Chapter 1: Understanding American Politics

Question 1

without a government:

Answer 1

there would be chaos
people are inherently self-interested
makes factions inevitable
requires a social contract
(Hobbes)

Question 2

public goods

Answer 2

• services or actions that once provided to one person, become available to everyone
• underproduced by the free-market

Question 3

collective action problem

Answer 3

a group would benefit by working together to produce some outcome, but each individual is better off refusing to cooperate and reaping benefits from those who do work
ex. caviar

Question 4

free rider problem

Answer 4

• the incentive to benefit from others’ work w/o making a contribution
• leads individuals in a collective action situation to refuse to work together
• suggests the free market is unable to adequately provide public goods

Question 5

positive externalities

Answer 5

benefits created by a public good that are shared by the individual and society as a whole
ex. attending Mizzou

Question 6

politics

Answer 6

• process that determines what the government does

- conflictual, everywhere, and matters

Question 7

In order to get medical marijuana initiative on the ballot, Show-Me Cannabis must:

Answer 7

• obtain signatures from 8% of the total votes cast in the 2012 governor’s election
• if it was only a regular law Show-Me Cannabis would only need 5%
• the signatures must be from six of the state’s eight congressional districts
• if the initiative gets on the ballot, it only needs a simple majority to pass

Question 8

checks and balances

Answer 8

a system in which each branch of government has some power over the others

Question 9

federalism

Answer 9

the division of power across the local, state, and national levels of government

Question 10

culture wars

Answer 10

Political Conflict in the US between “red-state” Americans, who tend to have strong religious beliefs, and “blue-state” Americans, who tend to be more secular

Question 11

ideology

Answer 11

a cohesive set of ideas and beliefs used to organize and evaluate the political world

Question 12

conservative

Answer 12

• support for lower taxes, a free market, and a more limited government
• Republicans

Question 13

liberal

Answer 13

• support for stronger government programs and more market regulation
• Democrats

Question 14

libertarians

Answer 14

those who prefer very limited government and therefore tend to be conservative on issues such as welfare policy, environmental policy, and public support for education, but liberal on issues of personal liberty such as free speech, abortion, and the legalization of drugs