American Politics

Front 1

Define: government

Back 1

the formal political arrangement by which a land and people are ruled

Front 2

Define: autocracy

Back 2

a form of government in which a single individual rules

Front 3

Define: oligarchy

Back 3

a form of government in which a small group controls most of the government decisions

Front 4

Define: democracy

Back 4

a system of rule that permits citizens to play a significant part in the governmental process, usually through the election of key public officials

Front 5

Define: constitutional government

Back 5

a system of rule in which formal and effective limits are placed on the powers of the government

Front 6

Define: authoritarian government

Back 6

a system of rule in which the government recognizes no formal limits but may, nevertheless, be restrained by the power of other social institutions

Front 7

Define: totalitarian government

Back 7

a system of rule in which the government recognizes no formal limits on its power and seeks to absorb or eliminate other social institutions that might challenge it

Front 8

Define: coercion

Back 8

forcing a person to do something by threats or pressure

Front 9

Define: conscription

Back 9

involuntary recruitment of citizens by the government

Front 10

What are the scope, limits, and some examples of constitutional government?

Back 10

Scope: power through a constitution

Limits: society can challenge the government when it oversteps its constitutional bounds

Examples: United States, Japan

Front 11

What are the scope, limits, and some examples of authoritarian government?

Back 11

Scope: the government answers only to a small number of powerful groups

Limits: the government recognizes few obligations to limit actions, whether or not such obligations exist

Examples: Spain (1930s-1970s under Francisco Franco), Russia (today)

Front 12

What are the scope, limits, and some examples of totalitarian government?

Back 12

Scope: the government encompasses all important social institutions

Limits: rivals for power are not tolerated

Examples: Germany's Third Reich, Stalin's Soviet Union, North Korea

Front 13

What is the primary purpose of government?

Back 13

To maintain law and order

Front 14

Define: free riding

Back 14

enjoying the benefits of some good or action while letting others bear the costs

Front 15

Define: a public good

Back 15

a good that
1. may be enjoyed by any one if it is provided and
2. may not be denied to anyone once it has been provided

Front 16

Define: politics

Back 16

the conflicts and struggles over the leadership, structure, and policies of government

Front 17

Define: institutions

Back 17

the rules and procedures that guide political behavior

Front 18

Define: nation-state

Back 18

a political entity consisting of a people with some common cultural experience (nation), who also share a common cultural authority (state), recognized by other sovereignties (nation-state)

Front 19

Define: representative democracy

Back 19

a system of government that provides the populace with the opportunity to make the government responsive to its views through the selection of representatives who, in turn, play a significant role in governmental decision making

Front 20

Define: principal-agent relationship

Back 20

the relationship between a principal and his or her agents; this relationship may be affected by the fact that each is motivated by self-interest