Politics & Govt. Failure

Question 1

Democracy

Answer 1

Citizen participation in the political system. Leaders normally elected.

Question 2

Republic

Answer 2

Government is subject to the people and leaders can be recalled. Often democratic but can also be with monarchy (crowned republic)

Question 3

Monarchy

Answer 3

The monarch is the head of state. Can be constitutional or absolute. (England)

Question 4

Communism

Answer 4

In a Communist system, individual people do not own land, factories, or machinery. Instead, the government or the whole community owns these things. Everyone is supposed to share the wealth that they create.

Question 5

Despotism

Answer 5

Rule by an individual (autocracy or dictatorship) or a group of individuals.

Question 6

Normative analysis

Answer 6

Describes what should be implemented as policy, based on our theories of economics and fairness. (however individual interests can outweigh normative justifications)

Question 7

What happens to the government acts in a way contrary to what normative analysis prescribes

Answer 7

Government failure

Question 8

A healthy democracy requires…

Answer 8

An educated electorate to understand political, economic and social issues
A free press
An independent judiciary to ensure politicians are held accountable

Question 9

What are the 3 set of rights Liberal democracy rests on?

Answer 9

Property rights to protect owners and investors from expropriation
Political rights to ensure that groups that win electoral contests can assume power and choose policies
Civil rights to guarantee equal treatment before the law and equal access to public services such as education

Question 10

What are the two forms of democratic decision-making?

Answer 10

Direct (pure) democracy and Representative democracy

Question 11

Direct (pure) Democracy

Answer 11

Citizens vote directly on specific issues, policies, or laws without intermediaries or representatives.

Question 12

Representative Democracy

Answer 12

Citizens elect delegates (representatives) who then make decisions or vote on their behalf.

Question 13

Isn’t a direct democracy be superior to a representative democracy?

Answer 13

not necessarily bc:
Expense: everyone incurs costs to vote on every issue
Expertise/specialization: voters may lack expertise to judge some issues
Aggregate preference problems: voting does an
the imperfect job of revealing aggregate preferences because it does not account for differences in the intensity of individual preferences