Chapter 1: 5 Principles of Politics

Question 0

Autocracy

Answer 0

Government in which a single individual rules.

Question 1

What is government?

Answer 1

The institutions and procedures through which a land and its people are ruled.

Question 2

Oligarchy

Answer 2

Form of government in which a small group of landowners, military officers, or wealthy merchants controls the governing decisions

Question 3

Democracy

Answer 3

System of rule that permits citizens to play a significant part of the governmental process, through the selection of key public officials.

Question 4

Constitutional government

Answer 4

A system of rule in which formal and effective limits are placed on the powers of the government.

Question 5

Authoritarian government

Answer 5

A system of rule in which the government recognizes no formal limits but may never less be restrained by the power of other social institutions.

Question 6

Totalitarian government

Answer 6

System of rule in which the government recognizes no formal limits on its power and seeks to absorb or elongate other social institutions.

Question 7

Politics

Answer 7

Conflict, struggle, cooperation, and collaboration over the leadership, structure, and policies of government.

Question 8

Instrumental actions

Answer 8

Done with a purpose, sometimes with forethought, and even with calculation.

Question 9

Institutions

Answer 9

The rules and procedures that provide incentives for political behavior, thereby shaping politics.

Question 10

Jurisdiction

Answer 10

The domain over which an institution or member of an institution has authority

Question 11

Agenda Power

Answer 11

The control over what a group will consider for discussion

Question 12

Veto Power

Answer 12

The ability to defeat something even if it has made it on to be the agenda of an institution.

Question 13

Decisiveness rules

Answer 13

A specification when vote may be taken, the sequence in which votes on amendments occur, and how many supporters determine whether a motion passes or fails.

Question 14

Delegation

Answer 14

The transmission of authority to some other official or body for the latter’s use (though often with the right of review and revision.)

Question 15

Principal-Agent Relationship

Answer 15

The relationship between a principal and his or her agent. This relationship may be affected by the fact that each is motivated by self-interest, yet their interests may not be well aligned.

Question 16

Transaction costs

Answer 16

The cost of clarifying each aspect of a principal-agent relationship and monitoring it to make sure arrangements are complied with.

Question 17

Collective Action

Answer 17

The pooling of resources and the coordination of effort and activity by a group of people (often a large one) to achieve common goal

Question 18

Free Riding

Answer 18

Enjoying the benefits of some good or action while letting others bear the costs.

Question 19

Public Good

Answer 19

A good that, first, may be enjoyed by anyone if it is provided and, second, may not be denied to anyone once it has been provided.

Question 20

Tragedy of the Commons

Answer 20

The idea that a common-access facility, owned by no one because it is available to everyone, will be over-utilized..

Question 21

Path Dependency

Answer 21

The idea that certain possibilities are made more or less likely because of the historical path taken.