AP Gov Vocab: Chapter One

Vocabulary flashcards covering the characteristics of single-interest groups and various political influence processes based on the lecture notes.

Government

Institutions through which public policies are made for a society.

Collective Goods

Goods and services; like clean air and clean water, that by nature cannot be denied to anyone

Politics

Process of determining the leaders we select and the politics they pursue. Politics produces authoritative decisions about public issues.

Public Participation

All activities by which citizens attempt to influence the selection of political leaders and policies they pursue. Voting is the most common means in a democracy. Other means: contacting public officials, protest and civil disobedience.

Single-issue Groups

Groups that have a narrow interest on which their members tend to take an uncompromising stance.

Policymaking System

Process by which policy comes into being and evolves. People’s interests, problems, and concerns create political issues for government policymakers. Issues shape policy, resulting in more issues.

Linkage institutions

Political channels through which people’s concerns become political issues on the policy agenda. In U.S., linkage institutions include elections, political parties, interest groups, and media.

Policy Agenda

Issues that attract serious attention of public officials and other people involved in politics at a point in time.

Political issue

An issue that arises when people disagree on how to fix it.

Policymaking institutions

Branches of government charged with taking action on political issues. U.S. constitution established 3 — congress, presidency, and courts. Power of bureaucracy is do powerful, it’s considered the 4th Policymaking institution.

Public policy

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

This effects a policy has on people and problems. Impacts are analyzed to see how well a policy has met its goals and/or at what cost.

Democracy

System of selecting policymakers and of organizing government so that policy represents and responds to the public’s preferences.

Majority rule

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

Minority rights

Principles of traditional democratic theory that guarantees rights to those who don’t belong to majorities.

Representation

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

Pluralism

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

Theory of American democracy contending that an upper class elite holds the power and makes policy, regardless of the formal governmental organization.

Hyperpluralism

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

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

Political culture

Overall set of values shared within a society.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

Sum total of the value of all the goods and services produced in a year in a nation.