Introducing Government

Question 1

apathetic

Answer 1

lack of interest in or concern for things that others find interesting or important

Question 2

cynicism

Answer 2

an attitude or state of mind characterized by a general distrust of other’s apparent motives

Question 3

political disengagement

Answer 3

condition of detachment from and lack of participation in public policy discussion and action

Question 4

polls

Answer 4

the locations where voters go to cast their ballots aka “exercise their franchise”

Question 5

government

Answer 5

institutions and processes through which public policies are made for society

Question 6

public goods

Answer 6

schools, highways, safety, medical care, a clean environment that everyone must share

Question 7

policymaking system

Answer 7

process by which comes into being and evolves over time

Question 8

policy agenda

Answer 8

issues that attract the serious attention of public officials and political parties at any given time

Question 9

political issues

Answer 9

condition or event that causes disagreement about a problem in society and how to fix it

Question 10

statute

Answer 10

formal written enactment of the legislative authority of a government, particularly the Congress

Question 11

civic virtue

Answer 11

habits of living that are important for the success of a community: tolerance, hard work, etc.

Question 12

fragmented media

Answer 12

the vastly increased out lets that make divergent information and opinion available

Question 13

innovation

Answer 13

development of new tools, methods, modes of thought for dealing with issues

Question 14

linkage institutions

Answer 14

channels through which concerns become issues on the policy agenda: elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media

Question 15

national defense

Answer 15

the protection of the sovereignty of a state; one of the fundamental roles of government

Question 16

policymaking institutions

Answer 16

the branches of government charged with taking action on political issues

Question 17

political participation

Answer 17

activities used by the citizens to influence the selection of political leaders and policies

Question 18

public policy

Answer 18

choice the government makes in response to a political issue; course of action taken with regard to a problem

Question 19

single-issue groups

Answer 19

organizations that possess a narrow political focus, draw in new political participants, and tend to dislike compromise as a mode of operation

Question 20

sterotype

Answer 20

standardized and simplified conceptions of people based on some prior assumptions

Question 21

democracy

Answer 21

system of government organized to represent and respond to the public policy’s preferences

Question 22

majority rule

Answer 22

fundamental principle of democratic theory that the desires of most society determine public policy

Question 23

minority rights

Answer 23

fundamental principle of liberal democratic theory that the beliefs of small groups in society be protected

Question 24

inclusion

Answer 24

element of traditional democratic theory that citizenship must be open to all subject to the government

Question 25

hyperpluralism

Answer 25

theory of government and politics that groups fight so strongly for their position that government is weakened

Question 26

jurisdiction

Answer 26

the power of an entity to control a policy area, geographic region, or governmental sector

Question 27

freedom

Answer 27

the right to be able to choose a course of action or belief for oneself

Question 28

individualism

Answer 28

the belief that people are responsible for their own success or failure

Question 29

populism

Answer 29

political philosophy of supporting the average people i their struggle against privileged elites

Question 30

polarization

Answer 30

intense political divisions that set groups against one another to the detriment of functioning society

Question 31

divided government

Answer 31

condition in which rival parties control political branches

Question 32

egalitarianism

Answer 32

fundamental American ideal that all share access to opportunity, politics, and legal protection

Question 33

elite theory

Answer 33

theory of government stating that societies are divided along class lines and the top class rules

Question 34

gross domestic product (GDP)

Answer 34

total value of all goods and services produced in a nation

Question 35

laissez-faire

Answer 35

philosophy stating a preference for freedom in making economic decisions

Question 36

pluralist theory

Answer 36

theory of government stating that politics is mainly a competition among groups

Question 37

policy gridlock

Answer 37

condition in which no coalition is strong enough to from a majority and implement plans

Question 38

political culture

Answer 38

overall set of values regarding nature of government widely shared within a society

Question 39

representation

Answer 39

basic principle of traditional democratic theory describing the relationship between the few leaders and the many followers

Question 40

sovereignty

Answer 40

the possession of the supreme power withing an area of responsibility