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AP Gov.Po. Chapter 1
Chapter One Terms
Question | Answer |
---|---|
Single Issue Groups | Groups so concerned with one matter that their members cast their votes on the basis of that issue only. |
Democracy | A system of selecting policymakers and of organizing government so that policy represents and responds to the public's preferences. |
Government | The institutions and processes through with public polices are made for a society. |
Pubic goods | Goods, such as clean air and clean water, that everyone must share. |
Politics | The process by which we select our governmental leaders and what policies these leaders pursue. Politcs porduces authoritative decisions about public issues. |
Political Participation | All the activities used by citiens to influence the selection of political leaders or the policies they pursue. Voting is the most common but not the only means of political participation in a democracy. Other means inclue protest and civil disobedience. |
Policymaking System | The process by which policy comes into being & evolves over time Peoples interests problems & concerns create political issues 4 government policymakers These issues shape policy which in turn impacts people generating more interests problems & concerns |
Linkage Institutions | The political channels through whih people's concerns become political issues on the policy agenda. In the United States, linkage institutions include elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media. |
Policy Agenda | The issues that attract the serious attention of public officials and other people actually involved in politics at any given time. |
Political Issue | An issue that arises when people disagree about a problem and how to fix it. |
Policymaking Institutions | brances of gov. charged w/ taking action on politicalissues The USC establish 3 policymakinginstitution theCongress thepresident & thecourt 2day power of thebureaucracy is so great that most political scientists consider it a 4 policymakinginstitution |
Public Policy | A choice that government makes in response to a political issue. A policy is a course of action taken with regard to some problem. |
Majority Rule | A fundamental principle of traditional democratic theory. In a democracy, choosing among alternatives requires that the majority's desire be respected. |
Minority Rights | A principle of traditional democratic theory that guarentees rights to those who do not belong to majorities and allows that they might join majorities through persuasion and reasoned argument. |
Representation | A basic principle of traditional democratic theory that describes the relationship between the few leaders and the many follwers. |
Pluralist Theory | A theory of government and politics emphasizing that politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its own preferred policies. |
Elite and Class Theory | A theory of government and politics contending that societies are divided along class lines and that an upper-class elite will rule, regardless of the formal niceties of governmental organization |
Hyperpluralism | A theory of government and politics contending that groups are so strong that government is weakened. Hyperpluralism is an extreme, exaggerated, or perverted form of pluralism. |
Policy Gridlock | A condition that occurs when no coalition is strong enough to form a majority and establish policy. The result is that nothing may get done. |
Gross Domestic Product | The sum total of the value of all the goods and services produced in a nation. |
Individualism | The belief that individuals should be left on their own by the government. One of the primary reasons for the comparatively small scope of American government is the prominence of this belief in American political throught and practice. |