Poli Sci Test 1 Vocab

Front 1

agency loss

Back 1

discrepency between waht citizens ideally would like their agents to do and how the agents actually behave

Front 2

agent

Back 2

someone who makes and impements decisions on behalf of someone else

Front 3

authority

Back 3

right to make and implement a decisions

Front 4

baraining

Back 4

form of negotiation in which 2 or more parties who disagree propose exchanges and concessions to find a course of acceptable collective action

Front 5

cabinet

Back 5

formal group of presidential advisers who head the major deartments and agencies of the federal government. chosen by president, approved by senate

Front 6

coalition

Back 6

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

Front 7

collective action

Back 7

action taken by a group of likminded individuals to achieve a common goal

Front 8

collective goods

Back 8

goods that are collectively produced and freely available for anyones consumption

Front 9

compromise

Back 9

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

Front 10

conformity costs

Back 10

difference between what a person ideally would prefer and what the group with which that person makes collective decisions actually does.

Front 11

constitution

Back 11

document outlining the formal rules and institutions of government and the limits placed on its powers

Front 12

coordination

Back 12

act of organizing a group to achieve a common goal.

Front 13

delegation

Back 13

act of one person or body authorizign another person or body to perform an action on its behalf

Front 14

direct dmocracy

Back 14

system of government in which citizens make policy decisions by voting on legislation themselves rather than by delegating that authority to their representatives

Front 15

externalities

Back 15

public goods or bads generated as a byproduct of private activity

Front 16

focal point

Back 16

focus identified by participants wehn coordingating their energies to achieve a common purpose

Front 17

free rider problem

Back 17

situation in which individuals can recieve the benefits from a collective eactivity wheter or not they helped to pay for it, leaving them with no incentive to contribute

Front 18

government

Back 18

institution and pocedures through which people are ruled

Front 19

institution

Back 19

in a democracy, an organization that manages potential conflicts between political rivals, helps them to find mutually acceptable solutions, and makes and enforces societys collective agreements.

Front 20

majority rule

Back 20

principle that decisions shuld reflect the preferences of more than 1/2 of those voting

Front 21

office

Back 21

subdivision of some government departments that confers on its occupants specific suthority and responsibilites

Front 22

parlimentary governmetn

Back 22

form of government in which the chief executive is chosen by the majority party of by a coalition of parties in the legislature

Front 23

plurality

Back 23

vote in which the winning candidate receives teh greates number of votes (but not necessarioy a majority-- >50%)

Front 24

politics

Back 24

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 attended to achieve

Front 25

power

Back 25

officeholders actual influence with other officeholders and, as a a consequence, over the governments actions

Front 26

preferences

Back 26

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

Front 27

principle

Back 27

individual with the authority to make some decisions

Front 28

prisoners dilemma

Back 28

situation in which 2 (or more) actors cannot agree to cooperate for fear that the other wil find its interest best served by reneging on an agreement

Front 29

private goods

Back 29

benefits and services over which the owner has full control of their use

Front 30

privatie

Back 30

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

Front 31

public good

Back 31

goods that are collectivley produced and freely available for anyones consumption

Front 32

representative government

Back 32

political system in which citizens select government officials who, acting as their agents, deliberate and commit the citizenry to a course of collective action

Front 33

republic

Back 33

form of democracy in which power is vested in elected representatives

Front 34

seperation of powers

Back 34

distribution of government powers among several political instituions

Front 35

simpmle majority

Back 35

majority of 50% + 1

Front 36

tragedy of teh commons

Back 36

situation in whcih group memebers overexploit a common resource, casuing its destrutction

Front 37

transaction cost

Back 37

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

Front 38

tyranny

Back 38

form of government in which the ruling power exploits its authority and permits little popular control