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