Quizlet AP Gov - Chapter 1

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  1. Democracy: means of selecting policy makers and of organizing government so that policy reflects citizen's preferences
  2. Elite and Class theory: states that societies are divided along class lines and that an upper-class elite will rule
  3. Government: the institutions and processes through which public policies are made for society
  4. Hyper-pluralism: states that many groups not just the elite ones are so strong that government is unable to act
  5. Linkage institutions: institutions transmit the preferences of Americans to the policymakers in government.
  6. Majority rule: in choosing among alternatives, the will of over half the voters should be followed
  7. Minority rights: the majority cannot infringe upon looking after the concerns of the many
  8. Pluralist theory: states that politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its own preferred policies
  9. Policy Gridlock: it occurs when each policy coalition finds its way blocked by others
  10. Policy agenda: consists of the issues that attract the serious attention of public officials and other people actively involved in politics at any given time
  11. Policymaking institutions: branches of government charged with taking action on political issues
  12. Political issue: An issue that arises when people disagree about a problem and how to fix it.
  13. Politics: determine whom we select as our governmental leaders and what policies these leaders pursue
  14. Public Goods: other services, such as a college education or medical care, can be restricted to individuals who meet certain criteria, but may be provided by the private sector as well.
  15. Representation: in a democracy it describes the relationship between the few leaders and the many followers
  16. Single-issue groups: concerned with one issue that members cast their votes on the basis of that issue only, ignoring a politician's stand on everything else.
  17. political participation: all the activities used by citizens to influence the selection of political leaders or policies. Voting, protest, civil disobedience, etc.
  18. public policy: A choice that government makes in response to a political issue. A course of action taken with regard to some problem.