Ap Government

Front 1

Politics

Back 1

Who gets what, when, and how in the political process

Front 2

Policy Agenda

Back 2

Those issues that are reciving the serious attention of policymakers

Front 3

Policymaking Institutions

Back 3

Those Institutions (Congress, The President, the courts, and the Bureaucracy) that are responsible for making public policy in the American political system

Front 4

Linkage institutions

Back 4

those institutons (political parties, elections, special interest groups, and the news media) that link people to the government; assist the people in getting their concerns on the policy agenda; the channels through which people's concerns become political issues on the government's policy agenda

Front 5

Public Policy

Back 5

a choice that government makes in response to a political issue (course of action or inaction; includes: congressional statutes, beureaucratic rules and regulations, executive orders, court decisions, presidential decisions

Front 6

Majority

Back 6

50% + 1

Front 7

Plurality

Back 7

Most of the votes, but not necessarily a majority

Front 8

Pluralist Theory

Back 8

beliefe that many groups competing for power express the public will; a theory of group competitions that empasizes muliple access points and a positive view of group competition

Front 9

Elite/Class Theory

Back 9

A theory of government and politics that contends that society is divided along class lines and a wealthy or upper class elite will rule regardless of the government structure; belief that big business, the wealthy, or even technical experts have the greatest influence in American government

Front 10

Hyperpluralism

Back 10

a group theroy of politics that contends that groups are so strong that government is weakened; an extream, exaggerated, or per verted form of pluralism; pluralism gone bad--too many groups create gridlock and contradictory policies