AP Government Chapter 1
Public policy
A choice that government makes in response to some issue on its agenda
Democracy
A means of selecting policymakers and organizing government so that policy represents and responds to citizen's preferences
Pluralist Theory
Important theory of American democracy, contends that many centers of influence vie for power and control. Generally positive view on the American government
Single-issue groups
Interest groups so concerned with one matter that their members will cast a vote on the basis of that issue only, ignoring a politician's stand on everything else
How and why do people become involved in politics?
People simply vote or even run for office for noble reasons, with a few exceptions
4 key linkage institutions
Political parties, elections, interest groups, the media
Political participation
Running for office or voting. The ways in which people get involved in politics
Policy impacts
The effects that policy has on people and on society's problems
Government
The institutions that make public policy for a society: Congress, the president, courts, federal administrative programs
How does a government's policy agenda change?
Through the changing of leaders and depending of the status of the economy
Political system
a set of institutions and activities that link together government, politics, and public policy
Political issue
Arises when people disagree about a problem or about a public poicy choice made to combat a problem
How do governments change?
By changing leaders
4 major policy making institutions in the US
Congress, the presidency, the courts, the bureaucracy
Politics
Defined by Harold D Lasswell as, "Who gets what, when, and how". Determines whom we select as our leaders and what policies they pursue
Policy agenda
Defined by John Kingdon as, "the lists of subjects or problems to which government officials, and people outside of the government closely associated with those officials, are paying serious attention to at any given time.
Majority rule and minority rights
Despite being democratic and thus following the majority rule, the problems of minority groups must also be addressed
