American Government and Civic Engagement – Chapter 1

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering foundational concepts from Chapter 1: American Government and Civic Engagement.

Government

The system by which a society organizes itself and allocates authority to achieve collective goals and protect citizens’ well-being.

Democracy

A form of government in which political power rests in the hands of the people, emphasizing individualism and freedom of choice.

John Locke

Seventeenth-century English philosopher who argued that people possess natural rights and should govern themselves through elected representatives.

Natural Rights

According to John Locke, the inherent rights to life, liberty, and property that government must protect.

Private Goods

Products provided by private businesses that can be used only by those who pay for them, such as food, clothing, or housing.

Public Goods

Goods supplied by government that are available to all without charge, for example public education, national security, or fire protection.

Toll Goods

Goods or services that many people can access but only those who pay may use—e.g., cable TV, private schools, or toll roads.

Common Goods

Resources that all people may use free of charge but are of limited supply, like fish in the ocean or fresh water.

Excludable Goods

Goods from which some people can be prevented from using, often because payment is required.

Non-excludable Goods

Goods to which everyone has access and no one can be denied, usually provided without charge.

Rivalrous Goods

Goods that only one person can consume at a time, so another person’s use diminishes availability.

Non-rivalrous Goods

Goods whose use by one person does not reduce availability for others; many can use them simultaneously.

Direct Democracy

A system in which citizens participate directly in decision-making, as practiced in ancient Athens.

Representative Democracy

A system where voters elect representatives to make laws and policy decisions on their behalf.

Majority Rule

Democratic principle stating that the preferences of more than half of those voting should guide governmental decisions.

Minority Rights

Protections ensuring that those not in the majority retain fundamental liberties and cannot be overruled by majority vote.

Elite Theory

The view that a small group of wealthy or well-connected individuals actually controls U.S. government and policy.

Pluralist Theory

The idea that political power is distributed among competing interest groups, allowing many voices to influence government.

Civic Engagement

Citizen participation that connects individuals to government, from voting to protesting to contacting officials.

Partisanship

The tendency to identify with and strongly support a particular political party, sometimes regardless of other considerations.

Individualism

A belief in the importance of individual freedom and choice, often associated with democratic governance.

Collective Goals

Shared objectives—such as economic prosperity or public safety—that government pursues on behalf of society.