Chapter 1

Question 1

Politics

Answer 1

the process of making collective decisions, usually by governments, to allocate resources and create and enforce rules for the operations of society.

Question 2

Political System

Answer 2

the way a society organizes and manages its politics across various levels of public authority.
~or~
a bundle of institutions, both formal and informal, within which many diverse people pursue the satisfaction of their preferences.

Question 3

Preferences

Answer 3

the outcomes or experiences people want or believe they need.

Question 4

Federal System

Answer 4

A political system with multiple levels of government in which each level has independent authority over some important policy areas.

Question 5

Institutions

Answer 5

Rules or sets of rules that determine how people make collective decisions.

Question 6

Collective Dilemma

Answer 6

A situation in which there is conflict between group goals and individual goals or self interest.

Question 7

Public Good

Answer 7

a benefit provided to a group of people such that each member can enjoy it without necessarily having to pay for it, and one person’s enjoyment of it does not inhibit . others from enjoying the benefit.

Question 8

Private Good

Answer 8

a product or benefit provided such that its enjoyment can be limited to specific people, and on individual’s consumption of it precludes others from consuming it.

Question 9

Free Ride

Answer 9

Benefitting from a public good while avoiding the costs of contributing to it

Question 10

Collective Action Problem

Answer 10

A situation in which people would be better off if they all cooperated; however, any individual has an incentive not to cooperate as long as others are cooperating.

Question 11

Prisoner’s Dilemma

Answer 11

An interaction between two strategic actors in which neither actor has an incentive to cooperate even though each of them would be better off if they both cooperated.

Question 12

Transaction Costs

Answer 12

The challenges people face when they try to exchange information or use other means to cooperate with each other.

Question 13

Coordination Problem

Answer 13

A situation in which two or more people are all better off if they coordinate on a common course of action, but there is more than one possible course of action to take.

Question 14

Minimum Winning Coalition

Answer 14

The smallest-sized coalition necessary to achieve a goal.

Question 15

Types of Collective Dilemmas

Answer 15

Collective Action Problem
Prisoner’s Dilemma
Coordination Problem
Unstable Coalition

Question 16

Unstable Coalition

Answer 16

An instance in which three or more people must make a collective choice from a set of alternatives, but any voting coalition in favor of an alternative can be divided by consideration of another alternative.

Question 17

Agenda Setter

Answer 17

An authority that controls what options are decided on by a group.

Question 18

Principal-Agent Problem (Delegation Problem)

Answer 18

An instance in which one actor (a principal) contracts another actor (an agent) to act on the principal’s behalf; but the actors may not share the same preferences, and the principal lacks the means to observe all of the agent’s behavior.

Question 19

Bureacrat

Answer 19

Any government employee who is not part of the ruling powers.

Question 20

Bureaucracy

Answer 20

An agency or office devoted to carrying out tasks for the government in a manner consistent with the law.

Question 21

Public Policies

Answer 21

Programs and decisions by the government that are enforced by the rule of law.

Question 22

Policies are rules for day to day life, whereas institutions…

Answer 22

are broader, more stable rules that determine how policies or laws are made and enforced.

Question 23

Path Dependence

Answer 23

The notion that earlier events or decisions deeply affect current and future policy decisions or outcomes.

Question 24

Authoritarianism

Answer 24

A political system in which there is the expectation that the government represents the people, and the institutions of government do not give the people a direct voice in who will lead.

Question 25

Dictatorship

Answer 25

An authoritarian political system in which sovereign power is vested in one individual.

Question 26

Monarchy

Answer 26

A political system in which a ruler (usually a king or queen) is chosen by virtue of being the heir of the previous ruler.

Question 27

Oligarchy

Answer 27

A political system in which power resides in a small segment of society.

Question 28

One-Party State

Answer 28

A political system in which one party controls the government and actively seeks to prevent other parties from contesting for power.

Question 29

Democracy

Answer 29

Rule by the people; in practice today, this means popular election of the government and basic protections of civil rights and liberties.

Question 30

Republic

Answer 30

A political system in which public officials are chosen to represent the people in an assembly that makes important policy decisions.