Chapter One
limited participation in government
citizens do not take full advantage of participation opportunities, as demonstrated by poor voter turnout
effective participation
citizens must have equal opportunities to express their political views by such means as voting or joining political groups such as political parties
The United States operates under a system of
constitutional democracy
five characteristics needed in order to make a political system democratic, according to traditional democratic theory
-equality in voting -effective participation -enlightened understanding -citizen control of the agenda -inclusion
elitism
-government favors only a narrow percentage of the public, primarily the wealthy. wealth is the main cause of political influence -many political groups may exist, but the distribution of government resources among them is not necessarily equal. the more wealth and influence a group has, the more it benefits from the government -groups do not have equal access to policymaking or equal power; big business plays a prominent role in politics because corporations that have money also have power -businesses have tremendous advantages in their ability to organize, both through the concentration of their interests and through the interlocking relationships among the people who run business and the government, and therefore out-compete other groups
challenges to democracy
-increased complexity of issues limited participation in government -escalating campaign costs -diverse political interests
they key functions of government are:
-maintain a national defense -provide public goods and services -preserve order -socialize the young -collect taxes
pluralism
-the political system is composed of groups representing competing interests -the existence of such groups indicates that the government allows sufficient access to policymaking -the interests of the public may be more widely represented in government -power is decentralized so that no one body or group has too much influence over policymaking
hyperpluralism
-the proliferation of political groups has weakened the government -policies are often made by "subgovernments" or "iron triangles" composed of interest groups, the bureaucracies that regulate these groups, and the congressional committees that oversee these bureaucracies -with so many interests vying for political influence and so many points of access in government, power is decentralized, and, ultimately, politics become muddled and therefore less efective
All of the following are examples of public policy EXCEPT a. The president issues an executive order requiring corporations doing business with the government to have affirmative action hiring plans. b. Congress writes a law requiring lobbyists to disclose which interest groups employ them. c. The Supreme Court upholds the death penalty for a murder conviction. d. The American Association of Retired Persons passes a rule giving access to their insurance policies only to dues-paying members.
The American Association of Retired Persons passes a rule giving access to their insurance policies only to dues-paying members.
Which of the following best illustrates elite theory? a. The idea that large interest groups such as AARP dominate government decision-making. b. The idea that a small group of wealthy individuals dominate government policy-making. c. The idea that contending interests are so strong within the United States that government is often weakened. d. The fact that more than 20,000 special interest groups lobby Congress each year.
The idea that a small group of wealthy individuals dominate government policy-making.
Which of the following statements provides the most accurate description of democracy as practiced in the United States? a. The will of the majority always prevails. b. The will of the people is checked by nothing. c. The people govern through elected officials. d. The people govern through mandates.
The people govern through elected officials.
representation
a basic principle of traditional democratic theory that describes the relationship between the few leaders and the many followers
public policy
a choice that government makes in response to a political issue
maintain a national defense
a government typically maintains armed forces to protect its sovereignty
American democracy is held together by:
a unifying political culture, a common set of political values that are widely shared in the nation, which includes liberty, egalitarianism, individualism, belief in a free market, laissez faire economics, and populism
inclusion
all people subject to the laws of a nation must have the opportunity to become citizens and to possess all the rights of citizenship
freedom of speech and of petition
allows the minority to express its opinions despite majority rule
escalating campaign costs
an increase in the costs of running for office makes candidates increasingly dependent on PACs and further removed from democratic theory
Increased complexity of issues
an increase in the knowledge base makes it difficult for average citizens to make informed decisions
All of the following can create public policies EXCEPT a. Congress. b, the president. c. an interest group. d. the courts.
an interest group.
political issue
an issue that arises when people disagree about a problem and how to fix it
Members of single interest groups
are reluctant, usually, to compromise on the issue that defines their narrowly defined goal.
majority rule
decisions are made by a vote of the majority to reflect the will of the largest percentage of citizens
diverse political interests
diversity of population can lead to weak coalitions, which may result in policy gridlock
policymaking institutions
established by the Constitution and are the branches of government charged with taking action on political issues. These institutions are Congress, the presidency, and the courts
collective goods
goods and services which cannot be denied to anyone
All of the following are characteristic beliefs associated with American political culture EXCEPT a. liberty. b. equality of opportunity. c. individualism. d. government regulation of the economy.
government regulation of the economy.
single issue groups
include members who are uncompromisingly committed to a particular issue
Politics
is a process that determines the leaders selected and the policies they choose.
Government
is the procedures and institutions by which a people govern and rule themselves.
Which of the following is an output of the American political system? a. the judiciary appointment process b, a general election c. law passed by Congress and presidential decision in foreign policy d. a primary election
law passed by Congress and presidential decision in foreign policy
All of the following are considered inputs into the American political system EXCEPT a. the actives of interest groups. b. the activities of political parties. c. laws passed by Congress. d. voting in elections.
laws passed by Congress.
Democratic theory includes which of the following? a. "one person, one vote" b. freedom of religion c. majority rule d. a bicameral Congress
majority rule
Three Contemporary Theories of American Democracy
pluralism, elitism, hyperpluralism
through these linkage institutions, concerns reach the _________ from which the policymaking institutions select issues to be addressed.
policy agenda
The characteristics and beliefs of a particular people about government and politics is known as
political culture.
Basic functions common to all national governments include all of the following EXCEPT a. collecting taxes. b. maintaining a national defense. c. providing universal health care. d. preserving order.
providing universal health care.
preserve order
the government is responsible for maintaining public order, sometimes using extreme measures, if needed
One effect of the American political system's use of checks and balances is
severe fragmentation of the governing authority.
All of the following are core political ideas in the United States EXCEPT a. liberty. b. individualism. c. socialism. d. self-government.
socialism.
minority rights
the American political system protects some rights of the minority against the majority
Which characteristic of American politics is concerned with the rights of the minority?
the Bill of Rights guarantee of civil liberties
political participation
the activities in which citizens engage in order to influence that selection, which may take the form of voting, running for office, or getting involved in political action groups
policy impacts
the effects a policy has on people and problems
socialize the young
the government pays for public education as a means of instilling knowledge and pride in the nation's young
provide public goods and services
the government provides collective goods, as well as other goods and services which may be provided by both the government and the private sector, such as college and medical care
collect taxes
the government uses tax money to fund the public goods and services it provides
citizen control of the agenda
the issues taken up by the government should reflect those issues that are of concern to the people
linkage institutions
the political processes and channels through which the concerns of the people are translated into public policy, such as political parties, elections, interest groups and the media
politics
the process by which government leaders and policies are selected
policymaking system
the process by which the people shape public policy
equality in voting
the public has the right to vote for government representatives, and the principle of one person, one vote is generally respected
All of the following statements about majoritarianism in the United States are true EXCEPT a. policy makers often ignore the opinion of the majority when making policy decisions. b. the majority of the public supports general statements about civil liberties but are less likely to support specific applications. c. public policy tends to change with the changes in majority opinion on major issues. d. the public is interested in and well-informed on all policy issues.
the public is interested in and well-informed on all policy issues.
enlightened understanding
the public should be informed about various political and social issues to formulate judgments and make informed decisions
gross domestic product
the total value of goods and service produced annually by the United States