AP GOV CH. 1

vocab tests

Government

Institutions and processes through which a society is ruled.

Public Goods

Goods or services that are non-excludable and non-rivalrous

Politics

The process by which a society determines who governs and what public policies it pursues.

Political participation

Voluntary activities citizens engage in to influence the selection of government officials or the decisions they make.

Single-Issue Groups

Organizations that focuses exclusively on one specific area of public policy.

Policymaking system

The entire set of processes, actors, and institutions through which government develops and implements public policies, which are the courses of action governments take to address societal problems.

Linkage Institutions

Channels that connect citizens to the government and allow their preferences to be heard by policymakers.

Policy Agenda

The set of issues, problems, or subjects that government officials and policymakers prioritize for consideration and action at a given time.

Political Issue

A problem or matter of public concern that requires government action or public policy to address it.

Policymaking Institution

The formal branches and bodies within a government, such as the Congress, the Presidency, the Courts, and the Bureaucracy, are responsible for taking action on political issues and creating public policies.

Public Policy

the decisions, laws, and regulations that governments implement to address societal issues and govern public affairs

Policy Impacts

The effects that government actions and decisions have on society and individuals.

Democracy

A system where power is vested in the people, who exercise it directly or through elected representatives.

Majority Rule

The principle that the decisions of more than half of the voters in a group are accepted as binding for the entire group.

Minority rights

The legal and social protections that safeguard the rights of minority groups from potential discrimination and oppression by the majority.

Representation

When elected officials act on behalf of their constituents, they reflect the interests and voices of their constituents in government decision-making.

Pluralist theory

The idea that power in a democracy is distributed among many different interest groups, not concentrated in the hands of a small elite.

Elite and Class Theory

A small group of elites holds the majority of power in society, influencing political decisions and outcomes, often at the expense of the larger population.

Hyper pluralism

The existence of numerous competing interest groups renders the government weak and ineffective in responding to the demands of these groups.

Policy Gridlock

A political stalemate occurs when the government is unable to pass significant legislation or make key policy decisions.

Political culture

The deeply ingrained attitudes, values, beliefs, and shared traditions that a population holds toward politics, government, and the exercise of power.

Gross Domestic Product

The total monetary value of all final goods and services produced within a country’s borders during a specific time period (typically a year).