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33 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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American dream
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An American ideal of a happy, successful life, which often includes wealth, a house, a better life for one’s children, and, for some, the ability to grow up to be president.
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Citizen
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Member of the political community to whom certain rights and obligations are attached.
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Civil society
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society created when citizens are allowed to organize and express their views publicly as they engage in an open debate about public policy.
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Conservative
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One thought to believe that a government is best that governs least and that big government can only infringe on individual, personal, and economic rights.
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Democracy
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A system of government that gives power to the people, whether directly or through elected representatives.
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Direct democracy
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A system of government in which members of the polity meet to discuss all policy decision s and then agree to abide by majority rule.
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Government
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The formal vehicles through which policies are made and affairs of state are conducted.
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Indirect (representative) democracy
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A system of government that gives citizens the opportunity to vote for representatives who will work on their behalf.
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Liberal
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One considered to favor extensive governmental involvement in the economy and the provision of social services and to take an activist role in protecting the rights of women, the elderly, minorities, and the environment.
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Libertarian
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one who favors a free market economy and no governmental interference in personal liberties.
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Majority rule
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The central premise of direct democracy in which only policies that collectively garner the support of a majority of voters will be made into law.
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Mayflower Compact
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Document written by the Pilgrims while at sea enumerating the scope of their government and its expectations of citizens.
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Monarchy
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A form of government in which power is vested in hereditary kings and queens who govern in the interests of all.
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Natural law
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A doctrine that society should be governed by certain ethical principles that are part of nature and as such, can be understood by reason.
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Oligarchy
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A form of government in which the right to participate is conditioned on the possession of wealth, social status, military position, or achievement.
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Personal liberty
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A key characteristic of US democracy. Initially meaning freedom from governmental interference, today it includes demands for freedom to engage in a variety of practices free from governmental discrimination.
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Political culture
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Commonly shared attitudes, beliefs, and core values about how government should operate.
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Political equality
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the principle that all citizens should participate equally in government
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Political ideology
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the coherent set of values and beliefs about the purpose and scope of government held by groups and individuals.
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Politics
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The study of who gets what, when, and how—or how policy decisions are made.
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Popular consent
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The idea that governments must draw their powers from the consent of the governed.
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Popular sovereignty
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The notion that the ultimate authority in society rests with the people.
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Republic
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A government rooted in the consent of the governed
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Social conservative
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One who believes that traditional moral teachings should be supported and furthered by the government.
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Social contract
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An agreement between the people and their government signifying their consent to be governed.
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Social contract theory
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The belief that people are free and equal by God give right and that this in turn requires that all people give their consent to be governed
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Totalitarianism
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A form of government in which power resides in a leader who rules according to self-interest and without regard for individual rights and liberties.
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What are the roots of American government?
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Governments
• Made up of individuals and institutions, are the vehicles through which policies are made and affairs of state are conducted. • Needed to maintain order because governments alone can use force. • Have many functions: In the US context, most of these are included in the Preamble to the Constitution. • Take many forms depending on the number who rule as well as whose interest are represented. |
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What are the philosophical origins of American government?
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The American political system is based on several principles that have their roots in classical Greek ideas about democracy.
The ideas of social contract theorists John Locke and Thomas Hobbes • Held the belief that people are free and equal by natural right, have continuing implications for our ideas of the proper role of government in our indirect democracy. |
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What defines American political culture and what are the tenets of America democracy?
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Key tenets of Americans’ shared political culture are:
• Personal liberty • Equality • Popular consent and majority rule • Popular sovereignty • Civil society • Individualism Religious faith |
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What is the role of political ideology in the US and the world?
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Ideologies:
• The belief systems that shape the thinking of individuals and how they view the world. • Play a powerful role in the US and abroad. Most Americans identify themselves as: • Conservative • Liberals • Moderates |
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What are the changing characteristics of the American people?
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Several characteristics of the American electorate can help us understand how the system continues to evolve and change.
• Chief among these are changes in: Size, Population & Demographics |
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How do population changes and Americans’ attitudes toward government affect policies and efforts toward reform?
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Shifts in population have created controversy in the American electorate through America’s history.
• Membership in a demographic group is likely to affect one’s outlook on government policies. • Moreover, Americans have high and often unrealistic expectations of government yet often fail to appreciate how much their government actually does for them. American’s failing trust institutions also explains some of the apathy evidenced in the electorate. |
