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Amer Gov't - Bardes
Amer Gov't - Bardes 15th Ed. - Ch. 1 Glossary
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Anarchy | The condition of no government. |
| Aristocracy | Rule by the “best”; in reality, rule by an upper class. |
| Authoritarianism | A type of regime in which only the government itself is fully controlled by the ruler. Social and economic institutions exist that are not under the government’s control. |
| Authority | The right and power of a government or other entity to enforce its decisions and compel obedience. |
| Bill of Rights | The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution. |
| Capitalism | An economic system characterized by the private ownership of wealth |
| Civil Liberties | Those personal freedoms that are protected for all individuals. The civil liberties set forth in the U.S. Constitution, as amended, restrain the government from taking certain actions against individuals. |
| Communism | A revolutionary variant of socialism that favors a partisan (and often totalitarian) dictatorship, government control of all enterprises, and the replacement of free markets by central planning. |
| Consent of the People | The idea that governments and laws derive their legitimacy from the consent of the governed. |
| Conservatism | A set of beliefs that includes a limited role for the national government in helping individuals, support for traditional values and lifestyles, and a cautious response to change. |
| Democracy | A system of government in which political authority is vested in the people. Derived from the Greek words demos (“the people”) and kratos (“authority”). |
| Democratic Republic | A republic in which representatives elected by the people make and enforce laws and policies. |
| Direct Democracy | A system of government in which political decisions are made by the people directly, rather than by their elected representatives; probably attained most easily in small political communities. |
| Dominant Culture | The values, customs, and language established by the group or groups that traditionally have controlled politics and government in a society. |
| Elite Theory | A perspective holding that society is ruled by a small number of people who exercise power to further their self |
| Equality | As a political value, the idea that all people are of equal worth. |
| Fascism | A twentieth century ideology—often totalitarian—that exalts the national collective united behind an absolute ruler. Fascism rejects liberal individualism, values action over rational deliberation, and glorifies war. |
| Government | A preeminent institution within society in which decisions are made that resolve conflicts or allocate benefits and privileges. It is unique because it has the ultimate authority for making decisions and establishing political values. |
| Hispanic | Someone who can claim a heritage from a Spanish speaking country (other than Spain). The term is used only in the United States or other countries that receive immigrants. |
| Ideology | A comprehensive set of beliefs about the nature of people and about the role of an institution or government. |
| Initiative | A procedure by which voters can propose a law or a constitutional amendment. |
| Institution | An ongoing organization that performs certain functions for society. |
| Legislature | A governmental body primarily responsible for the making of laws. |
| Legitimacy | Popular acceptance of the right and power of a government or other entity to exercise authority. |
| Liberalism | A set of beliefs that includes the advocacy of positive government action to improve the welfare of individuals, support for civil rights, and tolerance for political and social change. |
| Libertarianism | A political ideology based on strong support for economic and social equality. Socialists traditionally envisioned a society in which major businesses were taken over by the government or by employee cooperatives. |
| Liberty | The greatest freedom of the individual that is consistent with the freedom of other individuals in the society. |
| Limited Government | A government in which governmental powers are limited either through a written document or through widely shared beliefs. |
| Majoritarianism | A political theory holding that in a democracy, the government ought to do what the majority of the people want. |
| Majority | More than 50 percent. |
| Majority Rule | A basic principle of democracy asserting that the greatest number of citizens in any political unit should select officials and determine policies. |
| Order | A state of peace and security. Maintaining order by protecting members of society from violence and criminal activity is the oldest purpose of government. |
| Pluralism | A theory that views politics as a conflict among interest groups. Political decision making is characterized by bargaining and compromise. |
| Political Culture | A patterned set of ideas, values, and ways of thinking about government and politics. |
| Political Socialization | The process by which political beliefs and values are transmitted to new immigrants and to our children. The family and the educational system are two of the most important forces in the political socialization process. |
| Politics | The process of resolving conflicts and deciding “who gets what, when, and how.” The struggle over power or influence within organizations or informal groups that can grant or withhold benefits or privileges. |
| Popular Sovereignty | The concept that ultimate political authority is based on the will of the people. |
| Property | Anything that is or may be subject to ownership. As conceived by the political philosopher John Locke, the right to property is a natural right superior to human law (laws made by government). |
| Recall | A procedure allowing the people to vote to dismiss an elected official from state office before his or her term has expired. |
| Referendum | An electoral device whereby legislative or constitutional measures are referred by the legislature to the voters for approval or disapproval. |
| Representative Democracy | A form of government in which representatives elected by the people make and enforce laws and policies; may retain the monarchy in a ceremonial role. |
| Republic | A form of government in which sovereign power rests with the people, rather than with a king or a monarch. |
| Theocracy | Literally, rule by God or the gods; in practice, rule by religious leaders, typically self |
| Totalitarian Regime | A form of government that controls all aspects of the political and social life of a nation. |
| Universal Suffrage | The right of all adults to vote for their representatives. |
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