POSC 100 Exam 1

Question 1

social justice

Answer 1

the just allocation of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society

Question 2

fairness

Answer 2

impartial decision-making; the quality of treating people equally, free from discrimination

Question 3

justice

Answer 3

the fairness of how rewards and punishments are delivered, especially by governments and courts, but also in society

Question 4

political equality

Answer 4

the right to participate in politics equally, based on the principle of “one person, one vote”

Question 5

equality of opportunity

Answer 5

a widely shared American ideal that all people should have the freedom to use whatever talents and wealth they have to reach their fullest potential

Question 6

laissez-faire capitalism

Answer 6

an economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately owned and operated for profit with minimal or no government interference

Question 7

limited government

Answer 7

a principle of constitutional government; a government whose powers are defined and limited by a constitution

Question 8

liberty

Answer 8

freedom from governmental control

Question 9

political culture

Answer 9

broadly shared values, beliefs, and attitudes about how the government should function; American political culture emphasizes the values of liberty, equality, and justice

Question 10

political efficacy

Answer 10

the belief that one can influence government and politics

Question 11

disinformation

Answer 11

false information that is shared intentionally to reach a political goal

Question 12

political knowledge

Answer 12

information about the formal institutions of government, political actors, and political issues

Question 13

citizenship

Answer 13

membership in a political community that confers legal rights and carries participation responsibilities

Question 14

pluralism

Answer 14

the theory that all interests are and should be free to compete for influence in the government; the outcome of this competition is compromise and moderation

Question 15

political power

Answer 15

influence over a government’s leadership, organization, or policies

Question 16

representative democracy (republic)

Answer 16

a system of government in which the populace selects representatives, who play a significant role in governmental decision-making

Question 17

majority rule, minority rights

Answer 17

the democratic principle that a government follows the preferences of the majority of voters but protects the interests of the minority

Question 18

direct democracy

Answer 18

a system of rule that permits citizens to vote directly on laws and policies

Question 19

totalitarian government

Answer 19

a system of rule in which the government recognizes no formal limits on its power and seeks to absorb or eliminate other social institutions that might challenge it

Question 20

authoritarian government

Answer 20

a system of rule in which the government recognizes no formal limits but may nevertheless be restrained by the power of other social institutions

Question 21

constitutional government

Answer 21

a system of rule in which formal and effective limits are placed on the powers of the government

Question 22

democracy

Answer 22

a system of rule that permits citizens to play a signifi_cant part in the governmental process, usually through the election of key public officials

Question 23

popular sovereignty

Answer 23

popular sovereignty

Question 24

oligarchy

Answer 24

a form of government in which a small group—landowners, military officers, or wealthy merchants—controls most of the governing decisions

Question 25

autocracy

Answer 25

a form of government in which a single individual—a king, queen, or dictator—rules

Question 26

politics

Answer 26

conflict over the leadership, structure, and policies of governments

Question 27

government

Answer 27

institutions and procedures through which a territory and its people are ruled