Chapter 1: American Government and Civic Engagement
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
monarchy
a form of government where one ruler, usually a hereditary one, holds political power
social capital
connections with others and the willingness to interact and aid them
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
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
private goods
goods provided by private businesses that can be used only by those who pay for them
public goods
goods provided by the government that anyone can use and are available to all without charge
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
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 apart of he 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
Which of the following is a good example of a tradeoff?
the government pleases environmental activist by preserving public lands but also pleases ranchers by allowing them to rent public lands for grazing purposes
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 government will pursue
The elite theory of government maintains that
wealthy, politically powerful people control government, and government has no interest in meting the needs of ordinary people
