Unit 1 Vocab Flashcards
Direct Democracy
A government where citizens vote on laws and select officials directly
Representative Democracy / Republic
A government where the people elect those who govern and pass laws
Autocracy
A government where the ruler/rulers wield power with little to no public input
Participatory Democracy
A model of democracy where citizens can decide directly on policies and politicians are responsible for implementing those policy decisions
Pluralist Democracy
A model of democracy where no one group dominates politics and organized groups compete to influence policy
Elite Democracy
A model of democracy where a small number of people (traditionally the rich and well-educated) influence political decision-making
Social Contract
A theory of government that individuals trade some liberties in exchange for government protection
Natural Rights
The rights of all people to dignity and worth; the Declaration of Independence refers to these rights as “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”
Political Culture
The widely shared beliefs, values, and norms about how citizens relate to governments and 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
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 fair government should get its power from the approval of the people it rules.
Civic Duty
A belief that citizens have a responsibility to participate in government
Civic Efficacy
A measure of how confident citizens are that they understand their government; sometimes called an Internal Efficacy
Civic Competence
A measure of how confident citizens are that they can affect their government; sometimes called an External Efficacy
Political Ideology
A consistent pattern of beliefs about political values and the role of government
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 to reach the public, including newspapers and magazines, radio, television, films, recordings, books, and electronic communication.
Linkage Institutions
The means by which individuals and governments communicate political information to each other
Watchdog
A function of media to watch the government and make sure that it serves the public’s interest and conveys its 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.
