The Basics
a form of government where political power rests in the hands of the people
What is a democracy?
goods provided by private businesses that can be used only by those who pay for them
What are private goods?
a form of government where one ruler, usually a hereditary one, holds political power
What is a monarchy?
a fundamental principle of democracy; the majority should have the power to make decisions binding upon the whole
What is majority rule?
a form of government where voters elect representatives to make decisions and pass laws on behalf of all the people instead of allowing people to vote directly on laws
What is a representative democracy?
goods that all people may use but that are of limited supply
What are common goods?
claims political power rests in the hands of a small, elite group of people
What is elite theory?
protections for those who are not part of the majority
What are minority rights?
the means by which a society organizes itself and allocates authority in order to accomplish collective goals
What is government?
goods provided by government that anyone can use and that are available to all without charge
What are public goods?
a form of government where a handful of elite society members hold political power
What is an oligarchy?
the beliefs and ideals that help to shape political opinion and eventually policy
What is ideology?
the process by which we decide how resources will be allocated and which policies government will pursue
What is politics?
a good that is available to many people but is used only by those who can pay the price to do so
What is a toll good?
a form of government where people participate directly in making government decisions instead of choosing representatives to do this for them
What is a direct democracy?
strong support, or even blind allegiance, for a particular political party
What is partisanship?
the form of government created at the Constitutional Convention in 1787
What is a constitutional republic?
give an example of a private good, a common good, a public good, and a toll good
What are.......?
a form of government where government is all-powerful and citizens have no rights
What is totalitarianism?
beliefs and preferences people are not deeply committed to and that change over time
What are latent preferences?