Chapter 1 Flashcards
Government
the institutions and processes through which public policies are made for a society
Public Goods
Goods, such as clean air and clean water, that everyone must share
Politics
the process by which we select our governmental leaders and what policies these leaders pursue. Politics produces authoritative decisions about public issues.
Political Participation
All the activities used by citizens to influence the selection of political leaders or the policies they pursue. The most common, but not the only means of political participation in a democracy is voting. Other means include protest and civil disobedience
Single-Issue Groups
Groups that have a narrow interest, tend to dislike compromise, and often draw membership from people new to politics. These features distinguish them from traditional interest groups.
Policymkaing System
a set of institutions and activities that link together people, politics, and policy
Linkage Institutions
the channels or access points through which issues and the policy preferences of people get on the policy agenda of the government. In the United States, elections, political parties, interest groups, and the mass media are the three main linkage institutions
Policy Agenda
the issues that attract the serious attention of public officials and other people actually involved in politics at any given point in time
Political Issue
an issue that arises when people disagree about a problem a public policy choice
Policymaking Institutions
the branches of government charged with taking actin on political issues. The U.S. Constitution established three policymaking institutions - the Congress, the presidency, and the courts. Today, the power of the bureaucracy is so great that most political scientists consider it a fourth policymaking institution
Public Policy
a choice that government makes in response to a political issue. A policy is a course of action taken with regard to some problem
Democracy
a system of selecting policymakers and of organizing government so that policy represents and responds to the preferences of the public
Majority rule
a fundamental principle of traditional democratic theory. In a democracy, choosing among alternatives requires that the desire of majority be respected
Minority Rights
a principle of traditional democratic theory that guarantees rights to those who do not belong to majorities and allows that they might join majorities through persuasion and reasoned argument
Representations
a basic principle of traditional democratic theory that describes the relationship between the few leaders and the many followers
Pluralist Theory
a theory of government and politics emphasizing that politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its own preferred policies
Elite and Class Theory
a theory of government and politics contending that societies and divided along class lines and that an upper-class elite will rule, regardless of the formal niceties of governmental organization
Hyperpluralism
a theory of government politics contending that groups are so strong that government is weakened. Hyperpluralism is an extreme, exaggerated, or perverted form of pluralism
Policy Gridlock
a condition that occurs when no coalition is strong enough to form a majority and establish policy. The result is that nothing may get done
Gross Domestic Product
the sum total of the value of all the goods and services produced in a nation
Individualism
the belief that individuals would be left on their own by the government. One of the primary reasons for the comparatively smalls cope of American government is the prominence of the belief in American political thought and practice
