Chapter 1- The Logic of American Politics | POLS 1101 - American Government, Quizzes of Local Government Studies

Download Chapter 1- The Logic of American Politics | POLS 1101 - American Government and more Quizzes Local Government Studies in PDF only on Docsity! TERM 1 Agency loss DEFINITION 1 The discrepancy between what citizens ideally would like their agents to do and how the agents actually behave TERM 2 Agenda control DEFINITION 2 The capacity to set the choices available to others. TERM 3 Agent DEFINITION 3 Someone who makes and implements decisions on behalf of someone else. TERM 4 Authority DEFINITION 4 The right to make and implement a decision. TERM 5 Bargaining DEFINITION 5 A form of negotiation in which two or more parties who disagree propose exchanges and concessions to find a course of acceptable collective action. TERM 6 Cabinet DEFINITION 6 The formal group of presidential advisers who head the major departments and agencies of the federal government. Members are chosen by the president and approved by the Senate. TERM 7 Coalition DEFINITION 7 An alliance of unlike-minded individuals or groups to achieve some common purpose such as lobbying, legislating, or campaigning for the election of public officials. TERM 8 Collective action DEFINITION 8 An action taken by a group of like-minded individuals to achieve a common goal. TERM 9 Collective goods DEFINITION 9 Goods that are collectively produced and freely available for anyones consumption. TERM 10 Command DEFINITION 10 The authority of one actor to dictate the actions of another. TERM 21 Initiative DEFINITION 21 An approach to direct democracy in which a proposal is placed on an election ballot when the requisite number of registered voters have signed petitions to do so. TERM 22 Institution DEFINITION 22 In a democracy, an organization that manages potential conflicts between political rivals, helps them to find mutually acceptable solutions, and makes and enforces the societys collective agreements. Congress, the presidency, and the Supreme Court are all prominent examples. TERM 23 Majority rule DEFINITION 23 The principle that decisions should reflect the preferences of more than half of those voting. Decision making by this principle is one of the fundamental procedures of democracy. TERM 24 Office DEFINITION 24 Subdivision of some government departments that confers on its occupants specific authority and responsibilities. TERM 25 Parliamentary government DEFINITION 25 A form of government in which the chief executive is chosen by the majority party or by a coalition of parties in the legislature. TERM 26 Plurality DEFINITION 26 A vote in which the winning candidate receives the greatest number of votes (but not necessarily a majorityover 50 percent). TERM 27 Politician DEFINITION 27 Elected professional who specializes in providing compelling reasons for people with different values and interests to join in a common action. TERM 28 Politics DEFINITION 28 The process by which individuals and groups reach agreement on a common course of action even as they continue to disagree on the goals that action is intended to achieve. TERM 29 Power DEFINITION 29 An officeholders actual influence with other officeholders, and, as a consequence, over the governments actions. TERM 30 Preferences DEFINITION 30 Individuals choices, reflecting economic situation, religious values, ethnic identity, or other valued interests. TERM 31 Principal DEFINITION 31 An individual with the authority to make some decision. This authority may be delegated to an agent who is supposed to act on this individuals behalf. TERM 32 Prisoner's dilemma DEFINITION 32 A situation in which two (or more) actors cannot agree to cooperate for fear that the other will find its interest best served by reneging on an agreement. TERM 33 Private goods DEFINITION 33 Benefits and services over which the owner has full control of their use. TERM 34 Privatize DEFINITION 34 Prevent a common resource from being over-exploited by tying the benefit of its consumption to its cost. TERM 35 Public goods DEFINITION 35 Goods that are collectively produced and freely available for anyones consumption.