AP Gov Vocab 1 Flashcards
(22 cards)
the institutions and process through which public policies are made for a society
Government
goods and services such as clean air and clean water that by their nature cannot be denied to anyone
Collective goods
the process by which we select our governmental leaders and what policies these leaders pursue. Politics produce authoritative decisions about public issues
Politics
all the activities by which citizens attempt to influence the selection of political leaders and the policies they pursue. Voting is the most common means of political participation in a democracy. Other means include protest and civil disobedience
Political Participation
groups that have a narrow interest, on which their members tend to take an uncompromising stance
Single-Issue Groups
the process by which policy comes into being and evolves. People’s interests, problems, and concerns create political issues for government policymakers
Policymaking System
the political channels through which people’s concerns become political issues on the policy agenda. In the United States, linkage institutions include elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media
Linkage Institutions
the issues that attract the serious attention of public officials and other people involved in politics at a point in time
Policy Agenda
an issue that arises when people disagree about a problem and how to fix it
Political Issue
the branches of government charged with taking action on political issues. The U.S. Constitution established 3 policymaking institutions––Congress, the presidency, and the courts
Policymaking Institutions
a choice that government makes in response to a political issue. A policy is a course of action taken with regard to some problem
Public Policy
the effects a policy has on people and problems. Impacts are analyzed to see how well a policy has met its goal and at what cost
Policy Impacts
a system of selecting policymakers and of organizing government so that policy represents and responds to the public’s preferences
Democracy
a fundamental principle of traditional democratic theory. In a democracy, choosing among alternatives requires that the majority’s desire be respected
Majority Rule
a principle of traditional democratic theory that guarantees rights to those who do not belong to majorities
Minority Rights
a basic principle of traditional democratic theory that describes the relationship between the few leaders and the many followers
Representation
a theory of American democracy emphasizing that the policymaking process is 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
Pluralism
a theory of American democracy contending that an upper-class elite holds the power and makes policy, regardless of the formal governmental organization
Elitism
a theory of American democracy contending that groups are so strong that government, which gives in to the many different groups, is thereby weakened
Hyperpluralism
a condition that occurs when interests conflict and no coalition is strong enough to form a majority and establish policy, so nothing gets done
Political Gridlock
an overall set of values widely shared within a society
Political Culture
the sum total of the value of all the goods and services produced in a year in a nation
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
