AP GOV UNIT 1

Government

The institutions and processes through which public policies are made for a society.

Collective goods

Goods and services that by their nature cannot be denied to anyone (e.g., clean air, public parks).

Politics

The process by which we select government leaders and the policies they pursue.

Political participation

All the activities used by citizens to influence the selection of political leaders or the policies they pursue.

Policymaking system

The process by which policy comes into being and evolves over time.

Linkage institutions

The channels through which people's concerns become political issues on the policy agenda (e.g., elections, political parties, interest groups, media).

Policy agenda

The issues that attract the serious attention of public officials and other people involved in politics at the time.

Policy issue

A problem that arises when people disagree about a problem and how to fix it.

Policymaking institutions

The branches of government charged with taking action on political issues (Congress, presidency, and the courts).

Public policy

A choice that government makes in response to a political issue.

Policy impacts

The effects a policy has on people and problems; evaluated for effectiveness.

Democracy

A system of selecting policymakers and organizing government so that policy represents and responds to the public's preferences.

Majority rule

A fundamental principle of democracy; policies reflect the will of more than half the voters.

Minority rights

A principle of traditional democratic theory that guarantees rights to those who do not belong to majorities.

Representation

The relationship between the few leaders and the many followers.

Pluralism

A theory of American democracy emphasizing that many groups compete and counterbalance one another in the political marketplace.

Elitism

A theory of American democracy that a few top leaders make the key decisions, regardless of the formal governmental organization.

Hyper-pluralism

A theory that groups are so strong that government is weakened, leading to policy gridlock.

Policy gridlock

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

Political culture

An overall set of values widely shared within a society.

Public opinion

The distribution of the population's beliefs about politics and policy issues.

Demography

The science of population changes.

Melting pot

The mixing of cultures, ideas, and peoples that has changed the American nation.

Minority majority

The situation where the combined minorities outnumber the white majority.

Political socialization

The process by which people acquire political attitudes, views, and knowledge.

Sample

A relatively small proportion of people who are chosen in a survey to represent the whole.

Random sampling

A key technique that gives everyone in a population an equal probability of being selected for a sample.

Sampling error

The level of confidence in the findings of a public opinion poll; the more people interviewed, the more accurate the results.

Random-digit dialing

A polling technique that calls random numbers to reach listed and unlisted voters.

Exit poll

A poll conducted as voters leave selected polling places on election day.

Political ideology

A coherent set of beliefs about politics, public policy, and public purpose.

Gender gap

The regular pattern in which women are more likely to support Democratic candidates.

Protest

A form of political participation designed to achieve policy change through dramatic and unconventional tactics.

Civil disobedience

A form of political participation based on a conscious decision to break a law believed to be unjust.