Term
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Definition
| when the people select a representative to organize the government, create policies, and to respond to the peoples demands |
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Term
| Criteria essential for "an ideal democratic process" (5) |
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Definition
.Equality in voting- the principle of "one person, one vote " is basic to democracy
.Effective participation- political participation must be representative
. Enlightned understanding- free press and free speech are essential to civic understanding
. Citizen control of the agenda- citizens should have the collective right to control the government's policy agenda
. Inclusion- citizenship must be open to all within a nation |
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Term
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Definition
. groups compete with one another for control over public policy, with no one group or set of groups dominating.
.There are muliple access points to ur government, wtih power dispersed among the various branches and levels of government.
.Bargaining and compromise are essential ingredients of our democracy.
.Electoral majorities rarely rule; rather, as Dahl put it, "all active and legitimate groups in the population can make themsleves heard at some crucial stage in the policymaking process.
.The recent increase in interest group activity is cited by pluralist as evidence of pluralism. |
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Term
| Elite and Class Theory (4) |
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Definition
. An upper-class elite rules, regardless of governmental organization.
. Wealth is the basis of class power a few powerful Americans are the policymakers.
.Big business and its power is at the center of most elite and class theories
. The Regan Administration strongly promoted big business. |
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Term
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Definition
. Many groups are so strong that government is unable to act.
.There are too many groups with access to the different levels and branches of government: these groups have multiple ways to both prevent policies they disagree with and promote those they support.
Ex. when politicians try to placate every group, the result is confusing, contradictory, and muddled policy ( or no policy at all). |
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Term
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Definition
| a belief that individual problems can be solved by individual, not governmental, solutions. |
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Definition
| where each interest uses its influence to thwart policies it opposes so that no coalition forms a majority to establish policy |
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Term
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Definition
| weighing the desires of the majority in choosing among policy alternatives |
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Term
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Definition
| protecting the rights and freedoms of the minority in choosing among policy alternatives |
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Term
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Definition
| the relationship between the leaders and the followers |
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