Chapter 1 Flashcards
Absolute Majority
Fifty percent plus one of all members or all eligible voters.
Autocracy
A form of government in which the power to make authoritative decisions and allocate resources so vested in one person.
Democracy
A form of government in which (all the citizens) have the opportunity to participate in the process of making authoritative decisions and allocating resources.
Direct Democracy
A form of democracy on which ordinary citizens, rather than representatives, collectively make government decisions.
Economic Equality
The idea that each individual should receive the same amount of material goods, regardless of his or her contribution to society.
Elitist
A term used to describe a society in which organized, influential minority interests dominate the political process.
Empirical
Questions and debates that can be answered by careful observation. Systematic empirical observation is the foundation of science and the scientific method.
Equality of Opportunity
The idea that every individual has the right to develop to the fullest extent of his or her abilities.
Equality Under the Law
he idea that the law is supposed to be applied impartially, without regard for the identity or status of the individual involved.
False Consensus
The tendency of people to believe their views are normal or represent common sense and therefore are shared by most people.
Government
The institution that has the authority to make binding decisions for all of society.
Ideology
A consistent set of values, attitudes, and beliefs about the appropriate role of government in society.
Initiative
An election in which ordinary citizens circulate a petition to put a proposed law on the ballot for the voters to approve.
Liberal Democracy
A representative democracy, such as Great Britain or the United States, that has a particular concern for individual liberty. The rule of law and a constitution constrain elected representatives and the will of the majority from using their power to take away the rights of minorities.
Majority Rule
The principle under which government follows the course of action preferred by most people.
Minority Rights
The full rights of democratic citizenship held by any group numerically inferior to the majority. These fundamental democratic rights cannot be taken away- even of a majority wishes to do so- without breaking the promise of democracy.
Normative
Theories or statements that seek to prescribe how things should be valued, what should be, what is good or just, and what is better or worse.
Null Hypothesis
A statement positing that there is no relationship between the variables being observed. It is the opposite of the research hypothesis.
Oligarchy
A form of government in which the power to make authoritative decisions and allocate resources is vested in a small group of people.
Partisanship
A psychological attachment to a political party
Pluralistic
A term used to describe a society in which power is widely distributed among diverse groups and interests.
Plurality
The largest percentage of a vote, when no one has a majority.
Political Equality
The idea that individual preferences should be given equal weight.
Political Science
The systematic study of government, political institutions, processes, and behavior.
Politics
The process of making binding decisions about who gets what or whose values everyone is going to live by.
Popular Sovereignty
The idea that the highest political authority in democracy is the will of the people.
Referendum
An election in which a state legislature refers a proposed law to the voters for their approval.
Representative Democracy
Defined as a system of government where ordinary citizens do not make governmental decisions themselves but chose public officials- representatives of the people- to make decisions for them.
Science
A method of acquiring knowledge through the formulation of hypotheses that can be tested through empirical observation in order to make claims about how the world works and why.
Simple Majority
Fifty percent plus one of those participating or of those who vote.
Social Equality
The idea that people should be free of class or social barriers and discrimination.
Sovereignty
The legitimate authority in a government to wield coercive power to authoritatively allocate values.
Utility
The amount of enjoyment an individual receives from a given situation or outcome.
What are the core principles of democracy?
“Three core principles: majority rule, political freedom, and political equality.”
