Government and Politics Key Terms

Vocabulary flashcards covering foundational concepts of government, economic systems, theories of power, civic engagement, and historical amendments.

Government

The means by which society organizes itself and allocates authority to accomplish collective goals.

Politics

The process of deciding who gets what and how—how resources are allocated and what policies government pursues.

Political power

Influence over government institutions, leaders, or policies.

Democracy

Government in which political power rests with the people.

Representative democracy / republic

Form of government where citizens elect representatives who make decisions and laws for them (e.g., the U.S.).

Direct democracy

Form of government where citizens directly vote on government decisions/laws (e.g., Ancient Athens).

Referendum

A proposed law or issue placed on a ballot so citizens can vote on it directly.

Majority rule

The principle that the majority has the power to make decisions binding on the whole.

Minority rights

Certain rights that remain protected even when the majority disagrees.

Capitalism

Economic system based largely on private ownership, individual economic freedom, competition, and profit.

Adam Smith

Major thinker behind ideas forming the basis of industrial capitalism who wrote The Wealth of Nations (1776).

John Locke

Thinker who argued people possess natural rights to life, liberty, and property and should consent to being governed.

Socialism

Economic system in which major means of generating wealth may be government-owned, with wealth redistributed through programs/services.

Private goods

Goods provided by private businesses and used by people who pay for them (e.g., food or clothing).

Public goods

Government-provided goods/services available to all without additional charge (e.g., national security and public education).

Toll goods

Goods available to many people, but only to those who pay to use them (e.g., private schooling).

Common goods

Goods available for everyone to use but limited in supply (e.g., fish in the sea and clean drinking water).

Elite theory

Theory that political power rests with a small elite group.

C. Wright Mills

Major supporter of elite theory who wrote The Power Elite.

Mills's power elite

Combination of business, military, and political elites.

Pluralist theory

Theory that political power is distributed among competing organized groups.

Robert Dahl

Major pluralist theorist who wrote Who Governs?

Elite vs. Pluralist Distinction

Elite theory holds that a small group at the top controls power, whereas pluralist theory holds that many groups compete for influence.

Civic engagement

Participation that connects citizens to government.

Robert Putnam

Scholar who argued civic engagement and participation in small interactive groups have declined.

Social capital

Social connections/networks plus people's willingness to trust, cooperate with, and help one another.

Latent preferences

Beliefs/preferences that are weakly held and may change over time.

Intense preferences

Beliefs/preferences based on strong feelings maintained over time, which produce more political participation.

Partisanship

Strong support or even blind allegiance to a particular political party.

Ideology

Beliefs and ideals that help shape political opinion and policy.

Monarchy

Government form where one ruler, usually hereditary, holds political power.

Oligarchy

Government form where a small group of elites holds political power.

Totalitarianism

Government form that is all-powerful and where citizens have no rights.

First Amendment

Amendment that protects freedom of expression/speech.

Fourteenth Amendment

Amendment mandating that state governments must also protect basic constitutional rights.

Fifteenth Amendment

Amendment that extended voting rights to African American men.

Nineteenth Amendment

Amendment that extended voting rights to women.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Legislation that helped make voting rights a reality for Black men and women in the South.