Chapter 1: American Government and Civic Engagement

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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


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