Political Science Chapters 1-6
authoritarian government Correct Answer: a political system in which one person or group has absolute control over the
... [Show More] apparatus of government, and in which popular input in government is minimal or nonexistent
public goods Correct Answer: goods and services that are enjoyed by all citizens and unlikely to be provided by any organization other than government
politics Correct Answer: individual and collective efforts to influence the workings of government
democracy Correct Answer: a form of gov't in which the people rule; can take place directly, through participation by the people in actual lawmaking, or indirectly through free elections in which the people choose representatives to make laws on their behalf
autocracy Correct Answer: a form of gov't in which a single person rules with effectively unlimited power
direct democracy Correct Answer: a form of democracy in which the people themselves make the laws and set the policies adopted by the gov't
representative democracy Correct Answer: a form of democracy in which the people, through free elections, select representatives to make laws on their behalf and set policies adopted by the gov't
constitutional democracy Correct Answer: a form of democracy in which there is a foundational document (U.S. Const.) that describes the structure, powers, and limits of gov't
presidential system Correct Answer: a political system in which the head of the executive branch is selected by some form of popular vote and serves a fixed term of office
parliamentary system Correct Answer: a political system in which the head of the executive branch is selected by members of the legislature rather than by popular vote
political culture Correct Answer: the values and beliefs of citizens toward the political system and toward themselves as actors in it
casual question Correct Answer: a question regarding the factors responsible for a particular outcome
correlation Correct Answer: a relationship between the factors such that change in one is accompanied by change in the other
causation Correct Answer: a relationship between variables such that change in the value of one is directly responsible for change in the value of other
spurious relationship Correct Answer: a relationship between variables that reflects correlation but not causation
American creed Correct Answer: the dominant political culture in the U.S., marked by a set of beliefs in individualism, democracy, liberty, property, and religion, tied together by the value of equality
liberty Correct Answer: the belief that gov't should leave people free to do as they please and exercise their natural rights to the maximum extent possible
property rights Correct Answer: the belief that people should be able to acquire, own, and use goods and assets free from gov't constraints, as long as their acquisition and use does not interfere with the rights of other individuals
religious freedom Correct Answer: a belief that individuals should be free to choose and practice their religious faith and that government should not establish any particular religion as the official or preferred religion
limited government Correct Answer: the idea that the scope of the government activities should be narrow and that gov't should act only when the need is great and other sectors of society are unable to meet the need
sovereign power Correct Answer: the individual or institution in a political system whose decisions are binding and cannot be overturned by other individuals or institutions
communitarianism Correct Answer: the view that the needs of the community are of higher priority in government than the needs of the individual, even if the result is a restriction of the individual liberties
discrimination Correct Answer: the view that not all groups in society are deserving of equal rights and opportunities
multiculturalism Correct Answer: the view that group identity influences political beliefs and that because groups are naturally diverse in their beliefs, the idea of a shared or dominant political culture merely reflects the imposition of a dominant group's beliefs on subordinate groups
libertarianism Correct Answer: a view that emphasizes the importance of individual choice and responsibility, the private sector, and the free market, in which government's primary obligations are to defend the country militarily, protect individuals from crime, and ensure that people fulfill contracts entered into freely
Declaration of Independence Correct Answer: document announcing the intention of the colonies to separate from Great Britain based on shared grievances about the treatment of the colonists by the British government
nation Correct Answer: a shared sense of understanding and belonging among a people that they are different and separate from other peoples with particular characteristics and that they have a right to self-gov't over a defined territory
Virginia Plan Correct Answer: argued for a two-house legislature, with representation based on a state's population; the lower house would be elected directly by the people, and that house would then select the members of the upper house
New Jersey Plan Correct Answer: called for, among other things, equal representation of the states in a single-house legislature
republic Correct Answer: a system in which people elect representatives to make policy and write laws, in contrast to direct democracy in which the people do these activities themselves
indirect election Correct Answer: an election in which voters select other individuals who directly vote for candidates for a particular office; U.S. Senate and presidential elections were of this type in the Constitution, but Senate elections are now direct elections
supremacy clause Correct Answer: a clause in the Const. that declares the national laws and treaties have supremacy over state laws and treaties
equal privileges and immunities clause Correct Answer: a clause in the Const. stating that states are to treat their citizens and the citizens of other states equally
full faith and credit clause Correct Answer: a clause in the Const. stating that states are to honor the official acts of other states
confederation Correct Answer: a loose grouping of independent political units, such as states or countries, whos main purpose is to govern the relationship between those units
reserved powers Correct Answer: tenth amendment guarantee to state governments of any powers other than those granted to the national gov't or those specifically prohibited for the states
compact theory Correct Answer: a theory of the founding of the American government that argues states were sovereign units that joined together in the new national government but did not give up their status as sovereign, independent governments
sovereignty Correct Answer: having the ultimate authority to make decisions within one's borders, without interference by other gov'ts
nullification Correct Answer: the theory that states have the right to nullify national laws to which they object and believe violate the U.S. Const.
nationalist theory Correct Answer: a theory of the founding of the American gov't that sees the Const. more as the joining together of the people than the joining together of the states
progressive movement Correct Answer: movement advocating measures to destroy political machines and instead have direct participation by voters in the nomination of candidates and the establishment of public policy
initiative Correct Answer: a process [Show Less]