1: The Logic Of American Politics

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agency loss

Back 1

discrepancy between what citizens ideally would like their agents to do and how the agents actually behave

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agenda control*

Back 2

capacity to set the choices available to others

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agent

Back 3

someone who makes and implements decisions on behalf of someone else

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authority

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the right to make and implement a decision

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bargaining

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a form of negotiation in whcih two or more parties who disagree propose exchanges and concessions to find a course of acceptable collective action

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cabinet

Back 6

formal group of presidential advisers who head the majors departments and agencies of the federal gov't. cabinet members are chosen by the president and approved by the senate

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coalition

Back 7

alliance of unlike-minded individuals or groups to achieve some common purpose such as lobbying, legislating, or campaigning for the election of public officials

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collective action*

Back 8

action taken by a group of like-minded individuals to achieve a common goal

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collective goods*

Back 9

goods collectively produced ad freely available for anyone's consumption

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command

Back 10

authority of one actor to dictate the actions of another

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compromise*

Back 11

settlement in which each side concedes some of its preferences in order to secure others

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conformity costs*

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difference between what a person ideally would prefer and what the group with which that person makes collective decisions actually does. individuals pay conformity costs whenever collective decisions produce policy outcomes that do not best serve their interests.

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constitution*

Back 13

document outlining formal rules and institutions of gov't and the limits placed on its powers

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coordination

Back 14

act of organizing a group to achieve a common goal. coordination remains a prereq for effective collective action even after the disincentives to individual participation (prisoner's dilemma problems) have been solved

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delegation

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act of one person/body authorizing another person/body to perform an action on its behalf. ex: congress delegates authority to president or administrative agencies to decide details of policy

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direct democracy

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system of gov't in which citizens make policy decisions by voting on legislation themselves rather than delegating authority to reps

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externalities*

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publics goods/bads generated as a byproduct of private activity. ex: air pollution byproduct of driving a car = (bad) externality

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focal point

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focus identified by participants when coordinating their energies to achieve a common purpose

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free-rider problem

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when individuals can receive benefits from collective activity whether or not they helped pay for it, leaving them with no incentive to contribute

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government

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institutions and procedures through which people are ruled

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initiative

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approach to direct democracy in which a proposal is placed on an election ballot when the requisite number of registered voters have signed petitions

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institution

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in a democracy, an organization that manages potential conflicts between political rivals, helps them to find mutually acceptable solutions, and makes and enforces the society's collective agreements. among prominent federal political institutions in US are congress, presidency, supreme court

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majority rule

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principle that decisions should reflect the preferences of more than half of those voting. decision making by majority is one of the fundamental procedures of a democracy.

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office

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subdivision of some gov't depts that confers on its occupants specific authority and responsibilities

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parliamentary gov't

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form of gov't in which the chief executive is chosen by the majority party or by a coalition of parties in the legislature

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plurality*

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vote in which the winning candidate receives greatest number of votes (but not necessarily a majority)

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politician*

Back 27

elected professional who specializes in providing compelling reasons for people with different values and interests to join in a common action

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politics*

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process by which individuals and groups reach agreement on a common course of action even as they continue to disagree on the goals that action is intended to achieve

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power

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officeholder's actual influence with other officeholders, and, as a consequence, over the govt's actions

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preferences

Back 30

individuals' choices, reflecting economic situation, religious values, ethnic identity, or other valued interests

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principal

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individual with authority to make some decision. authority may be delegated to an agent who is supposed to take act on the principal's behalf

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prisoner's dilemma*

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situation in which 2+ actors cannot agree to cooperate for fear that the other will find its interest best served by reneging on an agreement

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private goods*

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benefits and services over which the owner has full control

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privatize*

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prevent a common resource from being over-exploited by tying the benefit of its consumption to its cost

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public goods*

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goods that are collectively produced and freely available for anyone's consumption

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referendum

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approach to direct democracy in which a state legislature proposes a change to the state's laws or constitution which all the voters subsequently vote on.

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representative gov't

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political system in which citizens select gov't officials who, acting as their agents, deliberate and commit the citizenry to a course of collective action

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republic

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form of democracy in which power is vested in elected representatives

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separation of powers*

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distributions of gov't powers among several political institutions. in US, nat'l divided between congress, president, supreme court

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simple majority

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majority of fifty percent +1

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supermajority

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majority larger than simple 51%, required for amending constitution or certain congressional procedures. (ex: 60 votes to stop filibuster)

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tragedy of the commons

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when group members overexploit a common resource, causing its destruction

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transaction costs*

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costs of doing political business reflected in the time and effort required to compare preferences and negotiate compromises in making collective decisions

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tyranny

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form of gov't in which the ruling power exploits its authority and permits little popular control

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veto

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formal power of president to reject bills passed by both houses of congress (overridden by 2/3 majority each house)

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zero sum

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issue for which mutual gains through cooperation are not possible