Chapter 1 - Dilemmas of Democracy

Question 1

globalization

Answer 1

increasing interdependence of citizens and nations across the world

Question 2

politics

Answer 2

the authoritative allocation of values for a society

Question 3

government

Answer 3

legitimate use of force to control human behavior

Question 4

national sovereignty

Answer 4

a political entity’s externally recognized right to exercise final authority over it affairs

Question 5

What are the objectives of government?

Oldest and most recent/debated?

Answer 5

maintaining order, providing public goods, promoting equality

maintining order; promoting equality because of redistribution of wealth

Question 6

order

Answer 6

established ways of social behavior

Question 7

Why did Thomas Hobbes view the need for government?

Answer 7

For the preservation of life and protecting the weak from attacks of the strong. Without it people would live like savages.

Question 8

According to John Locke, what was the basic objective of government?

Answer 8

the protection of life, liberty, and happiness

Question 9

communism

Answer 9

political system where ownership of land and productive facilities are in the hands of the people and all goods shared equally; the distribution of goods are controlled by authoritarian government

Question 10

public goods

Answer 10

services that benefit all citizens but are not likely produced voluntarily by one person, such as parks and sanitation

Question 11

freedom of

Answer 11

freedom to do something

Question 12

freedom from

Answer 12

immunity from somthing undersirable

Question 13

social order

Answer 13

traditional modes of behavior in society

Question 14

police power

Answer 14

authority of government to maintain order and safeguard citizens safety, health, and welfare

Question 15

political equality

Answer 15

each citizen has one vote

Question 16

How does “one person, one vote” relate to political equality?

Answer 16

people are politically unequal because of wealth, status, connections, etc.

Question 17

social equality

Answer 17

equality in wealth, education, and status

Question 18

equality of opportunity

Answer 18

each person has the same chance to succeed in life

Question 19

equality of outcome

Answer 19

concept that society must ensure people are equal and government must design policies to redistribute wealth

Question 20

rights

Answer 20

benefits of government to which every citizen is entitled

Question 21

original dilemma

Answer 21

freedom vs order

how much freedom a citizen must surrender to government

Question 22

modern dilemma

Answer 22

freedom vs equality

policies that promote equality do so at the expense of freedom

Question 23

politiclal ideology

Answer 23

consitent set of values and beliefs about government

Question 24

totalitarianism

Answer 24

belief that government should have unlimited power

Question 25

socialism

Answer 25

similar to communism; government extends to ownership and control of the basic industries, but allows more room for private industry

Question 26

democratic socialism

Answer 26

guarentees civil liberties whil citizens determine extent of government activities through free elections

Question 27

capitalism

Answer 27

goverment that favors free enterprise operating without government regulation

Question 28

libertarianism

Answer 28

opposes all government action except to protect life and property

Question 29

anarchism

Answer 29

values absolute freedom over all else

Question 30

liberals

Answer 30

willing to use goverment to promote equality but not order

Question 31

conservatives

Answer 31

prefer to use government to promote order rather than equality

Question 32

libertarians

Answer 32

opposed to using government to promote either equality or order

Question 33

communitarian

Answer 33

favors using government to promote both equality and order

Question 34

democracy

Answer 34

originating in greek writings

a system of government in which the poeple rule directly or indirectly

Question 35

participatory democracy

flaw?

Answer 35

direct democracy

citizens rule themselves rather than electing representatives

only works in small groups

Question 36

representative democracy

flaw?

Answer 36

indirect democracy

citizens elect officials to represent tham and govern on their behalf

only works if officials do what citizens want

Question 37

responsiveness

Answer 37

representatives should do what the majority of people want

Question 38

procedural democratic theory

flaw?

Answer 38

democracy where decision-making involves univeral participation, political equality, majority rule, and responsiveness

can produce social policies that prey on minorities

Question 39

majority rule

Answer 39

group decision must reflect the preference of more than half of the group

Question 40

minority rights

Answer 40

benefits of government that cannot be denied to any citizens by majority decisions

Question 41

universal participation

Answer 41

everyone in a democracy should participate in government

Question 42

substantive democracratic theory

flaw?

Answer 42

democracy where the substance of government policies is more important than the policy-making procedure

doesn’t provide clear criteria that allows us to decide if whether a government is democratic

Question 43

majoritorian model of democracy

Answer 43

government by the people is interpreted by majority of people

Question 44

referendum

Answer 44

an election on a policy issue

Question 45

initiative

Answer 45

a policy question put on the ballot by the action of citizens circulating petitions and gathering required amount of signatures

Question 46

interest group

Answer 46

organized group that seeks to influence public policy, also called a lobby

Question 47

pluralist model of democracy

Answer 47

government by the people operating through competing interest groups

Question 48

elite theory

Answer 48

view that small group of people actually make the most important government decisions

Question 49

oligarchy

Answer 49

system of government where the power is concentrated in the hands of a few people

Question 50

democratization

problems face?

Answer 50

process of a country moving from an authoritarian government to a democracy

religious conflict, political and economic instability

Question 51

Which model best fits the US structure of government?

Majoritarian, Pluralist, Elite

Answer 51

pluralist