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Wilson Content 1
AP Government Wilson Textbook Content Chapter 1
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What are the two basic questions to be asked about the American government? | Who governs? To what extent? |
| What are some instances in which the American government has failed and why? (2) | 1. The 9/11 attacks and the passage of homeland security measures. 2. The government's response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita |
| What are some examples of successes by the American government? (4) | 1. Reducing poverty among the elderly 2. Building the interstate highway system 3. Improving public health 4. Rebuilding war-torn Europe |
| How is division a source of "politics"? | People disagree about the two basic questions about government. |
| How are the questions of who governs and to what ends distinct? | Who governs does not necessarily determine to what ends. |
| Why does it matter who governs? | What is done to us and for us may depend on it. |
| Is it easy or difficult to determine who is in charge? | It can be difficult to identify who governs. |
| Why is division important in politics? | Because many people have many opinions about who should govern and how they should do it, but at least some of these opinions must be wrong because they are in conflict. Not every answer in politics can be correct. Division highlights differences. |
| To what ends does the government impact people? | The government affects our lives in many ways. This can be seen in larger, longer perspectives. |
| What are some characteristics of power (or influence)? (2) | 1. Power can be exercised in an obvious or subtle manner. 2. Power can be found in all human relationships |
| How does the text talk about power? | The text focuses on power as exercised by public officials and the government. It also recognizes that, increasingly, matters once considered "private" are now "public" |
| What is authority and why is it important? | Authority is the right to use power. It is important because it can make it easier to exercise power with a claim of right. |
| What is formal authority? | A kind of authority that is given when it is vested in a governmental office |
| What is an example of formal authority? | When the Court subpoenas a witness as opposed to when a petitioner asks one of their friends to come speak on their behalf |
| What is legitimacy and what are some examples of struggles over what constitutes it? | Legitimacy is what makes a law or a constitution a source of right. It is a kind of authority. Some examples of historical struggles over legitimacy include the 2004 election and gay marriage. |
| Where does legitimacy come from? | Our sense of legitimacy is tied to the desire for democratic government |
| What are the two kinds of democracy addressed in the text? | Direct or participatory democracy, which comes from Aristotle's "rule of the many" theory, and representative democracy, which comes from the idea that leaders acquire power via competitive elections |
| Where does direct democracy come from? | Direct democracy started in fourth-century B.C. Greek city-states or polis. They were also the form of government in New England town meetings in the colonies |
| What has happened to direct democracy? | It was largely abandoned as the size of towns increased and issues became more complex |
| What is representative democracy also called? | Representative democracies are sometimes disapprovingly referred to as elitist theory because leaders come to power through competitive elections. |
| What are some justifications for representative democracy? (2) | 1. Direct democracies can be impractical 2. The people are affected by passions and demagogues (political leader who seeks support by appealing to the desires and prejudices of ordinary people rather than by using rational argument) |
| What are requirements of a representative democracy? (4) | 1. Individual parties must be able to run for office 2. Communication must be free 3. Voters must perceive meaningful choices 4. There must be genuine competition for leadership |
| Does the Constitution contain the word "democracy"? | No, the Constitution uses the phrase "republican form of government" not "democracy" |
| Are there still questions regarding representative democracies? | Yes. Important questions (with multiple answers) remain regarding the proper number of offices there should be, how many elected officials there should be (along with whether they are elected or appointed), financing campaigns, etc. |
| How can the virtues (good aspects) of democracy be reclaimed? | Through community control and citizen participation |
| What did the Framers think of direct democracy? | Framers strongly favored representative over direct democracy because they did not think the "will of the people" was synonymous with the "common interest" or the "public good" |
| What did the Framers believe about government? (5) | 1. Government should mediate popular views 2. Citizens would have limited time, info, and interest 3. Demagogues could easily manipulate the masses 4. Preferred a slow-moving government 5. Rep. Dem. minimized chance of power being abused |
| Do people have more time, info, energy, interest, expertise, and ability to gather together for collective decision making than they did when the Constitution was adopted? | Today there is unprecedented access to information about everything. There is five times as much mail as in the mid-1990s and ten times as much e-mail as the mid-1990s |
| What is the impact of today's unprecedented access to information? | Most people (especially young people) still do not consume political news, most Americans are not active in political affairs, few citizens feel close to government or have confidence in leaders |
| What is the variation in representative democracy addressed in the text? | Majoritarian politics and non-majoritarian (or elite) politics |
| What are characteristics of majoritarian politics? | Leaders constrained to follow wishes of the people very closely and applies when issues are simple, clear, and feasible |
| What are characteristics of non-majoritarian (or elite) politics? | Sometimes the opinion of the people is not known or even consulted. The shaping of policy detail probably reflects opinions of more informed and motivated people |
| Why is elite politics problematic? | The number of those who are informed and motivated is small and they are probably not representative of the population as a whole |
| What are the four theories of elite influence? | Marxism, C. Wright Mills, Max Weber, and Pluralist view |
| Marxism | The government is a reflection of underlying economic forces |
| C. Wright Mills | The power elite is composed of corporate leaders, generals, and politicians |
| Max Weber | Bureaucracies based on expertise, specialized competence |
| Pluralist View | Power is widely dispersed and no single elite has a monopoly on it. Policies are the outcome of bargaining, compromise, and shifting alliances |
| Is democracy driven by self interest? | All four theories suggest politics is a self-seeking enterprise, so yes. |
| What explains political change? | Great shifts in the character of government reflect change in elite or mass beliefs about what the government is supposed to do. Politics is about views of the public interest, not just who gets what |
| What are examples of political change based on changes in beliefs about what the government is supposed to do? | There are constant increases and decreases in federal power based on how the public perceives the effects of the change. There are also changes in the public's interest in international affairs. |
| What is the nature of politics? (1-3 of 6) | A. The answer to “Who governs?” is often partial or contingent B. Preferences vary, and so does politics C. Politics cannot be equated with laws on the books |
| What is the nature of politics? (4-6 of 6) | D. Sweeping claims are to be avoided E. Judgments about institutions and interests should be tempered by how they behave on different issues F. The policy process can be an excellent barometer of change in who governs. |
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