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Government in America 15th Edition: Chapter 1 Flashcards

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892454665GovernmentThe institutions and processes through which public policies are made for a society.0
892454666Public GoodsGoods, such as clean air and clean water that everyone must share.1
892454667PoliticsThe process by which we select our governmental leaders and what policies these leaders pursue. Politics produces authoritative decisions about public issues.2
892454668Political ParticipationAll the activities by which citizens attempt to influence the selection of political leaders and the policies they pursue. Voting is the most common form in a democracy. Other means include protest and civil disobedience.3
892454669Single-Issue GroupsGroups that have a narrow interest, on which their members tend to take an uncompromising stance.4
892454670Policymaking SystemThe process by which policy comes into being and evolves. People's interests, problems, and concerns create political issues for government policymakers. These issues shape policy, which in turn impacts people, generating more interests, problems, and concerns.5
892454671Linkage InstitutionsThe political channels through which people's concerns become political issues on the policy agenda. In the U.S., they include elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media.6
892454672Policy AgendaThe issues that attract the serious attention of the public officials and other people involved in politics at the time.7
892454673Political IssueAn issue that arises when people disagree about a problem and how to fix it.8
892454674Policymaking InstitutionsThe branches of government charged with taking action of the political issues. The U.S. Constitution established three - Congress, the presidency, and the courts. Today, the power of the bureaucracy is so great that most political scientists consider it a fourth policymaking institution.9
892454675Public PolicyA choice that government makes in response to a political issue. It's a course of action taken with regard to some problem.10
892454676Policy ImpactsThe effects a policy has on the people and problems. They are analyzed to see how well a policy has met its goal and at what cost.11
892454677DemocracyA system of selection policymakers and of organizing government so that policy represents and responds to the publics preferences.12
892454678Majority RuleA fundamental principle of traditional democratic theory. In a democracy, choosing among alternatives requires that the majority's desire to be respected.13
892454679Minority RightsA principle of traditional democratic theory that guarantees rights to those who do not belong to majorities.14
892454680RepresentationA basic principle of traditional democratic theory that describes the relationship between the few leaders and the many followers.15
892454681PluralismA theory of American democracy emphasizing that the policymaking process in very open to the participation of all groups with shared interests, with no single group usually dominating. Pluralists tend to believe that as a result, public interest generally prevails.16
892454682ElitismA theory of American democracy contending that an upper-class elite holds the power and makes policy, regardless of the formal governmental organization.17
892454683HyperpluralismA theory of American democracy contending that groups are so strong that government, which gives in to the many different groups, is thereby weakened.18
892454684Policy GridlockA condition that occurs when interests conflict and no coalition is strong enough to form a majority and establish policy, so nothing gets done.19
892454685Political CultureAn overall set of values widely shared within a society.20
892454686Gross Domestic ProductThe sum total of the value of all the goods and services produced in a year in a nation.21

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