Pols Chapter 1 Terms

Front 1

Absolute Majority

Back 1

Obtaining 50% plus one of all members or all eligible voters.

Front 2

Autocracy

Back 2

A form of gov in which the power to make authoritative decisions and allocate resources is vested in 1 person

Front 3

Democracy

Back 3

A form of gov in which all citizens have the opportunity to participate in the process of making authoritative decisions and allocating resources

Front 4

Direct Democracy

Back 4

A form of democracy in which ordinary citizens, rather than representatives collectively make gov decisions

Front 5

Economic Equality

Back 5

The idea that each individual receives the same amount of material goods, regardless of his or her contribution to society

Front 6

Elitist

Back 6

A term used to describe a society in which organized, influential minority interests dominate the political process

Front 7

Equality of opportunity

Back 7

The idea that every individual has the right to develop to the fullest extent of his or her own abilities

Front 8

Equality under the law

Back 8

The idea that the law is supposed to be applied impartially, without regard of the identity or status of the individual involved

Front 9

False consensus

Back 9

The tendency of people to believe their views are normal or represent common sense and therefore are shaped by most people

Front 10

Government

Back 10

The institution that has the authority to make binding decisions for all of society

Front 11

Ideology

Back 11

A consistent set of values, attitudes, and beliefs about the appropriate role of gov in society

Front 12

Initiative

Back 12

An election in which citizens circulate a petition to put a proposed law on a ballot for the voters to approve

Front 13

Liberal Democracy

Back 13

Representative democracies such as Great Britain and the US that have a particular concern for individual liberty. The rule of law and a constitutional constrain elected representatives, and the will of the majority, from using their rights to take away power from the minorities

Front 14

Majority Rule

Back 14

The gov follows the course of action preferred by most people

Front 15

Minority rights

Back 15

The full rights of democratic citizenship held by any group numerically inferior to the majority. These fundamental democratic rights can't be taken away-even if a majority wishes to do so-without breaking the promise of democracy.

Front 16

Oligarchy

Back 16

A form of gov in which the power to make authoritative decisions and allocate resources is vested in a small group of people.

Front 17

Partisanship

Back 17

A psychological attachment to a political party

Front 18

Pluarlistic

Back 18

A term used to describe a society in which power is distributed among diverse groups and interests

Front 19

Plurality

Back 19

Obtaining the largest percentage of a vote, when no one has a majority

Front 20

Political Equality

Back 20

Individual preferences are given an equal weight

Front 21

Political science

Back 21

The systematic study of gov, political institutions, processes, and behavior

Front 22

Politics

Back 22

The process of making binding decisions about who gets what or whose values everyone is going to live by

Front 23

Popular sovereignty

Back 23

The idea that the highest political authority in a democracy is the will of the people

Front 24

Referendum

Back 24

An election in which a state legislature refers a proposed law to the voters for their approval

Front 25

Representative democracy

Back 25

Defined as a system of gov where ordinary citizens don't make gov decisions themselves, but choose public officials-representatives of the people-to make decisions for them

Front 26

Science

Back 26

A method of acquiring knowledge through the formation of hypotheses that can be tested through empirical observation in order to make claims about how the world works and why

Front 27

Simple majority

Back 27

Fifty percent plus one of those participating or of those who vote

Front 28

Social equality

Back 28

The idea that people should be free of class or social barriers and discrimination

Front 29

Sovereignty

Back 29

The legitimate authority in a gov to wield coercive power to authoritatively allocate values

Front 30

Utility

Back 30

The amount of enjoyment an individual receives from a given situation or outcome