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Tx Gov Unit 1
Intro to Politics and Government
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Politics | the process by which it is decided who gets what when they get it where they get it how they get it |
Politics is an intrinsic part of | government |
The importance and conflict of government | Importance: allows citizens to get stuff from their government Conflict: conflict of interest between citizens, who want benefits and needs met, and politicians in government, who want to stay in power |
Government | an organization that possesses legitimate means of coercion |
Organization | an institutional structure to carry out functions i.e. bureaucracy- everybody has pre-defined roles |
Reasons that we need government | Establish Justice Ensure domestic Tranquility Protect individual liberty, rights and welfare Protect Religious Faith/Freedom Provide public goods Provide goods that markets do not |
A properly functioning government has | support from the people whether they agree or disagree with those policies and the capacity to enforce its actions and accomplish its ends |
The state of nature | Pre-government era where people were not held under rule and could mostly do as they pleased |
social contract | transactional arrangement between the members of society and government in which citizens give up some rights in exchange of protection; the consent to be ruled |
Importance of the social contract | shows that citizens accept their government |
Monarchy | rule by a single person based on divine right; has a clear succession line, but not everyone may be part of it. |
Dictatorship | rule by a single person based on force; efficient decision making but ignores human rights. |
Oligarchy | rule by a small collective; only the few in government benefit in these countries |
Anarchy | lack of government; promotes change but it is chaotic and dangerous |
Democracy | rule by the majority; allows citizens in the majority (of allowed voters) to have a say in it |
Types of Democracy | Direct Indirect (Republic/Representative) |
Direct Democracy | Political system in which most citizens make policy, as in a town meeting; can complicate decision-making |
Indirect Democracy/Representative Democracy/Republic | political system in which policy is made by officials elected by the people; makes for easier decision-making but those in the minority may be ignored |
Irl ex of Monarchy | Saudi Arabia |
Irl ex of Dictatorship | Cuba & Belarus |
Irl ex of Oligarchy | Russia |
Irl ex of Anarchy | Haiti |
Irl ex of Direct democracy | Switzerland |
Irl ex of indirect democracy | USA |