Political Science Chapter 1 Vocab
Terms
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- political efficacy
- the ability to influence government and politics
- citizenship
- informed and active membership in a political community
- government
- institutions and procedures through which a territory and its people are ruled
- autocracy
- a form of government in which a single individual- a king, queen, or dictator- rules
- oligarchy
- a form of government in which a small group- landowners, military officers, or wealthy merchants- controls most of the governing decisions
- democracy
- a system of rule that permits citizens to play a significant part in the governmental process, usually through the election of key public officials
- constitutional government
- a system of rule in which formal and effective limits are placed on the powers of the government
- authoritarian government
- a system of rule in which the government recognizes no formal limits but may nevertheless be restrained by the power of other social institutions
- totalitarian government
- a system of rule in which the government recognizes no formal limits on its power and seeks to absorb or eliminate other social institutions that might challenge it
- politics
- conflict over the leadership, structure, and policies of governments
- power
- influence over a governmentÂ’s leadership, organization, or policies
- representative democracy/republic
- a system of government in which the populace selects representatives, who play a significant role in governmental decision making
- direct democracy
- a system of rule that permits citizens to vote directly on laws and policies
- pluralism
- the theory that all interests are and should be free to compete for influence in the government. The outcome of this competition is compromise and moderation
- direct action politics
- a form of politics, such as civil disobedience or revolutionary action, that takes place outside formal channels
- political culture
- broadly shared values, beliefs, and attitudes about how the government should function. American political culture emphasizes the values of liberty, equality, and democracy
- liberty
- freedom from governmental control
- limited government
- a principle of constitutional government; a government whose powers are defined and limited by a constitution
- Laissez-faire capitalism
- an economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately owned and operated for profit with minimal or no governmental interference
- equality of opportunity
- a widely shared American ideal that all people should have the freedom to use whatever talents and wealth they have to reach their fullest potential
- political equality
- the right to participate in politics equally, based on the principle of “one person, one vote”
- popular sovereignty
- a principle of democracy in which political authority rests ultimately in the hands of the people
- majority rule/minority rights
- the democratic principle that a government follows the preferences of the majority of voters but protects the interests of the minority