1. Government and Civic Engagement - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering core terms from sections 1.1–1.3 on government, types of government, economic systems, types of goods, and civic engagement.

Government

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

Politics

The process of gaining and exercising control within a government to set and achieve goals, especially related to the distribution of resources.

Democracy

A form of government in which political power rests in the hands of the people.

Representative democracy

A democracy in which citizens elect representatives to govern and make laws on their behalf.

Direct democracy

A form of democracy where people participate directly in making government decisions (not through representatives).

Capitalism

An economic system based on private ownership, market competition, and profits, with limited government intervention.

Socialism

An economic system where the government owns or controls the means of production and redistributes wealth through social programs.

Public goods

Goods provided by the government that are available to all without charge (e.g., national security, education).

Private goods

Goods provided by private businesses that are excludable and rivalrous; access typically requires payment.

Toll good

A good available to many but provided only if users pay; a middle ground between public and private goods.

Common goods

Goods in limited supply that all may use but are non-excludable and rivalrous (e.g., fish stocks).

Excludable

A good or service whose access can be restricted to those who pay or meet conditions.

Non-excludable

A good or service that cannot easily exclude people from using it.

Rivalrous

A good whose consumption by one person reduces availability for others.

Non-rivalrous

A good whose consumption by one person does not reduce availability for others.

Elite theory (elitism)

The view that political power rests with a small, wealthy, educated elite.

Pluralist theory

The view that political power rests with competing interest groups; policy results from group bargaining.

Tradeoffs

Compromises among competing interests; public policy often reflects multiple interests rather than one group's gains.

Ideology

A set of beliefs and values that shape political opinion and policy.

Intense preferences

Strong, persistent beliefs about an issue that motivate political action over time.

Latent preferences

Beliefs about an issue that are not deeply held or are easily changed; may be revealed by polls.

Partisanship

Strong support or allegiance to a particular political party that influences voting behavior.

Majority rule

A principle where the majority's preferences guide decisions, with minority rights protected.

Minority rights

Protections for those in the minority to prevent majority tyranny.

Social capital

The networks, trust, and norms that enable people to work together for the common good; linked to civic engagement.