power
The ability of one person (or a group) to cause another person (or group) to act in accordance with the first person's intent.
authority
The right to use power
legitimacy
Political authority conferred by law or by a state or national constitution
democracy
The rule of the many - A government in which the people have the sovereign power - A government by the people, either directly or indirectly, with free and frequent elections
direct democracy
A form of democratic government in which all citizens exercise the power and participate in the day-today operations and come together to discuss issues and to pass laws. A government in which all or many citizens participate on a daily basis
representative democracy
A form of democratic government that derives its powers indirectly from the people. The people exercise their power by electing representatives to run the day-to-day operations of the government. A form of government in which leaders get power and then make decisions by winning a competitive struggle for the popular vote.
elite
person who possesses a disproportionate share of some valued resource, like money or power.
marxist view
The view that government in American is dominated by the group that wins that economic battle- namely the capitalists
power elite view
View that the government is dominated by a few top leaders, such as corporate leaders, military leaders and key political leaders - most of whom are outside of government.
bureaucratic view
View that government and public policy is dominated by appointed government officials.
pluralist view
The belief that competition among all affected interest groups shapes public policy.