Unit 1 Gov Test

1. Government: makes public policies for society. Must maintain a national defense, provide public services, preserve order, socialize the young, and collect taxes
2. Public Goods: a commodity or service that is provided without profit to all members of  society, either by the government or a private individual organization
3. Politics: the process of influencing the actions and policies of the government
4. Political participation: the different ways in which individuals take action to shape the laws and policies of a government
5. Single-issue groups: political groups that campaign one issue. favored by voluntary voting systems because they attract supporters who are very committed and will always vote 
6. Policy making system: the act of creating new laws or setting standards for a government or business
7. Linkage institutions: a structure within society that connects (links) people to the government. EX: elections, political parties, interest groups, media
8. Policy agenda: a set of issues and policies laid out by political groups as well as topics under discussion by a governmental executive or a cabinet in government that tries to influence current and near-future political news and debates
9. Political issue: an issue that arises when people disagree about  a problem and try to fix it
   10. Policy making institutions: the branches of government charged with taking action on political issues. The US Constitution established three policy making institutions: legislative (Congress–House of Representatives and Senate), executive (President and Cabinet), and judicial (supreme court) 
   11. Public policy: a choice that the government makes in response to a political issue. A policy is a course of action taken with regard to a specific problem 
   12. Democracy: power held by the people
   13. Majority Rule: a fundamental principle of traditional democratic theory. Choosing among alternatives requires that the majority’s desire be respected
   14. Minority Rights: a principle of traditional democratic theory that guarantees rights to those who do not belong to majorities and allow that they may join majorities through persuasion and reasoned argument
   15. Representation: a principle of traditional democratic theory that describes the relationship between the few leaders and many followers
   16. Pluralist Theory: a theory of democracy that emphasizes the role of groups in the policy making process. Groups compete with no single group dominating the rest which results in bargaining and compromise. Generally join interest groups who collectively seek to influence policy outcomes EX: NRA, AARP
   17. Elite and class theory: a theory of democracy that the elites have a disproportionate amount of influence in the policy making process. A small minority dominates by influencing elected officials. Represented by wealthy interest groups and donors EX: top 1% of earners, tax exemptions, lax government regulations
   18. Hyper-pluralism: a theory that the government and politics contend that groups are so strong that the government is weakened. Confusing and contradictory policies result from politicians trying to placate every group

Individualism: a social theory favoring freedom of action for individuals over collective or state control