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1.4: Key Terms

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    284463
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    common goods
    goods that all people may use but that are of limited supply
    democracy
    a form of government where political power rests in the hands of the people
    direct democracy
    a form of government where people participate directly in making government decisions instead of choosing representatives to do this for them
    elite theory
    claims political power rests in the hands of a small, elite group of people
    government
    the means by which a society organizes itself and allocates authority in order to accomplish collective goals
    ideology
    the beliefs and ideals that help to shape political opinion and eventually policy
    intense preferences
    beliefs and preferences based on strong feelings regarding an issue that someone adheres to over time
    latent preferences
    beliefs and preferences people are not deeply committed to and that change over time
    majority rule
    a fundamental principle of democracy; the majority should have the power to make decisions binding upon the whole
    minority rights
    protections for those who are not part of the majority
    monarchy
    a form of government where one ruler, usually a hereditary one, holds political power
    oligarchy
    a form of government where a handful of elite society members hold political power
    partisanship
    strong support, or even blind allegiance, for a particular political party
    pluralist theory
    claims political power rests in the hands of groups of people
    political power
    influence over a government’s institutions, leadership, or policies
    politics
    the process by which we decide how resources will be allocated and which policies government will pursue
    private goods
    goods provided by private businesses that can be used only by those who pay for them
    public goods
    goods provided by government that anyone can use and that are available to all without charge
    representative democracy
    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
    social capital
    connections with others and the willingness to interact and aid them
    toll good
    a good that is available to many people but is used only by those who can pay the price to do so
    totalitarianism
    a form of government where government is all-powerful and citizens have no rights

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