C1 and 2 AP Gov

Globalization

The increasing interdependence of citizens and nations across the world

Government

The legitimate use of force to control human behavior; also, the organization or agency authorized to exercise that force

National sovereignty

A political entity’s externally recognized right to exercise final authority over its affairs

• threatened by globalization

What do governments require citizens to do to be governed?

Give up some freedom

Order

Established ways of social behavior, maintaining order is the oldest purpose of the government

Liberalism

Belief that states should leave individuals free to follow their individual pursuits.

*Note that this differs from the definition of liberal later in the chapter

Communism

Political system in which, in theory, ownership of all land and productive facilities is in the hand of the people, and all goods are equally shared. The production and distribution of goods are controlled by an authoritarian government

COMMUNISM IS ALWAYS AUTHORITARIAN…

…BUT AUTHORITARIAN ISN’T ALWAYS COMMUNISTIC.

Public goods

Using their (government) coercive powers, governments can tax citizens to raise money to spend on public goods, which benefits and services available to all.

Benefits and services, such as parks and sanitation, that benefit all citizens but are not likely to be produced voluntarily by individuals

Purposes of the government (3)

1. Maintaining order

2. Providing public goods (least controversial)

3. Promoting equality

• Redistributing income (so rich doesn’t get richer and poor doesn’t get poorer)

• Promote social quality through other policies

Concepts that identify the values pursued by government

Order, freedom, equality

Concepts that describe models of democratic government

Majoritarian democracy: majority determines

Pluralist democracy: organized groups compete to shape public policy

Freedom two major senses

Freedom of (worship, free speech)

Freedom from (want, fear)

Freedom of

An absence of constraints on behavior, as in freedom of speech or freedom of religion

Freedom from

Immunity, as in freedom from want

Police power

The authority of a government to maintain order and safeguard citizens’ health, morals, safety and welfare

Political equality

Equality in political decision making: one vote per person, with all votes counted equally

Social equality

Equality in wealth, education, and status

People believe that social quality is necessary for true political equality

Equality of opportunity

Th idea that ach person is guaranteed the same chance to succeed in life

Equality of outcome

The concept that society must ensure that people are equal, and governments must design policies to redistribute wealth and status so that economic and social equality is actually achieved

Rights

The benefits of government to which every citizen is entitled

Two dilemmas of government

1. Original dilemma: freedom vs order

2. Modern dilemma: freedom vs equality

Do communist societies prefer order or freedom

order

Political ideaology

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

Totalitarianism

Political philosophy that advocates unlimited power for the government to enable it to control all sectors of society

Socialism

A form of rule in which the central government plays a strong role in regulating existing private industry and directing the economy, although it does allow some private ownership of productive capacity

Political theories (Least government —> Most government)

Anarchism → Libertarianism → Liberalism → Totalitarism

Economic theories (Least government —> Most government)

Laissez Faire → Capitalism → Socialism

Popular political labels in the united states (Least government —> Most government)

Conservative → Liberal

Democratic socialism

Socialist form of government that guarantees civil liberties such as freedom of speech and religion

Capitalism

The system of government that favors free enterprise (privately owned businesses operating without government regulation)

Libertarianism

A political ideology that is opposed to all government action except as necessary to protect life and property

Libertarians

Those who are opposed to using government to promote either order or equality

Laissez faire

economic doctrine that opposes any form of government intervention in business

anarchism

political philosophy that opposes government in any form

conservatives

people who want the government to promote order not equality

liberals

people who want the government to promote equality not order

high equality high order

communitarians

low equality high order

conservatives

high equality low order

liberals

low equality low order

libertarians

autocracy

system of government in which the power to govern is concentrated in the hands of one individual

oligarchy

a system of government in which power is concentrated in the hands of a few people

democracy

system of government in which, in theory, the people rule, either directly or indirectly

procedural democracy theory

a view of democracy as being embodied in a decision- making process that involves universal participation, political equality, majority rule, and responsiveness

universal participation

the concept that everyone in a democracy should participate in governmental decision making

political equality

equality in political decision making: one vote per person, with all votes counted equally

majority rule

the principle- basic o procedural democratic theory- that the decision of a group must reflect the preference of more than half of those participating; a simple majority

participatory democracy

a system of government where rank-all-file citizens rule themselves rather than elcting representatives to govern on their behalf

e-government

online communication channels that enable citizens to easily obtain information from government and facilitate the expression of opinions to government officials

representative democracy

a system of government where citizens elect public officials to govern on their behalf

responsiveness

a decision-making principle, necessitated by representative government, that implies that elected representatives should do what the majority of people want

substantive democracy theory

the view that democracy is embodied in the substance of government policies rather than in the policymaking procedure

minority rights

the benefits of government that cannt be denied to any citizen by majority decisions

majoritarian model of democracy

the classical theory of democracy in which government by the people is interpreted as government by the majority of the people

interest group

an organization that seeks to influence public policy; also called a lobby

pluralist model of democracy

an interpretation of democracy in which government by the people is taken to mean government by people operating through competing interest groups

elite theory

the view that a small group of people actually makes most of the important government decisions

denicratization

a process of transition as a country attempts to move from an authoritarian form of government to a democratic one