POS 100 chapt2

The ancient Greeks classified governments as autocracies, oligarchies, or democracies based on a. the fundamental purposes for which the government was instituted

. the number of citizens involved in governing

_________ theorists have a narrower view of the scope of social and economic rights that should be guaranteed by a democratic government than _________ theorists.

Conservative, liberal

__________ allows a person to acquire information and documents online and also provides a medium to register opinions and complaints to government officials.

E-government

The online communication channels that allow citizens to register opinions and complaints to government officials is called

E-government.

The concept of democracy was initially defined centuries ago in ancient

Greece

What rules govern the use of referenda at the federal level?

No provisions exist for the use of referenda at the federal level

_________ theory implies that a group should determine what the majority of its participants want to d

Procedural

_____ addresses the questions "Who should participate in decision making? and How many votes are needed to reach a decision?"

Procedural democratic theory

According to the text, in the past few years, there has been ________ in the number of democracies around the world

a slight decline

Studies of the congressional agenda of the United States demonstrate that it is characterized by an emphasis on

business-related legislation

Whether a political system is "democratic" is chiefly defined by which of the following?

cannot be simply defined as it is not a "yes or no" question

In a system of participatory democracy

citizens govern themselves, without electing representatives

The basic standard of substantive democracy is that government must guarantee

civil rights and liberties.

The Greek word demos, which is the root of the term democracy, means

common people

The text suggests that the United States struggled to promote democracy in countries that

could not accept high degree of tolerance and freedom allowed to all groups in society.

A politician who appeals to and often deceives the masses by manipulating their emotions and prejudices is a(n)

demagogue

Deciding on the legality of marijuana through ballot propositions is an example of

direct democracy

The text suggests that there are _________ forces that may be pushing authoritarian governments toward democratizatio

economic

Suppose that top government jobs for both political parties are filled only from an inner circle of top corporate leaders. This would be evidence for

elite theory

The idea that the most important government decisions are made by an identifiable and stable minority that shares certain characteristics -- particularly wealth and business connections -- is called

elite theory

. A sign that pluralist democracy might NOT be working well in the United States is the

fact that the best represented sectors in Washington are business and professional groups

. The main disadvantage of the pluralist model is that it

favors groups who need help the least

The principle of responsiveness requires that legislators

follow the general contours of public opinion

The procedural view of democracy is most concerned with

how government decisions are made

A citizen's group gathers enough signatures on a petition to force a popular vote on a statewide lottery proposal. This proposal would represent a(n)

initiative

When citizens circulate petitions to gather a certain minimum number of signatures to put a policy question on the ballot, it is called a(n)

initiative

Any organization of individuals formed on the basis of common interest to influence public policy is called a(n)

interest group

Although they are instruments of majoritarian democracy, initiatives are often sponsored by

interest groups

One of the weaknesses of the procedural model of democracy is that

it permits policies that violate standards of substantive democracy

Studies on decision making concerning public policy issues suggest that much of the elite's power comes from the ability of elites to

keep issues off the political agenda

In 2014, voters in Switzerland approved an initiative to

limit immigration

A popular election is the primary mechanism for democratic government in which model?

majoritarian model

Cohesive political parties with well-defined programs contribute to the

majoritarian model of democracy

Established procedures and organizations that translate public opinion into government policy, like elections, are known as institutional

mechanisms

All of the following are principles of procedural democracy except

minority rights.

An important problem with the procedural view of democracy is that it can clash with

minority rights.

In most democracies other than the United States, there is __________ support for the view that jobs and incomes for the unemployed are a right.

much more

A form of government that puts power in the hands of an elite is a(n)

oligarchy

An autocracy is a political system ruled by

one individual

New England town meetings are an example of

participatory democracy

Portland's incorporation of neighborhood associations into its municipal government is an example of

participatory democracy

While majority rule is defined as decision making by 50 percent plus one person, _________ is defined as decision making by most participants.

plurality rule

A country abiding by the principle "one person, one vote" is practicing

political equality

The Greek word kratos, one of the roots of the word democracy, means

power

According to the ____________ view of democracy, anti-gay marriage laws are democratic.

procedural

Democratization is the

process of transition as a country attempts to move from an authoritarian form of government to a democratic one

Participatory democracy today is

rare in the United States and in other democracies.

Twenty-four states allow for _____ which is a policy question that the state legislature places on the ballot and allows citizens to vote on it.

referenda

An election on a public policy issue is called a(n)

referenda.

In 2015 the government of Ireland held a(an) __________, in which voters legalized gay marriage

referendum

One primary challenge to democratization in Iraq after the overthrow of dictator Saddam Hussein is the

religious conflict between Sunni and Shiite branches of Islam

Most democracies give power to

representatives

Agreement among substantive theorists breaks down when the discussion moves from civil rights to

social rights and economic rights

Freedom of religion or freedom of speech are _________ principles

substantive

The ____________ view of democracy is likely to see anti-gay marriage laws as undemocratic.

substantive

The anti-gay marriage laws and amendments passed in many states in recent years were overturned in by the Supreme Court in 2015. In other words,

substantive democratic theory outweighed procedural democratic theory.

The Bill of Rights is at the core of our

substantive theories of democracy

Compared with majoritarian thought, the pluralist model of democracy shifts the focus of democratic decision making from __________ to _________.

the mass electorate; organized groups

In America, when the wealthy and the rest of the population have differing policy goals

the preference of the wealthy will most often prevail

According to the text, it is difficult for a country with a market economy to remain _________ in its internal politics

undemocratic

The concept that everyone in a democracy should participate in governmental decision making is

universal participation

The idea that all adults within the boundaries of a political community should be allowed to vote is known as

universal participation

According to procedural theory, the government should do

whatever the majority wants.

Although public opinion does not fluctuate erratically, change can occur

when different generations with different experiences enter the electorate.