Political Science Chapter 1

Front 1

the increasing interdependence of citizens and nations across the world

Back 1

Globalization

Front 2

the legitimate use of force to control human behavior. Also the organization or agency authorized to exercise that force.

Back 2

Government

Front 3

a political entity’s externally recognized right to exercise final authority over its affairs

- international relations and diplomacy have been based on this principle
- each national government has the right to govern its people as it wishes, without interference from other nations
- is threatened under globalization

Back 3

National Sovereignty

Front 4

What are the purposes of government?

Back 4

1. Maintaining Order

2. Providing Public Goods

3. Promoting Equality: Economically and Socially

Front 5

established ways of social behavior.

- oldest purpose of government
- it is establishing the rule of law to perserve life and protect property

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Order

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benefits and services that benefit all citizens but are not likely to be produced voluntarily by individuals

- examples: parks, sanitation, public schools, firefighters, police

Back 6

Public Goods

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How do we promote equality?

Back 7

controversy: taxes

Who do we tax?
Is everyone taxed equally? Who qualifies?

Front 8

_________ equality is newer than _________ equality.

Back 8

Social is newer than economic

Front 9

Which of the three purposes of government is less controversial than the others?

Back 9

providing public goods

Front 10

Government spending for highways, schools and parks carries benefits for nearly every citizen

this is an example of what?

Back 10

Providing public goods

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a generalized idea of a class of items or thoughts

its groups various events, objects, or qualities under a common classification or label

Back 11

Concept

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What are the concepts that relate to what government does?

Back 12

order, freedom, and equality

Front 13

all governments value what?

Back 13

Order

Front 14

Maintaining _____ is part of the meaning of government.

Back 14

Order

Front 15

The concepts that describe models of democratic government:

Back 15

Majoritarian democracy

Pluralist Democracy

Front 16

an absence of constraints on behavior

example: speech or religion

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Freedom

Front 17

the authority of government to maintain order and safeguard citizens’ safety, health, welfare and morals.

Under legal tradition and constitutional provisions, state governments can act directly on residents under their police power.

Back 17

Police power

Front 18

equality in political decisions making One vote per person with all votes counted equally

This basic concept is central to democratic theory.

Back 18

Political equality

Front 19

equality in wealth, education and status

Back 19

Social equality

Front 20

Two routes of social equality:

Back 20

equality of opportunity

equality of outcome

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equality of opportunity

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the idea that each person is guaranteed the same chance to succeed in life.

The U.s Constitution prohibits titles of nobility.

Owning property is not a requirement for holding public office.

Public schools and libraries are free to all.

Front 22

equality of outcome

Back 22

the concept that society must ensure that people

are equal, and governments must design policies to redistribute wealth and status to achieve economic and social equality.

Front 23

the benefits of government to which every citizen is entitled.

Back 23

rights

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a consistent set of values and beliefs about the proper purpose and scope of government

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political idealology

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a political philosophy that advocates unlimited power for the government to enable it to control all sectors of society.

The belief that government should have unlimited power

Controls all sectors of society: business, labor, education, religion, sports, the arts and others

A true totalitarian favors a network of laws, rules and regulations that guides every aspect of individual behavior

Back 25

totalitarianism

Front 26

Socialism

Back 26

a form of rule in which the central government plays a strong role in regulating existing private industry and direction the economy.

Allows more room than communism for for private ownership of productive capacity

Pertains to government’s role in the economy Like communism, it is based on Marxist theory.

The scope of government extends to ownership or control of the basic industries that produce goods and services

Communications, Heavy Industry, Transportation

Front 27

Democratic socialism

Back 27

a socialist form of government that guarantees civil liberties such as freedom of speech and religion.

Citizens determine the extent of government activity though free elections and competitive political parties.

Front 28

capitalism

Back 28

the system of government that favors free enterprise

Front 29

free enterprise

Back 29

privately onward businesses operating without government regulation

Also relates to the government’s role in the economy. In contrast to both social and communism.

Front 30

libertarianism

Back 30

a political ideology that is opposed to all government action except as necessary to protect life and property.

Example: libertarians believe that social programs that provide food, clothing, and shelter are outside the proper scope of government.

Front 31

laissez faire

Back 31

an economic doctrine that opposes any form of government intervention in business

Front 32

anarchism

Back 32

a political [philosophy that opposes government in any form Opposite totalitarianism on the political continuum.

Values absolute freedom above all else.

Front 33

liberals

Back 33

those who are willing to use government to promote equality but not order

Front 34

liberals favor what?

Back 34

Government activities that promote equality

Examples: affirmative action programs to employ minorities and increased spending on public housing

Front 35

liberals oppose what?

Back 35

Government actions that restrict individual liberties

Examples: Banning sexually explicit movies or mandatory testing for AIDS

Front 36

conservatives

Back 36

those who are willing to use government to promote order but not equality.

Front 37

conservatives favor what?

Back 37

Government actions that restrict individual liberties

Examples: Banning sexually explicit movies or mandatory testing for AIDS

Front 38

conservatives oppose what?

