1. conservatives/conservatism: those persons who advocate conservatism; a political ideology
whose advocates fear the growth of government, prefer to maintain the status quo, deplore the
government’s drag on private-sector initiatives, dislike permissiveness in society, and place priority on
military needs over social needs
2. democracy: a system of selecting policymakers and of organizing government so that policy
represents and responds to the public’s preferences
3. elite: the upper class in a society that utilizes wealth for political power; according to the elite and
class theory of government and politics, elites control policies because they control key institutions
4. elite and class theory: a theory of government and politics contending that societies are divided
along class lines and that an upper-class elite will rule, regardless of the formal niceties of
governmental organization
5. government: the institutions and processes through which public policies are made for a society
6. gross domestic product: the sum total of the value of all the goods and services produced in a
nation
7. hyperpluralism: a theory of government and politics contending that groups are so strong that
government is weakened; an extreme, exaggerated, or perverted form of pluralism
8. individualism: the belief that individuals should be left on their own by the government; one of the
primary reasons for the comparatively small scope of American government is the prominence of this
belief in American political thought and practice
9. liberals/liberalism: those who advocate liberalism; a political ideology whose advocates prefer a
government active in dealing with human needs, support individual rights and liberties, and give
higher priority to social needs than to military needs
10. linkage institutions: the channels or access points through which issues and people’s public
policy preferences get on the government’s policy agenda; in the United States, elections, political
parties, and interest groups are the three main linkage institutions
11. majority rule: a fundamental principle of traditional democratic theory; in a democracy, choosing
among alternatives requires that the majority’s desire be respected
12. minority rights: a principle of traditional democratic theory that guarantees rights to those who do
not belong to majorities and allows that they might join majorities through persuasion and reasoned
argument
13. pluralist theory: a theory of government and politics emphasizing that politics is mainly a
competition among groups, each one pressing for its own preferred policies
14. policy agenda: the list of subjects or problems to which government officials, and people outside
of government closely associated with those officials, are paying some serious attention at any given
time
15. policy gridlock: a condition that occurs when no coalition is strong enough to form a majority and
establish policy; the result is that nothing may get done
16. policy impacts: the effect a policy has on people and problems; impacts are analyzed to see how
well a policy has met its goal and at what cost
17. policymaking institutions: the branches of government charged with taking action on political
issues; the U.S. Constitution established three policymaking institutions – the Congress, the
presidency, and the courts; today, the power of the bureaucracy is so great that most political
scientists consider it a fourth policymaking institution
18. policymaking system: the process by which political problems are communicated by the voters
and acted upon by government policymakers; the policymaking system begins with people’s needs
and expectations for governmental action; when people confront government officials with problems
they want solved, they are trying to influence the government’s policy agenda
19. political issue: an issue that arises when people disagree about a problem and a public policy
choice
20. political participation: all the activities used by citizens to influence the selection of political
leaders or the policies they pursue; the most common, but not the only means of political participation
in a democracy is voting; other means include protest and civil disobedience politics: the art or
science of government or governing, especially the governing of a political entity, such as a nation,
and the administration and control of its internal and external affairs; “who gets what, when, and how”
21. public goods: goods, such as clean air and clean water, that everyone must share
22. public policy: a choice that government makes in response to a political issue; a policy is a
course of action taken with regard to some problem
23. representation: a basic principle of traditional democratic theory that describes the relationship
between the few leaders and the many followers
24. single-issue groups: groups that have a narrow interest, tend to dislike compromise, and often
draw membership from people new to politics; these features distinguish them from traditional interest
groups
25. Traditional democratic theory: a theory about how a democratic government makes its decisions;
its cornerstones are equality in voting, effective participation, enlightened understanding, final control
over the agenda, and inclusion
government That complex of offices, personnel, and processes and by which a state is ruled, by which its public policies
are made and enforced.
representative government The idea that government should serve the will of the people. Representative government
is that system of government in which public policies are made by officials who are selected by the voters and who are
held accountable to the voters in periodic elections. "Representative government" = "Republican form of government"
The Magna Carta Document written in 1215 which established the principle of limited government and the
fundamental rights of English citizens. The document also introduced such fundamental rights as trial by jury and due
process of law.
