AP Government Chapter 1

Public policy

A choice that government makes in response to some issue on its agenda

Democracy

A means of selecting policymakers and organizing government so that policy represents and responds to citizen's preferences

Pluralist Theory

Important theory of American democracy, contends that many centers of influence vie for power and control. Generally positive view on the American government

Single-issue groups

Interest groups so concerned with one matter that their members will cast a vote on the basis of that issue only, ignoring a politician's stand on everything else

How and why do people become involved in politics?

People simply vote or even run for office for noble reasons, with a few exceptions

4 key linkage institutions

Political parties, elections, interest groups, the media

Political participation

Running for office or voting. The ways in which people get involved in politics

Policy impacts

The effects that policy has on people and on society's problems

Government

The institutions that make public policy for a society: Congress, the president, courts, federal administrative programs

How does a government's policy agenda change?

Through the changing of leaders and depending of the status of the economy

Political system

a set of institutions and activities that link together government, politics, and public policy

Political issue

Arises when people disagree about a problem or about a public poicy choice made to combat a problem

How do governments change?

By changing leaders

4 major policy making institutions in the US

Congress, the presidency, the courts, the bureaucracy

Politics

Defined by Harold D Lasswell as, "Who gets what, when, and how". Determines whom we select as our leaders and what policies they pursue

Policy agenda

Defined by John Kingdon as, "the lists of subjects or problems to which government officials, and people outside of the government closely associated with those officials, are paying serious attention to at any given time.

Majority rule and minority rights

Despite being democratic and thus following the majority rule, the problems of minority groups must also be addressed