Back 38

Government activities that promote equality

Examples: affirmative action programs to employ minorities and increased spending on public housing

Front 39

libertarians

Back 39

Those who are opposed to using government to promote either order or equality

Front 40

libertarians favor:

Back 40

Government activities that promote equality

Examples: affirmative action programs to employ minorities and increased spending on public housing

Government actions that restrict individual liberties

Examples: Banning sexually explicit movies or mandatory testing for AIDS

Front 41

democracy

Back 41

a system of government in which, in theory, the people rule, either directly or indirectly

Front 42

communitarians

Back 42

Those who are willing to use government to promote both order and

equality

Front 43

communitarians favor

Back 43

Government activities that promote equality

Examples: affirmative action programs to employ minorities and increased spending on public housing

Government actions that restrict individual liberties

Examples: Banning sexually explicit movies or mandatory testing for AIDS

Front 44

procedural democratic theory

Back 44

a view of democracy as being embodied in a decision- making process that involves universal participation, political equality, majority rule, and responsiveness.

Front 45

The procedural democratic theory

sets forth principles that describe how government should make decisions:

Back 45

Who would participate in decision making?

Universal Participation: the concept that everyone in a democracy should participate in governmental deacons making.

How much should each participant vote count?

Political Equality (all votes count the same)

How many votes are needed to reach a decision?

majority rule: the principle that the decision of a group must reflect the preference of more than half of those participating

Front 46

problems with the procedural democratic theory

Back 46

clashes with minority rights

Front 47

minority rights

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the basic benefits of government that cannot be denied

to any citizens by majority decisions
eliminate majority rule = protect minority rights

Front 48

participatory democracy

Back 48

a system of government where raid and file citizens rule themselves rather than electing representatives to government on their behalf

Front 49

Representative democracy

Back 49

a system of government where citizens elect public officials to govern on their behalf

responsiveness: a decision making principle, that implies that elected representatives should do what the majority of people want

Front 50

Substantive democratic theory

Back 50

the view that democracy is embodied in the substance of government policies rather than in the policy making procedure

Most theorists agree on basic criterion that government policies should guarantee civil liberties and civil rights

Substantive Theorists would reject a law that requires Bible reading in schools because it violates substantive principles (freedom of religion)

Problem: does not provide clear, precise criteria that allow us to determine whether a government is democratic

Front 51

civil liberties

Back 51

freedom of behavior( religion & expression)

Front 52

civil rights

Back 52

powers or privileges that government may not arbitrarily deny to individuals (protection against discrimination in employment and housing)

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Theory of Democratic Government: Who should govern?

Back 53

the people

Front 54

Majoritarian Model

Back 54

“government by the people” is interpreted as government by the majority of the people

depends on elections, referendums, and initiative referendum: an election on a policy issue

initiative: when a policy question is put on the ballet by the action of citizens circulating petitions and gathering required minimum number of signatures

Assumes that citizens:
Are knowledgeable about government and politics

Want to participate in the political process

Make rational decisions in voting for their elected representatives

Front 55

Plurist Democracy

Back 55

interprets “government by the people” as government by

people operating through competing interest groups Organizations operate separately from government

Process their interest on the government Challenge the government
Divided authority

Problems: interest group system is not one that provides equal representation

interest group (lobby): an organized group of individuals that seeks to influence public policy

Front 56

Majoritarian model 2

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mass public controls government action

requires citizens who understand government and are willing to participate

Front 57

plurist model

Back 57

interest groups control government action

relies on knowledgable interest groups

Front 58

Undemocratic model (elite theory)

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the view that a small group of people actually makes most of the important decisions

creates oligarchy: a system of government in which power is concentrated in the hands of a few people

Front 59

What is the difference between elite theory and purist theory?

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Relationship between minority and majority

plurists: minorities compete with each other in each policy area elite: minority vs the majority

Front 60

What is a good example of a public good?

Back 60

sanitation services

Front 61

Building roads is an example of which purpose of government?

Back 61

providing public goods

Front 62

One modern example of a lawless country is ______________.

Back 62

botswana

Front 63

The quote “from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs” describes the political philosophy of

Back 63

communism

Front 64

What is the term for a government with unlimited power?

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totalitarianism

Front 65

What is an example of a government navigating the dilemma between freedom and equality?

Back 65

creating a busing program to migrate school segregation

Front 66

A state constitution bars the establishment of an official region. Order, Equality or Freedom?

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freedom

Front 67

A country’s constitution guarantees the right of journalists to publish without government interference. Order, Equality or Freedom?

Back 67

freedom

Front 68

A state guarantees the right of protestors to assemble peacefully. Order, Equality or Freedom?

Back 68

freedom

Front 69

A country abolishes property qualifications for voting or holding office property Order, Equality or Freedom?

Back 69

equality

Front 70

What ideology is government action is only acceptable in order to protect life and property?

Back 70

libertarianism

Front 71

What ideology is government must have a large role in the economy, but it can allow for some private property rights.

Back 71

socialism

Front 72

What ideology is any and all government intervention into personal freedom is unacceptable and should thus be avoided.

Back 72

anarchism

Front 73

What ideology is In this type of regime a leader or leaders control all aspects of society

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totalitarianism

Front 74

What theory is the ideal government has many institutions, providing multiple points of access for citizens

Back 74

pluralism

Front 75

What theory supports the idea that the United States is an oligarchy?

Back 75

elite theory

Front 76

What theory supports the idea that the best government is one that is decentralized and complex?

Back 76

pluralism

Front 77

What theory supports the idea that citizens control their government if they have adequate means for population participation?

Back 77

majoritarianism

Front 78

What theory supports the idea that important decisions in American politics are made by a persistent, identifiable minority.

Back 78

elite theory