ch 1 poli sci

Anarchy

Absence of government, order, control.

Authoritarian

Micromanagement of citizens via government structure.

Capitalism

An economic system that relies on free-market and free trade by individuals who create profit through assets and private ownership.

Civic Engagement

The participation that connects citizens to government.

Common Goods

Generally natural resources that all people may use, but that are of limited supply and are protected and regulated by government.

Declaration of Independence

Written reasoning for political and economic separation between colonies in America and Great Britain.

Democracy

A form of government where political power rests in the hands of the people; majority rule with potentially ignored minority rights.

Dictatorship

A very strong or authoritarian ruler of a government with excessive regulation and control over public and private lives.

Direct Democracy

A form of government where people participate directly in making government decisions.

Elite Theory

The theory that a set of elite citizens is really in charge of government with others having little influence.

Government

The means by which a society organizes itself and allocates authority and decision-making.

Intense Preferences

Preferences based on strong feelings regarding an issue that someone adheres to over time.

Latent Preferences

Preferences that are not deeply held and do not remain the same over time.

Liberty

Freedom from arbitrary government control that does not encroach on others' freedoms.

Majority Rule

A fundamental principle of democracy where the majority has the power to make decisions binding upon all.

Minority Rights

Protections for those who are not part of the majority.

Monarchy

A form of government where one ruler, usually hereditary, holds political power.

Order

The government's responsibility to create stability, peace, and protection for citizens.

Oligarchy

A form of government where a handful of elite members hold political power.

Pluralist Theory

The belief that political power rests with competing interest groups.

Political Power

Influence over a government’s institutions, leadership, or policies.

Politics

A competitive struggle for control over governmental processes.

Preamble

The introductory paragraph of the U.S. Constitution stating the government's purposes.

Private Sector Goods and Services

Goods and services provided by businesses in the free market economy.

Privatization

The transfer of a business or service from public to private ownership.

Public Sector Goods and Services

Goods and services provided by government and paid for by taxpayers.

Representative Democracy

A form of government where voters elect representatives to make decisions.

Republic

Indirect rule by citizens’ representatives; also known as representative democracy.

Totalitarianism

A government where citizens have no rights and the government is all-powerful.

Tyranny

Excessive control over public and private lives by a ruler or government.

Consent

Recognition by individual citizens of governmental authority; voting to be ruled by elected representatives.

Elite Theory (Elitism)

Claims that political power rests in the hands of a small, elite group.

Pluralist Theory (Pluralism)

Claims that political power rests in the hands of competing groups.

Unalienable Rights

Rights possessed by every person, not conferred by the government.

Civic Engagement/Political Engagement

Citizen involvement with politics/government to ensure government serves the people.

Participation

Citizen involvement in a representative republic; an important principle of representative government.

Partisanship

The tendency to identify with and support a particular political party.

Social Capital

Collective value of social networks and the inclinations to do things for each other.