the minority
Political power
Influence over a governments leadership, organization or policies
Pluralism
Struggles among common interests, theory that all interest should be free to compete for influence in the government
Citizenship in democracy?
Membership in a political community that confers legal rights and carries participation responsibilities
Political efficacy
The belief that one can influence government and politics
What ideals are central to American political values?
- Democracy-rule by the people
- Liberty- freedom from governmental control
- Political equality- right for all people to participate in politics equally
- Justice-fairness of how rewards and punishments are delivered by gov, courts, and society
Do Americans trust their government?
Trust in the government has declined significantly and most Americans have “low trust” 2021 only 24% of individuals said they trust the government “most of the time or always”
