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.