Politics
Deciding who gets what, when, and how
Political Science
Study of politics; who governs, for what ends, by what means
Government
Organization extending to the whole society that can legitimately use force to carry out its decisions
Legitimacy
Widespread acceptance of something as necessary, rightful, and legally binding
Social Contract
Idea that government originates as an implied contract among individuals who agree to obey laws in exchange for protection of their rights
Public Goods
Goods and services that cannot readily be provided by markets, either because hey are too expensive for a single individual to buy or because if one person bought them everyone else would use them without paying
Free Market
Free competition for voluntary exchange among individuals, firms, and corporations
Gross Domestic Product
Measure of economic performance in terms of the nations total production of goods and services for a single year valued in terms of market prices
Externalities
Costs imposed on people who are not a direct participant in an activity
Income Transfers
Government transfers of income from tax payer to persons regarded as deserving
Democracy
Governing system in which the people govern themselves from Greek term meaning "rule by the many
Democratic Principles
Individual dignity, equality before the law, widespread participation, and public decisions by majority rule with one person having one vote
Paradox of Democracy
Potential for conflict between individual freedom and majority rule
Limited Government
Principle that government power over the individual is limited, that there are some personal liberties that even a majority cannot regulate, and that government itself is restrained by law
Totalitarianism
Rule by an elite that exercises unlimited power over individuals in all aspects of life
Authoritarianism
Monopoly of political power by an individual or small group that otherwise allows people to go about their private lives as they wish
Constitutional Government
A government limited by rule of law in its power over the liberties of individuals
Direct Democracy
Governing system in which every person participates actively in every public decision, rather than delegating decision making to representatives
Representative Democracy
Governing system in which public decision making is delegated to representatives of the people chosen by popular vote in free, open, and periodic elections
Elitism
Political system in which power is concentrated in the hands of a relatively small group of individuals or institutions
Pluralism
Theory that democracy can be achieved through competition among multiple organized groups and that individuals can participate in politics through group memberships and elections
Politics is...
The study of who gets what, when, and how.
The widespread acceptance of something as necessary, rightful, and legally binding is...
Legitimacy.
The measurement which purports to show the total economic performance of the nation in terms of the production of goods and services is called the...
Gross Domestic Product.
Which of the following are considered "democratic ideals"?
Widespread participation in public life.
Unlimited government power over all aspects of life is a definition of...
Totalitarianism.
The closest approximation we have to direct democracy in America is...
The New England Town meeting.
The idea that democracy can be achieved in a large society by bargaining, compromise, and competition between interest groups would be consistent with...
Pluralism.
Your text raises many question about the realities of democracy but the authors say...
It is up to you to provide the answer to those questions.