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Government
Gov't Ch. 1
45
Other
Undergraduate 1
02/08/2011

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Term
Politics
Definition
the process through which individuals and groups reach agreement on a course of common, or collective, action - even as they disagree on the intended goals of that action
Term
bargaining
Definition
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
preference
Definition
individuals and groups know what they want // may reflect the individual's economic situation, religious values, ethnic identity, or some other valued interest. (etc) preferences needs to be reconciled in case of compromise.
Term
institution
Definition
in a democracy, an organization that manages potential conflicts between political rivals, helps them to find mutually acceptable solutions, and makes and enforces the society's collective agreements. Among the prominent federal political institutions in the United States are Congress, the presidency, and the Supreme court
Term
agency loss
Definition
The discrepancy between what citizens ideally would like their agents to do and how the agents actually behave.
Term
agenda control
Definition
The capacity to set the choices available to others
ex. a senator proposing an amendment to a bill under consideration. The agenda controller thus limits the choices available to the collectivity. has both positive and negative impacts.
positive - low conformity cost
negative - the limited choices presented by the agenda controller
Term
agent
Definition
someone who makes and implements decisions on behalf of someone else.
Term
authority
Definition
The right to make and implement a decision
Term
cabinet
Definition
The formal group of presidential advisers who head the major departments and agencies of the federal government. Cabinet members are chosen by the president and approved by the Senate .

In British Parliamentary System, the cabinet advises the Prime Minister.
Term
coalition
Definition
an alliance of unlike-minded individuals or groups to achieve some common purpose such as lobbying, legislating, or campaigning for the elections of public officials

"a combination of unlike-minded interests who nonetheless agree, for their own distinct reasons, to a common course of action."
Term
collective action
Definition
An action taken by a group of like-minded individuals to achieve a common goal
Term
collective goods
Definition
goods that are collectively produced and available for anyone's consumption. For example, Public Policies
Term
command
Definition
The authority of one actor to dictate the actions of another
Term
compromise
Definition
settlement in which each side concedes some of its preferences in order to secure others.
Term
conformity costs
Definition
The difference between what a person ideally would prefer and what the group with which that person makes collective decisions actually does. Individuals pay conformity costs whenever collective decisions produce policy outcomes that do not best serve their interests.
Term
constitution
Definition
A document outlining the formal rules and institutions of government and the limits placed on its powers.
Term
delegation
Definition
The act of one person or body authorizing another person or body to perform an action on its behalf. For example, Congress often delegates authority to the president or administrative agencies to decide the details of policy.
Term
direct democracy
Definition
A system of government in which citizens make policy decisions by voting on legislation themselves rather than by delegating that authority to their representatives.

Remember that direct democracy takes a long time, and hard to reach consensus on certain issues. Too may people with various preferences. High Transaction cost : p
Term
externalities
Definition
Public Goods or bads generated as a byproduct of private activity. For example, air pollution is an externality (public bad) because it is, in part, the byproduct of the private activity of driving a car (public good).
Term
focal point
Definition
Focus identified by participants when coordinating their energies to achieve a common purpose.

Basically point of common purpose : )
Term
free-rider problem
Definition
A situation in which individuals can receive the benefits from a collective activity whether or not they helped to pay for it, leaving them with no incentive to contribute.

For example, one person doing all the work on a group project, the rest of the group members are free-riding. not having to do anything.
Term
government
Definition
The institutions and procedures through which people are ruled. look at institution def for example of institutions : )
Term
initiative
Definition
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.

citizens being able to take a part in suggesting legislation with enough registered voters wanting to do so (by signing the petition)
Term
majority rule
Definition
The principle that decisions should reflect the preferences of more than half of those voting. Decision making by majority rule is one of the fundamental procedures of democracy
Term
office
Definition
subdivision of some government departments that confers on its occupants specific authority and responsiblity
Term
parliamentary government
Definition
A form of government in which the chief executive is chosen by the majority party or by a coalition of parties in legislation

ex. British government system
the Cabinet ( majority of the party choosing the prime minister).
Term
plurality
Definition
A vote in which the winning candidate receives the greatest number of votes ( but not necessarily a majority over 50 percent. )

For example, a candidate can win with plurality even if the candidate received less than 50% of votes from the voters. Think of case with multiple candidates. 1st candidate has 40% 2nd candidate has 15% and 3rd candidate had 45%. candidate 3 would win without majority.
Term
politician
Definition
Elected professional who specializes in providing compelling reasons for people with different values and interests to join a in a common action.

goal is to unite citizens with different values and interests. : )
Term
power
Definition
An officeholder's actual influence with other officeholders, and as a consequence, over the government's actions
Term
principal
Definition
An individual with the authority to make some decision. This authority may be delegated to an agent who is supposed to act on the principal's behalf.

For example, the president (principal) appoints hundreds of staff members (agents) to monitor and promote the administration's interests within the bureaucracy and on Capitol Hil.l
Term
prisoner's dilemma
Definition
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.
reneging = go back on a promise : (
Term
private goods
Definition
Benefits and services over which the owner has full control of their use.
Term
privatize
Definition
Prevent a common resource from being over exploited by tying the benefit of its consumption to its cost.

having to pay the price for a valuable common resource so that the resource wouldn't become over used. making a public good more private by the government.
Term
public goods
Definition
goods that are collectively produced and freely available for anyone's consumption.
Term
referendum
Definition
an approach to direct democracy in which a state legislature proposes a change to the state's laws or constitution which all the voters subsequently vote on.

- is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal
Term
representative government
Definition
A political system in which citizens select government officials who, acting as their agents, deliberate and commit and citizenry to a course of collective action.
Term
republic
Definition
A form of democracy in which power is vested in elected representatives.
Term
seperation of powers
Definition
The distribution of government powers among several political institutions. In the United states, at the national level power is divided between the three branches; Congress, the president, and the Supreme Court.
Term
simple majority
Definition
A majority of fifty percent plus one.
Term
supermajority
Definition
a majority larger than a simple 51 percent majority, which is required for extraordinary legislative actions such as amending the constitution or certain congressional procedures. For example, in the Senate sixty votes are required to stop a filibuster.
Term
tragedy of the commons
Definition
A situation in which group members overexploit a common resource, causing its destruction.
Term
transaction costs
Definition
The costs of doing political business reflected in the time and effort required to compare preferences and negotiate compromises in making collective decisions.
Term
tyranny
Definition
a form of government in which the ruling power exploits its authority and permits little popular control

cruel and unreasonable type of governments or rules to its citizens.
Term
veto
Definition
The formal power of the president to reject bills passed by both houses of Congress. a veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote in each house.

Congress = senate + House of representatives.
Term
zero sum
Definition
Issues for which mutual gains through cooperation are not possible.

There is simply no way to split a pie. I get the bigger half and you get the crumbs : )
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