Chapter 1 Vocab Flashcards
government
the institutions and processes through which public policies are made for a society
public goods
goods such as clean air and clean water that all humans must have
politics
the process by which we select our governmental leaders and what policies these leaders pursue. Politics produces authoritative decisions about public issues.
political participation
all the activities used by citizens to influence the selection of political leaders or the policies they pursue. The most common but not the only, means of political participation in a democracy is voting. Other means include protest and civil disobediance.
single-issue groups
Groups that have narrow interest, tend to dislike compromise, and often draw membership from people new to politics. These features distinguish them from traditional interest groups.
policymaking system
The process in which political problems are communicated by the voters and acted upon by government policymakers. the policymaking system begins with: peoples needs and expectations for governmental action. When people confront government officials with problems that they want solved, they are trying to influence the governments policy agenda.
linkage institutions
The channels or access points through which issues and people’s policy preferences get on the government’s policy agenda. in the US, elections, political parties, interest groups, and mass media are three main linkage institutions.
policy agenda
The issues that attract the serious attention of public officials and other people actually involved in politics at any given time.
political issue
an issue that arises when people disagree about a problem and a public policy choice
policymaking institutions
The branches of government charged with taking action on political issues. The U.S. Constitution established three policymaking institutions - The Congress, the presidency and the courts. Today the power of the bureaucracy is so great that most political scientists consider it a fourth institution.
public policy
a choice that government makes in response to a political issue. A policy is a course of action taken with regard to some problem.
democracy
A system of selecting policymakers and of organizing government so that policy represents and responds to the public’s preference.
majority rule
A fundamental principle of traditional democratic theory. In a democracy, choosing among alternatives requires that the majority’s desire be respected.
minority rights
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.
reresentation
A basic principle of traditional democratic theory that describes the relationship between the few leaders and their many followers.
pluralist theory
A theory of government and politics emphasizing that politics is mainly a competition among groups each one pressing for it’s own preferred policies. Compare elite and class theory, hyperpluralism, and traditional democratic theory.
elite theory
A theory of government and politics contending that societies are divided along class lines and that an upper-class elite will rule, regardless of the formal niceties of governmental organization.
hyperpluralism
a theory of government and politics contending that groups are so strong that government is weakened. Hyperpluralism is an extreme exaggerated or perverted form of pluralism.
policy gridlock
A condition that occurs when no coalition is strong enough to form a majority and establish policy. The result is that nothing may get done.
gross domestic product
The sum total of the value of all the goods and services produced in a nation.
individualism
The belief that individuals should be left on their own by the government. One of the primary reasons for the comparatively small scope of American government is the prominence of this belief in American political thought and practice.
