Chapter one- American government and civic engagement
Direct democracy
A form of government where people participate directly in making government decisions instead of choosing representatives to do this for them
What is government policy the result of
A series of tradeoffs as groups and elites fight for influence and politicians attempt to balance the demand of competing interests
Ideology
Beliefs and ideas that help to shape political opinion and eventually policy
Intense preferences
Beliefs/ preferences based on strong feeling regarding an issue that someone adheres to over time
Latent preferences
Beliefs/ preferences people are not deeply committed to and that change over time
Pluralist theory
Claims political power rests in hands of groups of people
Elite theory
Claims political power rests in the hands of a small, elite group of people
Social capital
Connections with others and willingness to interact/ aid them
Totalitarianism
Form of government where government is all powerful and citizens have no rights
Monarchy
Form of government where one ruler, hereditary, holds political power
Democracy
Form of government where political power rests in the hands of the people
Representative democracy
Form of government where voters elect reps to make decisions and pass laws on behalf of all the people instead of direct voting
Private goods
From private businesses, only used by people who pay
Majority rule
Fundamental part of democracy, majority makes decisions
Toll good
Good available to many people but is used only by those who can pay the price to do so
Common goods
Goods that all people may use but that are of limited supply
Oligarchy
Handful of elite society members hold political power
Political power
Influence over government institutions, leadership, policies
Why is engagement important
It allows politicians to know how people feel, improves people's lives, helps them build connections with others, individuals can educate themselves about important issues/ events, write to Congress, file a complaint at City Hall, attend political rallies, raise funds for candidate, or protest
Government
Means by which a society organizes itself and allocates authority in order to accomplish collective goals
What makes the US a representative democracy
People can their needs and opinions known to public officials
Politics
Process by which we decide how resources will be allocated and which policies government will pursue
Minority rights
Protections for those who are not part of the majority
Importance of government
Provides stability to a society and many crucial service (i.e. public education, fire/ police services)
The government and common goods
Regulate them for the benefit of all (i.e. public land)
Partisanship
Strong support, or budding allegiance to a certain political party
What does a representative democracy depend on
The ability and willingness of the people to make their voices known
Two theories about who governs
The elite theory, and the pluralist power
What group is people is most likely to be involved in government
Wealthier, older, more highly educated citizens (especially if they have intense preferences)
