AP GOV unit 1

Government

Institutions for making public policies In society.

Politics

Politics produces authoritative decisions about public issues.

Political participation

by citizens to influence selection of leaders/policies

Single-issue groups

narrow interest groups focusing on specific policy/issue

Democracy

organizing government/policy makers to represent/respond to public

Pluralism

political power distributed among organized interest groups

Elitism

theory contending upper class elite hold political power

Hyperpluralism

too many competing interest groups cause weak/unresponsive government

Political culture

An overall set of values widely shared within a society.

Political socialization

individuals acquire political views/knowledge based on environment

Political ideology

set of beliefs about politics, public policy, and public purpose

Gender gap

women support democratic candidates=less conservative, support spending on social services, and oppose higher levels of military spending.

Types of democracy

Participatory, Pluralist, Representative, etc

Factions

interest groups arise from unequal distribution of property/wealth

Natural rights

Rights inherent in human beings(life, liberty, and property)

Popular sovereignty

authority of government created/sustained by consent of its people