AP Gov Chapter 1

Politics

Politics

the process by which we decide how resources will be allocated and which policies government will pursue

John Locke

An English philosopher who believed there are natural rights such as life, liberty, and property

Adam Smith

A Scottish philosopher who believed all people should be able to acquire property. His beliefs formed the basic ideas of industrial capitalism

Capitalism

equate democracy with capitalism, it relies on individualism

Socialism

all means of producing wealth are owned by government and not by private individuals

Public goods

goods are available to all without direct payment

Examples of Public goods

national security and public schooling

Toll goods

goods that are available to many people but is only used by those who can pay to do so

Examples of Toll goods

Private school

Direct democracy

a government where everyone has equal opportunity

Republic/representative democracy

we choose representatives to make decisions for us(majority rule)

Monarchy

one ruler, usually a hereditary one, who holds absolute power

Oligarchy

only few members of a party of the ruling elite can participate in government

Totalitarianism

where a government is all-powerful and citizens have no rights

Elite theory

wealthy, politically powerful people control government, there is no interest of ordinary people

C. Wright Mills

wrote The Powerful Elite, it argued that government is controlled by a combo of business, military, and political elites

Pluralist theory

Government policy is formed as a result of the competition between groups with different goals and interests. Pluralists argue power is distributed throughout society, a variety of groups hold power

Tradeoff

a compromise

Social Capital

connections with others and the willingness to interact with others and aid them

15th amendment

gave the vote to african men

19th amendment

gave women the right to vote and the voting rights act of 1965 made exercising the right to vote a reality for black men and women

26th amendment

lowered the voting age in national elections to 18

Partisanship

is the tendency to identify with and to support(often blindly) a particular political party

What makes you more likely to vote?

Higher income and education

Latent preferences

are not deeply held and do not remain the same over time. When people are asked a question they have little to no interest in

Intense preferences

are beliefs based on strong feelings regarding an issue that someone adheres to over time