CH. 1 - American Government and Civic Engagement

social capital

connections with others and the willingness to interact and iad them

political power

influence over a government's institutions, leadership, or policies

toll good

a good that is available to many people but is used only by those who can pay the price to do so.

Examples of Common Goods:

-Fish in the ocean -Fresh water

Examples of Private Goods:

-Most things that can be purchased in a store. -Food -Clothing -Ice Cream Cone -Cell Phone -Auto mobiles

Examples of Toll Goods:

-Private Schools -Cable TV -Private Parks

Examples of Public Goods:

-defense -public fireworks -lighthouses -clean air -Public schools

Direct Democracy

A form of government where people participate directly in making government decisions instead of choosing representatives to do this for them.

Democracy

A form of government where political power rests in the hands of the people.

Majority rule

A fundamental principle of democracy; the majority should have the power to make decisions binding upon the whole.

Elite Theory

Claims political power rests in the hands of a small, elite group of people

Common Goods

Goods that all people may use but that are of limited Supply

excludability

Not everyone has access to these goods. Some will be excluded from having them.

rivalrous

Only one person can use the good at one time.

Intense Preferences

The beliefs and preferences based on strong feelings regarding an issue that someone adheres to over time.

Government

The means by which a society organizes itself and allocates authority in order to accomplish collective goals.

oligarchy

a form of government where a handful of elite society members hold political power.

totalitarianism

a form of government where government is all-powerful and citizens have no rights.

monarchy

a form of government where one ruler, usually a hereditary one, hold political power.

representative democracy

a form of government where voters elect representatives to make decisions and pass laws on behalf of all the people instead of allowing people to vote directly on laws.

latent preferences

beliefs and preferences people are not deeply committed to and that change over time

pluralist theory

claims political power rests in the hands of groups of people

public goods

goods provided by government that anyone can use and that are available to all without charge.

private goods

goods provided by private businesses that can be used only by those who pay for them.

Minority rights

protections for those who are not part of the majority.

partisanship

strong support, or even blind allegiance, for a particular political party.

Ideology

the beliefs and ideals that help to shape political opinion and eventually policy

politics

the process by which we decide how resources will be allocated and which policies government will pursue.