Unit 1 - Textbook Flashcards
Government
the means by which a society organizes itself and how it allocates authority in order to accomplish collective goals and provide benefits that the society as a whole needs
Politics
the process of gaining and exercising control within a government for the purpose of setting and achieving particular goals, especially those relating to the division of resources within a nation
John Locke
natural rights to life, liberty, and property
Adam Smith
free to acquire property
Socialism
factories, large farms, and banks are owned by the government
Private goods
people purchase what they need in the quantity they need it
flawed because not everyone has money
Public goods
the market can’t provide verytging so some goods are providded by the government
ex: education
Toll goods
avaliable to many and many could use them but only if they pay
ex: private school
Common goods
all people may use for free but are of limited supply
ex: clean drinking water
Egalitarianism
calls for equal treatment for all and the destruction of socioeconomic inequalities
Democracy
governement which political power rests in the hands of the people
Direct democracy
people directly particiapate in making government decisions
Monarchy
one ruler holds political power
Totalitarianism
government is more important than citizens and controls all aspects of citizens lives
The Elite Theory
Elitism
a set of elite citizens is really controlling the government in the U.S. and others hvae little to no influence
Oligarchy
Governemnt where a handful of elites hold political power
Pluralist Theory
Pluralism
political power rests with competeing interest groups who share influence in governement
Social Capital
the collective value of all “social networks” and the inclinations that arrive from these networks to do things for each other
Partianship
the tendency to identify with and to support (blindly) a particular political party
Latent preferences
preferences not deeply held and do not remain the same over time
Intense preferences
preferences ased on strong feelings regarding an issue that someone adheres to over time
Magna Carta
a promsie to King John’s subjects that e and future monarchs would refarin from certain actions that harmed or had the potential to harm the people of England
(1215)
Social Contract
people sacrifice a small portion of their freedom and consent to be ruled in exchange for the government’s protection of their lives, liberty, and property
Stamp Act
recquired almost all paper goods to have revenue stamps placed on them
Townshed Acts
imposed taxes on everyday objects
Articles of Confederation
the basis of the new nations governement
Republic
the people hold power and elct representatives to govern according to the rule of law
Confederation
an entity in which independent, self-governing states form a union for the purpose of acting together in issues
ex: defense
Constitutional Convention
meeting where 55 delegates came together to write the new U.S Constitution
