Political Science: Democracy, Government, Elections, and Research Methods

What is democracy?

A system where political power belongs to the people, who influence collective decisions.

What are the three elements of democracy?

Inclusive participation; agenda-setting and will formation; collective decision-making.

What is universal suffrage?

Voting rights for eligible adults without discriminatory restrictions.

What is agenda-setting?

Determining which public issues receive political attention.

What is will formation?

Developing political preferences through discussion and evaluating alternatives.

What is direct democracy?

Citizens vote directly on laws or public questions, such as referendums.

What is representative democracy?

Elected officials make political decisions on behalf of citizens.

What are constituents?

The people an elected official represents.

What is authorization?

Giving officials authority to represent citizens, usually through elections.

What is accountability?

Representatives answer for their actions and can be rewarded, punished, or replaced.

What is the trustee model?

Representatives use independent judgment, even when constituents disagree.

What is the delegate model?

Representatives follow their constituents' wishes.

What is the politico model?

Representatives combine trustee and delegate approaches depending on the issue.

What is prospective voting?

Voting based on candidates' future promises and plans.

What is retrospective voting?

Voting based on officials' past performance and outcomes.

What is popular sovereignty?

Political authority ultimately belongs to the people.

What is constitutional rule?

Legal constraints that limit government power.

What does the legislative branch do?

Deliberates and votes on laws and public issues.

What is a bicameral legislature?

A legislature with two chambers, like the U.S. Congress.

What is a unicameral legislature?

A legislature with one chamber, like Nebraska's.

How many members are in the U.S. House and Senate?

House: 435 members. Senate: 100 members.

What does the executive branch do?

Implements and enforces laws.

What is bureaucracy?

The collection of government agencies that carry out laws.

What is the head of government?

The leader who oversees the bureaucracy and executes laws.

What is the head of state?

The figure representing the nation's interests and values.

Who holds both executive roles in the United States?

The president is both head of government and head of state.

What is a parliamentary system?

The executive is selected through the legislature and depends on legislative support.

What is a presidential system?

The executive is separately authorized and serves a fixed term.

What is a coalition government?

Two or more parties cooperating to form or support a government.

What is judicial review?

Courts' power to rule on the legality of other branches' actions.

What is judicial independence?

Courts making legal judgments without improper political interference.

What is federalism?

Power is divided among national, regional, and local governments.

What is a unitary state?

Political authority is concentrated in the central government.

Name two examples of unitary states.

France and Japan.

What is a single-member district system?

Each electoral district elects one representative.

Which electoral system tends toward two major parties?

Single-member district, winner-take-all elections.

What is proportional representation?

Legislative seats are allocated roughly according to parties' vote shares.

Which electoral system tends toward multiple parties?

Proportional representation.

What are two critiques of democracy?

High demands on citizens; manipulation and threats to minority rights.

What is technocratic rule?

Experts and specialists make key policy decisions.

What is oligarchy?

A small elite controls political power and resources.

What is authoritarianism?

Power concentrated in one leader or party with few constraints.

What is descriptive research?

Research describing what exists or happened without explaining causes.

What is explanatory research?

Research investigating why or how something happens.

What is a hypothesis?

A tentative, testable answer predicting a relationship between variables.

What is an independent variable?

The proposed explanatory or influencing factor.

What is a dependent variable?

The outcome being explained.

What does testable mean?

A claim can be evaluated using evidence or data.

What does falsifiable mean?

A claim could potentially be shown to be wrong.

What is quantitative data?

Information measured or expressed numerically.

What is qualitative data?

Non-numerical evidence, such as interviews or written