Chapter 1: Key Terms

Question 1

Government

Answer 1

The institutions and processes through which public policies are made for a society

Question 2

Public goods

Answer 2

Goods, such as clean air and clean water, that everyone must share

Question 3

Political participation

Answer 3

All the activities used by citizens to influence the selection of political leaders or the policies they pursue. The most common, but not only, means of political participation in a democracy is voting. Other means include protest and civil disobedience.

Question 4

Single-issue groups

Answer 4

Groups that have a narrow interest, tend to dislike compromise, and often draw membership from people new to politics

Question 5

Policymaking system

Answer 5

The process by which political problems are communicated by the voters and acted upon by government policy makers.

Question 6

Linkage institutions

Answer 6

The channels or access points through which issues and people’s policy preferences get on the governments policy agenda

Question 7

Policy agenda

Answer 7

The issues that attract the serious attention of public officials and other people actually involved in politics at any given point in time

Question 8

Political issue

Answer 8

An issue that arises when people disagree about a problem and a public policy choice

Question 9

Policy making institutions

Answer 9

The branches of government charged with taking action on political issues

Question 10

Public policy

Answer 10

A choice that the government makes in response to a political issue

Question 11

Democracy

Answer 11

A system of selecting policymakers and of organizing government so that policy represents and responds to the publics preferences

Question 12

Majority rule

Answer 12

A fundamental principle of traditional democratic theory.

Question 13

Minority rights

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Representation

Answer 14

A basic principle of traditional democratic theory that describes the relationship between the few leaders and the many followers

Question 15

Pluralist theory

Answer 15

A theory of the government and politics emphasizing that politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its own preferred policies

Question 16

Elite and class theory

Answer 16

A theory of government and politics contending that societies are divided along class lines and that and upper-class elite will rule regardless of the formal niceties of governmental organization

Question 17

Hyper pluralism

Answer 17

A theory of government and politics contending that groups are so strong that government is weakened

Question 18

Policy gridlock

Answer 18

A condition that occurs when no coalition is strong enough to form a majority and establish policy

Question 19

Gross domestic product

Answer 19

The sum total of the value of all the goods and service produced in a nation

Question 20

Individualism

Answer 20

The belief that individuals should be left on their own government

Question 21

Politics

Answer 21

The process by which we select our governmental leaders and the policies these leaders pursue.