Chapter 1 Flashcards
(19 cards)
What is power?
The ability of one person (or group) to get another person (or a group) to act in accordance with the first person’s (group’s) intentions
What are some resources of power?
Force, wealth, numbers, organizational skill, legal talent, etc
What is authority?
The right to use power;
What is formal authority?
The right to use power that is vested in a government office.
What is legitimacy?
The political authority conferred by law, public opinion, or constitution–e.g. U.S. Constitution
What is a democracy?
rule of the people (broad definition)
What is a direct democracy?
a political system in which all or most citizens participate by either holding office or making policy.
What is a town meeting?
The town meeting, in which citizens vote on issues, is an example of participatory democracy.
What is an initiative?
a procedure allowing voters to submit a proposed law to a popular vote by obtaining a required number of signatures (see page 63 in Federalism chapter for definition). Depending on the state, initiatives require between 5 and 15 percent of those who voted in the last election to sign a petition
What is a referendum?
The practice of submitting a law to a popular vote at election time. The law may be proposed by a voter initiative. Referend also may be used to enable voters to reject measures adopted by state legislatures.
What is a representative democracy?
A political system in which leaders and representatives acquire political power by means of a competitive struggle for the people’s vote. This is the form of government used by most nations that are called democratic. See Schumpeter’s definition and Madison statement in Federalist #10
Who was an elite?
an identifiable group of persons who possess a disproportionate share of some valued resource – e.g. power, money, access to media, organizational ability.
What was majoritarian politics?
the majority feels so intense that elected officials feel constrained to follow the will of the majority – this can lead to the famous “tyranny of the majority” articulated by Tocqueville in Democracy in America and Madison in Federalist #10
What is Marxism?
A system of economic, social, and political philosophy based on ideas that view social change in terms of economic factors. Also, the basis of communism.
What is power elite theory?
Associated with American sociologist C.W. Mills. Holds that an interlocking directorate of key military, business, government and communications leaders set the agenda and in effect make the key decisions in American society; democratic forms merely ratify what has already been decided by the elite.
What is the Weberian bureaucratic model?
Advanced the view that in modern societies specialized knowledge and technical expertise held by the higher echelons of the bureaucracy were key factors. The higher level bureaucrats are not accountable or elected by the people.
What are pluralists and what is pluralism?
premised on dispersion (decentralization) of power through separation of powers, federalism. This theory holds that political resources are widely dispersed throughout the society. All important interests will have some access. The notion of multiple access points is key. If one branch or level of government is unresponsive (e.g., Congress or state legislature) try another (Federal Courts).
Many argue that pluralism mirrors American society the closest of the theories presented here. It is the dominant model in political science for explaining American government.
What are non-decisions?
The pluralists concentrate only on the visible and neglect issues that don’t come before a public forum, issues that affect groups without resources or access.
What is the creedal passion view?
A policy in which one small group benefits and almost everybody pays. cost. A burden that people believe they must bear if a policy is enacted.
