American Gov Unit 1 Ch 1

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 ________. ideology partisanship intense preferences latent preferences

latent preferences

monarchy

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

toll good

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

social capital

connections with others and the willingness to interact and aid them

Engagement in a Democracy

Civic and political engagement allows politicians to know how the people feel. It also improves people's lives and helps them to build connections with others. Individuals can educate themselves on important issues and events, write to their senator or representative, file a complaint at city hall, attend a political rally, or vote. People can also work in groups to campaign or raise funds for a candidate, volunteer in the community, or protest a social injustice or an unpopular government policy. Although wealthier, older, more highly educated citizens are the most likely to be engaged with their government, especially if they have intense preferences about an issue, younger, less wealthy people can do much to change their communities and their country.

What is Government?

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. This is one of the key factors that makes the United States a representative democracy. A country where people elect representatives to make political decisions for them depends on the ability and willingness of ordinary people to make their voices known, unlike an oligarchy dominated by only a small group of people.

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.

Who Governs? Elitism, Pluralism, and Tradeoffs

Many question whether politicians are actually interested in the needs of average citizens and debate how much influence ordinary people have over what government does. Those who support the elite theory of government argue that a small, wealthy, powerful elite controls government and makes policy to benefit its members and perpetuate their power. Others favor the pluralist theory, which maintains that groups representing the people's interests do attract the attention of politicians and can influence government policy. In reality, government policy usually is the result of a series of tradeoffs as groups and elites fight with one another for influence and politicians attempt to balance the demands of competing interests, including the interests of the constituents who elected them to office.

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 who become civically engaged

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. The government pleases environmental activists by reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone National Park but angers ranchers by placing their cattle in danger. The government pleases oil companies by allowing them to drill on lands set aside for conservation but allows environmental activist groups to protest the drilling operations. Groups that represent a variety of conflicting interests are all allowed to protest outside Congress and the White House.

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

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

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

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

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 does what the majority of voters want it to do government policy is formed as a result of the competition between groups with different goals and interests ordinary people acting on their own have a significant influence on government wealthy people decide what government policy will be, and politicians have no interest in pleasing anyone else

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

Supporting the actions of the Democratic Party simply because one identifies oneself as a member of that party is an example of ________. partisanship ideology latent preference social capital

partisanship

minority rights

protections for those who are not part of the majority

What does government do for people?

provide such things as education, health care, and an infrastructure for transportation.

What goods are available to all without direct payment? private goods public goods common goods toll goods

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 ________. special interest groups make government policy politicians who have held office for a long time are favored by voters poor people and people of color should not be allowed to vote wealthy, politically powerful people control government, and government has no interest in meeting the needs of ordinary people

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