Chapter 1: The Study of American Government

Question 1

Issue

Answer 1

A conflict, real or aparent, between the interests, ideas, or beliefs of different citizens.

Question 2

Politics

Answer 2

The activity by which an issue is agitated or settled.

Question 3

Power

Answer 3

The ability of one person to get another person to act in accordance with the first person’s intentions.

Question 4

Authority

Answer 4

The right to use power

Question 5

Legitimacy

Answer 5

Political authority conferred by law or by a state or national constitutions.

Question 6

Democracy

Answer 6

The rule of the many

Question 7

Direct or Participatory Democracy

Answer 7

A government in which all or most citizens parcipate directly.

Question 8

Representative Democracy

Answer 8

A government in which leaders make decisions by winning a competitive struggle for the popular vote.

Question 9

Elite

Answer 9

Person who possess a disproportionate share of some valued resource, such as money, prestige, or expertise.

Question 10

Class View

Answer 10

View that the government is dominated by capitalists.

Question 11

Power Elite View

Answer 11

View that the government is dominated by a few top leaders, most of whom are outside of government.

Question 12

Beurocratic View

Answer 12

View that the government is dominated by appointed officials.

Question 13

Pluralist View

Answer 13

View that competition among all affected interests shapes public policy.

Question 14

Credal Passion View

Answer 14

View that morally impassioned elites drive important political changes.

Question 15

Political Agenda

Answer 15

Issues that people believe require governmental action.

Question 16

Cost

Answer 16

A burden that people believe they must bear if a policy is adopted.

Question 17

Benefit

Answer 17

A satisfaction that people believe they will enjoy if policy is adopted.

Question 18

Majoritarian Politics

Answer 18

A policy in which almost everybody benefits and almost everybody pays.

Question 19

Interest Group Politics

Answer 19

A policy in which one small group benefits and another small group pays.

Question 20

Client Politics

Answer 20

A policy in which one small group benefits and almost everybody pays.

Question 21

Pork-barrel Legislation

Answer 21

Legislation that gives tangible benefits to constituents in several districts or states in the hope of winning their votes in return.

Question 22

Log-rolling

Answer 22

A legislator supports a proposal favored by another in return for support of his or hers.

Question 23

Entreprenurial Politics

Answer 23

A policy in which almost everybody benefits and a small group pays.

Question 24

Policy Entrepreneurs

Answer 24

Activists in or out of government who pull together a political majority on behalf of unorganized interests.

Question 25

What does power involve and how is it different from authority?

Answer 25

Power is the ability of a person to get another to do what they want, Authority refers to the right to use power, and Power may be obvious, or subtle

Question 26

According to Aristotle’s rule of the many, democracy is when

Answer 26

all or most citizens participate directly, holding office or making policy

Question 27

The pluralist view of power focuses on

Answer 27

no single group dominating the political process

Question 28

A modern example of direct democracy would be citizens

Answer 28

voting on referendum issues.

Question 29

In a referendum, citizens express their opinions about issues by means of

Answer 29

the ballot

Question 30

A burden that people believe they must bear if a policy is adopted is called a(n)​

Answer 30

cost

Question 31

“Formal authority” refers to a right to exercise power that is derived from a(n)

Answer 31

governmental office

Question 32

Variants of direct democracy include programs of citizen participation and

Answer 32

community control

Question 33

Which statement best reflects the views of the Framers of the Constitution?

Answer 33

The will of the people was not synonymous with the public good.

Question 34

Who argued that American democracy is dominated by a small “power elite”?

Answer 34

C. Wright Mills

Question 35

When the cost and benefits of a policy are narrowly concentrated, they are

Answer 35

limited to a relatively small number of citizens.

Question 36

Making appeals to large segments of voters in hopes of finding a majority is:

Answer 36

majoritarian politics

Question 37

Pork-barrel legislation is an example of which type of politics?

Answer 37

client