American Democracy Now Ch.1

Front 1

neoconservatism

Back 1

an ideology that advocates military over diplomatic solutions in foreign policy and is less concerned with restraining government activity in domestic politics than traditional conservatives

Front 2

libertarianism

Back 2

an ideology whose advocates believe that government should take a "hands-off" approach in most matters

Front 3

socialism

Back 3

an ideology that advocates economic equality, theoretically achieved by having the government or workers own the means of production (businesses and industry)

Front 4

conservatism

Back 4

an ideology that emphasizes preserving tradition and relying on community and family as mechanisms of continuity in society

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liberalism

Back 5

an ideology that advocates change in the social, political, and economic realms to better protect the well-being of individuals and to produce equality within society

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political ideology

Back 6

integrated system of ideas or beliefs about political values in general and the role of government in particular

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majority rule

Back 7

the idea that, in a democracy, only policies with 50 percent plus one vote are enacted, and only candidates that win 50 percent plus one vote are elected

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consent of the governed

Back 8

the idea that, in a democracy, the government's power derives from the consent of the people

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property

Back 9

anything that can be owned

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capitalism

Back 10

an economic system in which the means of producing wealth are privately owned and operated to produce profits

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liberty

Back 11

the most essential quality of American democracy; it is both the freedom from governmental interference in citizens' lives and the freedom to pursue happiness

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political culture

Back 12

the people's collective beliefs and attitudes about government and political processes

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indirect democracy

Back 13

sometimes called a representative democracy, a system in which citizens elect representatives who decide policies on behalf of their constituents

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direct democracy

Back 14

a structure of government in which citizens discuss and decide policy through majority rule

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social contract theory

Back 15

the idea that individuals possess free will, and every individual is equally endowed with the God-given right of self-determination and the ability to consent to be governed

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popular sovereignty

Back 16

the theory that government is created by the people and depends on the people for the authority to rule

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natural law

Back 17

the assertion that standards that govern human behavior are derived from the nature of humans themselves and can be universally applied

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social contract

Back 18

an agreement between people and their leaders in which the people agree to give up some liberties so that their other liberties are protected

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divine right of kings

Back 19

the assertion that monarchies, as a manifestation of God's will, could rule absolutely without regard to the will or well-being of their subjects

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limited government

Back 20

government that is restricted in what it can do so that the rights of the people are protected

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constitutionalism

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government that is structured by law, and in which the power of government is limited

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authoritarianism

Back 22

system of government in which the government holds strong powers but is checked by some forces

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totalitarianism

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system of government in which the government essentially controls every aspect of people's lives

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democracy

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government in which supreme power of governance lies in the hands of its citizens

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oligarchy

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government in which an elite few hold power

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monarchy

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government in which a member of a royal family, usually a king or a queen, has absolute authority over a territory and its government

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public goods

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goods whose benefits cannot be limited and that are available to all

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legitimacy

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a quality conferred on government by citizens who believe that its exercise of power is right and proper

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naturalization

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the process of becoming a citizen by means other than birth, as in the case of immigrants

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citizens

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members of the polity who, through birth or naturalization, enjoy the rights, privileges, and responsibilities attached to membership in a given nation

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government

Back 31

the institution that creates and implements policies and laws that guide the conduct of the nation and its citizens

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political engagement

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citizen actions that are intended to solve public problems through political means

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civic engagement

Back 33

individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern

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efficacy

Back 34

citizens' belief that they have the ability to achieve something desirable and that the government listens to people like them

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politics

Back 35

the process of deciding who benefits in society and who does not