Chapter 1 Key Terms/Review Questions

What does government do for people?

Government provides stability to society, as well as many crucial services such as free public education, police and fire services, and mail delivery. It also regulates access to common goods, such as public land, for the benefit of all. Government creates a structure whereby people can make their needs and opinions known to public officials.

What is the difference between a representative democracy and a direct democracy?

In a representative democracy, people elect representatives to make political decisions and pass laws for them. In a direct democracy, people make all political decisions and pass laws themselves.

Are all Americans equally able to become engaged in government? What factors make it more possible for some people to become engaged than others? What could be done to change this?

Not all Americans are equally able to become engaged in government. Some factors that make it more possible for some people to become engaged than others is to make it more accessible and easier for those who aren't as educated or wealthy. What could be done to change this would be to have more community outreach for those in more struggling neighborhoods when it comes to political decisions.

What political activities can people engage in other than running for office?

People can pay attention to the news in order to be aware of the most important issues of the day. They can contribute money to a campaign or attend a rally in support of a political candidate whose views they favor. They can write letters to members of Congress and to state and local politicians. They can vote.

What kinds of people are most likely to become active in politics or community service?

People with higher levels of education and income

Which of the following is a good example of a tradeoff?

The government pleases environmental activists by preserving public lands but also pleases ranchers by allowing them to rent public lands for grazing purposes

Which is the more important reason for being engaged: to gain power or improve the quality of life? Why?

The more important reason for being engaged is to improve the quality of life because the job of the government is to care for its citizens and to hear their requests to make their lives better.

Which pathways of engagement in U.S. government do you plan to follow? Why do you prefer these approaches?

The pathways of engagement in US government that I plan to follow are watching the news and reading news articles. I prefer these approaches because they are the simplest ways to stay informed and they just put the facts out there and not the "filler."

Are there any redeeming qualities to elitism and any downsides to pluralism? Are there benefits to having elites rule? Are there problems with allowing interest groups to exercise influence over government? Explain.

The redeeming quality to elitism is that they can't be influenced easily by outside sources. The downside to pluralism is that the people don't have any power to change anything. There are benefits to having elites rule because they can get things done way faster than it would take for a democratic government to process. There are problems with allowing interest groups to exercise influence over government because they just make the whole process longer and it involves more unnecessary debating. It could also lead to problems down the line with constituents who dislike the direction of the government but can't do anything about it because they want to support the government's backers.

Is citizen engagement necessary for a democracy to function? Explain.

Yes because citizens use their right to vote for electives to be their voice in government. Otherwise, the people wouldn't get what they wanted accomplished.

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, holds political power

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

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

majority rule

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

toll good

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

intense preferences

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

latent preferences

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

elite theory

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

pluralist theory

claims political power rests in the hands of groups of people

social capital

connections with others and the willingness to interact and aid them

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

common goods

goods that all people may use but that are of limited supply

According to the pluralist theory of government, ________.

government policy is formed as a result of the competition between groups with different goals and interests

political power

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

When a person is asked a question about a political issue that he or she has little interest in and has not thought much about, that person's answer will likely reflect ________.

latent preferences

In which form of government does a small group of elite people hold political power?

oligarchy

Supporting the actions of the Democratic Party simply because one identifies oneself as a member of that party is an example of ________.

partisanship

minority rights

protections for those who are not part of the majority

What goods are available to all without direct payment?

public goods

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

government

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

politics

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

The elite theory of government maintains that ________.

wealthy, politically powerful people control government, and government has no interest in meeting the needs of ordinary people