Chapter 1: Understanding American Politics

Question 1

Groups of like-minded people who try to influence the government. American government is set up to avoid domination by any one of these groups

Answer 1

Factions

Question 2

The division of government power across the judicial, executive, and legislative branches.

Answer 2

Separation of powers

Question 3

A system in which each branch of government has some power over the others

Answer 3

Checks and balances

Question 4

Services or actions (such as protecting the environment) that, once provided to one person, become available to everyone. Government is typically needed to provide public goods because they will be under-produced by the free market

Answer 4

Public goods

Question 5

Situations in which the members of a group would benefit by working together to produce some outcome, but each individual is better off refusing to cooperate and reaping the benefits from those who do the work

Answer 5

Collective action problems

Question 6

Benefits created by a public good that are shared by the primary consumer of the good and by society more generally.

Answer 6

Positive externalities

Question 7

The incentive to benefit from others’ work without making a contribution, which leads individuals in a collective action situation to refuse to work together

Answer 7

Free rider problem

Question 8

The System for implementing decisions made through the political process.

Answer 8

Government

Question 9

The process that determines what government does

Answer 9

Politics

Question 10

An economic system based on competition among businesses without government interference

Answer 10

Free market

Question 11

The autonomy of individuals to manage their own financial decisions without government interference

Answer 11

Economic individualism

Question 12

Policies, generally favored by democratic politicians, that use taxation to attempt to create greater social equality (I.e. Higher taxation of the rich to provide programs for the poor).

Answer 12

Redistributive tax policies

Question 13

Political conflict in the United States between “red-state” Americans, who tend to have strong religious beliefs, and “blue-state” Americans, who tend to be more secular

Answer 13

Culture wars

Question 14

The idea that as different racial and ethnic groups come to America, they should assimilate into American culture, leaving their native languages, customs, and traditions behind.

Answer 14

Melting pot

Question 15

A cohesive set of ideas and beliefs used to organize and evaluate the political world

Answer 15

Ideology

Question 16

One side of the ideological spectrum defined by support for lower taxes, a free market, and a more limited government; generally associated with Republicans

Answer 16

Conservative

Question 17

One side of the ideological spectrum defined by support for stronger government programs and more market regulation, generally associated with Democrats.

Answer 17

Liberal

Question 18

Those who prefer very limited government and therefore tend to be conservative on issues such as welfare policy, environmental policy, and public support for education, but liberal on issues of personal liberty such as free speech, abortion, and the legalization of drugs

Answer 18

Libertarians