AP Government - Chapter 1 Flashcards

10357432930	Government	The institutions through which public policies are made for a society.	0
10357432931	Politics	The process determining the leaders we select and the policies they pursue.	1
10357432952	The Policymaking System	Process by which policy comes into being and evolves.	2
10357432932	Linkage Institutions	Political channels through which people's concerns become political issues on the policy agenda. (political parties, elections, interest groups, the media, etc.)	3
10357432933	Policy Agenda	Several issues that capture the serious attention of political officials and other figures in politics at a given time.	4
10357432934	Collective Goods	Goods and services, such as clean water, that by nature cannot be denied to anyone.	5
10357432935	The 5 Basic Duties Each Government Should Perform	1. Maintain a national defense. 2. Provide public goods and services. 3. Preserve order. 4. Socialize the young. 5. Collect taxes.	6
10357432936	Political Culture	An overall set of values widely shared within a society	7
10357432937	Single-Issue Groups	Groups that have a narrow interest on which their members tend to take an uncompromising stance.	8
10357432938	Democracy	A system of selecting policymakers and of organizing government so that policy represents and responds to the public's preferences.	9
10357432939	Traditional Democratic Theory	1. Equality in voting. 2. Effective participation 3. Enlightened. understanding. 4. Citizen control of the agenda. 5. Inclusion	10
10357432940	Pluralism	Democratic theory that states that the government is comprised of several different groups that compete to reach compromise, no one group dominating another.	11
10357432941	Elitism	Democratic theory that states that society is divided by class lines, with the upper class elite in power (Policies benefit those with money/power)	12
10357432942	Hyperpluralism	Democratic theory that states that the government is comprised of several groups, all of which are too strong, which leads to muddled policy and gridlock --- the government suffers because of so many different groups.	13
10357432943	Challenges to Democracy	Increased complexity of issues, limited participation in government, escalating campaign costs, and diverse political interests.	14
10357432944	5 Elements of American Political Culture	1. Liberty 2. Egalitarianism 3. Individualism 4. Laissez-faire 5. Populism	15
10357432945	Political Participation	All the activities by which citizens attempt to influence the selection of political leaders and the policies they pursue.	16
10357432946	Political Issue	an issue that arises when people disagree about a problem and how to fix it.	17
10357432947	Policymaking institutions	The branches of Government charged with taking action on political issues. (congress, the presidency, and the courts according to the U.S. Constitution)	18
10357432948	Public Policy	A choice that government makes in response to a political issue. A course of action taken with regard to a problem.	19
10357432949	Policy Impacts	The effects a policy has on people and problems.	20
10357432950	Policy Gridlock	A condition that occurs when interests conflict and no coalition is strong to form a policy, so nothing gets done.	21
10357432951	GDP Gross Domestic Product	The sum total of the value of all the goods and services produced in a year in a nation.	22
10399100364	Majority Rule	A fundamental principle of traditional democratic theory, in a democracy, choosing among alternative requires that the majority's desire be respected.	23
10399106031	Minority Rights	A principle of traditional democratic theory that guarantees rights to those who do not belong to majorities.	24
10399110132	Laissez-Faire	Promotes free markets and limited government. (French: "allow to do"), policy of minimum governmental interference in the economic affairs of individuals and society.	25