Chapter 1 - Freedom, Order, or Equality?

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the lecture notes on political values, ideology, and government.

Government

The institution whose original purposes are to maintain order and provide public goods; over time it also balances freedom, equality, and social order depending on ideological perspectives.

Public Goods

Goods or services provided by the government that are non-excludable and non-rivalrous, generally considered a core government function.

Order (narrow)

Protecting life and property; the original, less controversial purpose of government.

Order (broad)

Established patterns of authority and traditional behavior (morality); a broader sense of order with greater disagreement.

Freedom

The absence of constraints on behavior; liberty; a central value that can conflict with order or equality.

Equality (two senses)

Equality of opportunity (same chance to succeed) and equality of outcome (redistribution to achieve equality of results).

Dilemma: Original

The tension between freedom and order in the narrow sense of order's original purpose.

Dilemma: Modern

The tension between freedom and equality and between freedom and social order in contemporary governance.

Ideology

A consistent set of values and beliefs about the proper purpose and scope of government.

Scope of Government

The amount of government involvement in people's lives, ranging from less to more.

Conservatism

An ideology favoring limited government in economic policy and often supporting social-order measures; emphasizes private markets and may support restricting certain personal liberties.

Liberalism

An ideology advocating proactive government to address social problems and promote equality, with greater involvement in the economy.

New Deal Liberalism

A liberal framework associated with the New Deal era emphasizing expanded rights and government action to secure social welfare.

Second Bill of Rights

Roosevelt-era proposals asserting rights such as a job, adequate wage, decent home, medical care, economic protection, and a good education.

Reaganomics

The view that government is the problem, not the solution, popularized by Ronald Reagan.

Libertarianism

Opposes most government action except what is necessary to protect life and property.

Communitarianism

Advocates government action to promote both order and equality; often described as populist.

Moderates

The typical American who is neither strongly liberal nor conservative; often holds mixed views and is less ideology-driven.

PID (Party Identification)

A psychological attachment to a political party; ideology informs PID, but PID is often more influential for voters.

Universal Health Care

A health care system broad enough to cover all citizens, illustrating government involvement in achieving equality.

Economic Policy (dimension)

The economic side of ideology: tax rates, minimum wage, student loan relief, universal health care, etc.

Social/Moral Policy (dimension)

The social-moral side of ideology: issues like abortion, same-sex marriage, transgender rights, pornography, marijuana legalization.