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popular sovereignty Basic principle of the American system of government; that the people are the only source of any
and all governmental power, that government must be conducted with the consent of the governed.
Articles of Confederation Document which formed a confederation among the states. The Articles established "firm
league of friendship" among the states who came together "for their common defense and security of their liberties and
their mutual and general welfare." Under the Articles of Confederation, most power rested with the state legislatures.
Shay's Rebellion A protest against the farmer's loss of property to tax collectors. The rebellion demonstrated the
weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, provided a sound reason to amend the Articles and a justification for calling
the Constitutional Convention.
Connecticut Compromise Compromise at the Constitutional Convention which called for a Congress to be composed
of two houses. States were to have equal representation in the Senate. In the House, representation would be based on
population.
The Three-Fifths Compromise Compromise at the Constitutional Convention in which the delegates agreed to count
slaves as three-fifths of a person for purposes of representation and taxation. It was a plan to satisfy the South's desire to
inflate the population count of their states.
Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise Compromise at the Constitutional Convention in which Congress was
forbidden to tax exports and act on the slave trade for at least 20 years.
Direct democracy – Government in which citizens vote on laws and
select officials directly.
Representative democracy – Government in which the people elect those
who govern and pass laws; also called a republic.
Popular consent – The idea that a just government must derive its
powers from the consent of the people it governs.
Majority rule – Governance according to the expressed preferences of
the majority.
Majority – The candidate or party that wins more than half the votes
cast in an election.
Plurality – Candidate or party with the most votes cast in an
election, not necessarily more than half.
Theocracy – Government by religious leaders, who claim divine
guidance.
Articles of Confederation – The first governing document of the
confederated states drafted in 1777, ratified in 1781, and replaced
by the present Constitution in 1789.
Annapolis Convention – A convention held in September 1786 to
consider problems of trade and navigation, attended by five states
and important because it issued the call to Congress and the states
for what became the Constitutional Convention.
Constitutional Convention – The convention in Philadelphia, May 25 to
September 17, 1787, that debated and agreed upon the Constitution of
the United States.
Shays’s Rebellion – Rebellion led by Daniel Shays of farmers in
western Massachusetts in 1786-1787, protesting mortgage foreclosures.
It highlighted the need for a strong national government just as the
call for the Constitutional Convention went out.
Virginia Plan – Initial proposal at the Constitutional Convention
made by the Virginia delegation for a strong central government with
a bicameral legislature dominate by the big states.
New Jersey Plan – Proposal at the Constitutional Convention made by
William Paterson of New Jersey for a central government with a
single-house legislature in which each state would be represented
equally.
Connecticut Compromise – Compromise agreement by states at the
Constitution Convention for a bicameral legislature with a lower
house in which representation would be based on population and an
upper house in which each state would have two senators.
Three-fifths compromise – Compromise between northern and southern
states at the Constitutional Convention that three-fifths of the
slave population would be counted for determining direct taxation and
representation in the House of Representatives.
Unalienable
Based on nature and Providence rather than on the
preferences of people.
Articles of Confederation
A constitution drafted by the newly
independent states in 1777 and ratified in 1781. It created a weak
national government that could not levy taxes or regulate commerce.
In 1789 it was replaced by our current constitution
Constitutional Convention
A meeting of delegates in 1787 to revise
the Articles of Confederation, which produced a totally new
constitution still in use today
Shays's Rebellion
A rebellion in 1787 led by Daniel Shays and
other ex-Revolutionary War soldiers and officers to prevent
foreclosures of farms as a result of high interest rates and taxes.
Great Compromise Compromise at the constitutional convention in
1787 between the small states and large states. Set up the amounts of
people in the Senate and the House of Representatives. One population
based (House), the other a set number of representatives (Senate).
Republic
A form of democracy in which power is vested in
representatives selected by means of popular competitive elections.
Faction According to James Madison, a group of people who seek to
influence public policy in ways contrary to the public good
Coalition
An alliance among different interest groups (factions)
or parties to achieve some political goal. An example is the
coalition sometimes formed between Republicans and conservative
Democrats.