Unit 1 vocab Flashcards
Direct democracy
Government in which citizens vote on laws and select officials
directly
Representative democracy
Government in which the people elect those who govern
and pass laws; also called a republic
Autocracy
Government in which the ruler or rulers wield power with minimal input
from the public.
Participatory democracy
a model of democracy in which citizens have the power to
decide directly on policy and politicians are responsible for implementing those policy
decisions
Elite democracy
a model of democracy in which a small number of people, usually
those who are wealthy and well-educated, influence political decision making
Pluralist democracy
a model of democracy in which no one group dominates politics
and organized groups compete to influence policy
Natural rights
The rights of all people to dignity and worth; the Declaration of
Independence refers to these as “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”
Social contract
A theory of government that individuals trade some liberties in
exchange for the protection of a government
Political culture
The widely shared beliefs, values, and norms about how citizens
relate to governments and to one another
Individualism
Cultural emphasis on the individual to make autonomous decisions for
themselves
American dream
The widespread belief that the United States is a land of opportunity
and that individual initiative and hard work can bring economic success
Civic (Political) Efficacy
A measure of how confident citizens are that they understand
their government; sometimes call Internal Efficacy
Pluralism
A theory of government that holds that open, multiple, and competing
groups can check the asserted power by any one group.
Popular Sovereignty
The idea that a just government must derive its powers from the
consent of the people it governs
Civic (Political) Duty
A belief that citizens have a responsibility to participate in
government
Political ideology
A consistent pattern of beliefs about political values and the role of
government.
Civic (Political) Competence
A measure of how confident citizens are that they can
affect their government; sometimes call External Efficacy
Liberal
A political ideology that favors more government regulation of business and
support for social welfare programs, but less regulation of private social conduct
Conservative
A political ideology that favors more limited government, less
government regulation of markets, and more social conformity to traditional norms and
values
Moderate
A political ideology characterized by a mix of liberal and conservative
beliefs, with a focus on pragmatism and compromise
Libertarian
An ideology that cherishes individual liberty and insists on minimal
government, promoting a free market economy, a noninterventionist foreign policy, and
an absence of regulation in moral, economic, and social life
Political socialization
The process by which we develop our political attitudes, values,
and beliefs
Mass media
Means of communication that are reaching the public, including
newspapers and magazines, radio, television (broadcast, cable, and satellite), films,
recordings, books, and electronic communication
Linkage institutions
The means by which individuals and governments communicate
political information to each other
Watchdog
Function of media to watch the government and make sure that it is serving
the public’s interest and conveys their findings back to the people
Agenda Setting
The process by which the media entities choose which issues to cover
Demographics
The study of the characteristics of populations
Political predisposition
A characteristic of individuals that is predictive of political
behavior
Ethnicity
A social division based on national origin, religion, language, and often race
Gender Gap
The difference between the political opinions or political behavior of men
and of women
