Gov chapter 1 American Politics, Systems, and Citizenship Vocabulary

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering basic political concepts, governance structures, economic models, citizenship, and political ideologies based on Chapter 1.

Politics

The process or activity through which power and resources are gained and lost, famously defined by Harold Lasswell as 'who gets what, when, and how.'

Power

The ability to get other people to do what you want them to do.

Government

A system or organization established for exercising authority over a body of people.

Authority

Power that citizens view as legitimate or right, to which they have implicitly consented.

Rule of Law

The defining principle of democratic systems stating that citizens are governed by laws, not men and women, and that no individual is above the law.

Classical Liberalism

An Enlightenment political philosophy emphasizing the rule of law, individual rights, limited government, separation of powers, and capitalism.

Rules

Directives that determine how resources are allocated and how collective action takes place, serving as the 'how' in political outcomes.

Norms

Tacitly understood, unwritten rules and traditional practices about acceptable political behavior that keep government institutions running smoothly.

Institutions

Organizations such as Congress, the presidency, and the courts where government power is exercised.

Political Narratives

The stories people believe about who has power, who wants power, who deserves power, and how that power should be wielded.

Media

The channels of communication through which information and political narratives flow to the public.

Disinformation

False information that is deliberately disseminated to deceive people.

Procedural System

A political or economic system where outcome legitimacy is based on fair rules and impartial process rather than specific predetermined results.

Substantive System

A political or economic system where outcome legitimacy depends on achieving a specific predetermined outcome or vision dictated by an authority.

Socialism

An economic system where politicians make production and distribution decisions based on societal needs, prioritizing substantive equality over market process.

Capitalism

A procedural economic system relying on the market process of supply and demand, with private ownership of the means of production.

Laissez-faire Capitalism

An extreme form of capitalism where the government has no role in the economy beyond providing basic national security.

Regulated Capitalism

A hybrid economic system based on private ownership and market forces, with government intervention to maintain economic health and procedural fairness.

Social Democracy

A hybrid system with mostly private property ownership that uses democratic processes and government regulation to achieve socialist goals like equality.

Democratic Socialism

A hybrid system combining a commitment to democratic processes and market capitalism while retaining socialism as its ultimate goal.

Authoritarian Systems

Political systems where ultimate power rests with the state, leaving citizens without effective legal rights against government authority.

Totalitarian

A system combining an authoritarian government with a socialist economy, exercising total control over political, economic, and moral life.

Authoritarian Capitalism

A system where the government permits a capitalist market economy but maintains strict, authoritarian control over social and noneconomic behavior.

Democracy

A nonauthoritarian political system where ultimate power rests with the people, maximizing individual freedom through procedural guarantees.

Popular Sovereignty

The core democratic principle that ultimate political authority resides with the people and government legitimacy depends on their consent.

Elite Democracy

A theory of democracy holding that democratic participation is limited to choosing among competing leaders in symbolic elections.

Pluralist Democracy

A theory of democracy asserting that citizen power is exercised primarily through membership in groups that participate in government decisions.

Participatory Democracy

A theory of democracy advocating direct citizen participation in government, community affairs, education, and industry.

Subjects

Individuals living under authoritarian systems who have obligations to submit to state power but possess no legal rights against it.

Citizens

Members of a political community who enjoy constitutional rights that protect them from government overreach alongside public obligations.

Social Contract

John Locke's concept that individuals give up some rights in exchange for the protection of their remaining rights by a government established by the majority.

Jus Soli

The legal principle granting citizenship based on 'the right of the soil' to almost anyone born within a country's territory.

Jus Sanguinis

The legal principle granting citizenship based on 'the right by blood' to individuals born outside the country to citizen parents.

Naturalization

The legal process through which foreign citizens or subjects fulfill legal requirements to become citizens of another country.

Political Culture

The shared values, beliefs, and general political orientation of a nation that give citizens a common language for political debate.

Individualism

The core belief in American political culture that individuals are responsible for their own well-being rather than society or government.

Ideologies

Sets of normative beliefs and opinions about politics, society, and the economy that help individuals make sense of their world.

Economic Conservatives

Individuals who favor minimal government interference in economic decisions and personal moral choices, prioritizing procedural fairness.

Libertarians

Extreme economic conservatives who advocate for minimal government action across all political, economic, and social spheres.

Economic Liberals

Individuals who support government intervention in the economy to promote social programs while advocating maximum personal freedom in lifestyle choices.

Social Conservatives

Individuals who prefer limited government involvement in the economy but favor strong government action to enforce traditional moral values and social order.

Social Liberals

Progressives who favor a strong government role in restructuring economic and social systems to address systemic inequities.

Both-sidesism

The journalistic practice of presenting opposing viewpoints as equally valid to maintain balance, even when one side relies on false claims or violates norms.

Hashtag Activism

The formation of social movements through viral calls to political action across social media networks.