Chapter 1: American Government and Civic Engagement Flashcards
Goods that all people may use but are of limited supply
Common goods
A form of government where political power rests in the hands of the people
Democracy
A form of government where people participate directly in making government decisions instead of choosing representatives to do this for them
Direct democracy
Claims political power rests in the hands of a small, elite group of people
Elite theory
The means by which a society organizes and allocates authority in order to accomplish collective goals
Government
The beliefs and ideals that help to shape political opinion and eventually policy
Ideology
Beliefs and preferences based on strong feelings regarding an issue that someone adhere to over time
Intense preferences
T
Beliefs and preferences people are not deeply committed to and that change over time
Latent preferences
A fundamental principle of democracy; the majority should have the power to make decisions binding upon the whole
Majority rule
Protections for those who are not part of the majority
Minority rights
A form of government where one ruler, usually a hereditary one, holds political power
Monarchy
A form of government where a handful of elite society members hold political power
Oligarchy
Strong support, or even binding allegiance, for a particular party
Partisanship
T
Claims political power rests in the hands of groups of people
Pluralist theory
Influence over a government’s institutions, leadership, or policies
Political power
The process by which we decide how resources will be allocated and which policies government will pursue
Politics
Goods provided by private businesses that can be used only by those who pay for them
Private goods
Goods provided by the government that anyone can use and that are available to all without charge
Public goods
A form of government where voters elect representatives to make decisions and pass laws on behalf of all people instead of allowing people to vote directly on laws
Representative democracy
Connections with others and the willingness to interact and aid them
Social capital
A good that is available to many people but is used only by those who can pay the price to do so
Toll good
A form of government where government is all powerful and citizens have no rights
Totalitarianism
CC
A set of rules and institutions.
Government
CC
Why is it important to study government?
It enables us to participate in an informed way.
CC
In a republic:
The people elect others to represent them in government.
CC
In a democracy:
The people has a say in governance.
CC
Voting is the only form of political participation in the USA.
False
CC
The process by which people obtain their political views is known as:
Political Socialization
CC
____ generally support traditional religious and patriot values.
Conservatives
CC
Which ideology is mostly likely to believe that government can help solve problems?
Liberals
CC
Which ideology is mostly likely to say that the free market won’t protect the environment?
Liberals
CC
What is the most important factor in political socialization?
Family
CC
More education correlates with more liberal views on all issues.
False
CC
There is always a 100% correspondence between one’s political party and political ideology.
False
T
Which of the following is a good example of a tradeoff?
The government pleases environmental activists by perserving public lands but also pleases ranchers by allowing them to rent public lands for grazing purposes.
