AP Gov Unit 1 Chapter 1 vocab

Government

the institutions through which public policies are made for a society

Collective Goods

Goods and services, such as clean air and clean water, that by their nature cannot be denied to anyone.

Politics

The process determining the leaders we select and the policies they pursue. Politics produces authoritative decisions about public issues.

Political Participation

All the activities used by citizens to influence the selection of political leaders or the policies they pursue

Single-Issue Groups

Groups that have a narrow interest, tend to dislike compromise, and often draw membership from people new to politics.

Policymaking system

The process by which policy comes into being and evolves. People's interests, problems, and concerns create political issues for government policymakers. These issues shape policy, which in turn impacts people, generating more interests, problems, and concerns.

linkage institutions

the political channels through which people's concerns become political issues on the policy agenda

Policy Agenda

The issues that attract the serious attention of public officials and other people actively involved in politics at the time.

political issue

an issue that arises when people disagree about a problem and how to fix it

policymaking institutions

the branches of government charged with taking action on political issues

Public policy

A choice that government makes in response to a political issue. A policy is a course of action taken with regard to some problem.

Policy Impacts

the effects a policy has on people and problems.

Democracy

a system of selecting policymakers and organizing government so that policy represents and responds to the public's preferences.

Majority Rule

A fundamental principle of traditional democratic theory. In a democracy, choosing among alternatives requires that the majority's desire be respected.

Minority Rights

A principle of traditional democratic theory that guarantees rights to those who do not belong to majorities.

Representation

A basic principle of traditional democratic theory that describes the relationship between the few leaders and the many followers.

Pluralism

a theory of american democracy emphasizing that the policymaking process is very open to the participation of all groups with shared interests, with no single group usually dominating. Pluralists tend to believe that as a result, public interest generally prevails.

Elitism

a theory of american democracy contedning that an upper-class elite holds the power and makes policy, regardless of the formal governmental organization.

Hyperpluralism

a theory of american democracy contending that groups are so strong that government, which gives in to the many different groups, is thereby weakened.

Policy Gridlock

a condition that occurs when interests conflic and no coalition is strong enough to form a majority and establish policy, so nothing gets done.

political culture

An overall set of values widely shared within a society.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

The sum total value of all the goods and servies produced in a year in a nation.