POLI 2051 Exam 1 Questions and
Answers 100% Pass
What is government and why do we have it? - ✔✔It is a formally established way of
making and carrying out political decisions
Politics - ✔✔The competition to shape government's impact on society's problems and
goals
In what ways is our present government undemocratic? - ✔✔violates majority rule
Social contract theory - ✔✔-can guides us to some extent, normative rather than
empirical theory
-not a written contract, but a general agreement between people and their government
Normative - ✔✔the way things ought to be
Empirical - ✔✔the way things actually are
Purposes of government - ✔✔protecting life
protecting rights and liberties
providing public goods
EMILY CHARLENE © 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
, promoting equality
Conflicts - ✔✔Citizens disagree about which functions are most important and which
functions should be vigorously enforced
Political ideology - ✔✔A coherent set of beliefs about how policies affect society and
which policies are desirable. In the US, we think of two: liberals and conservatives
Nolan chart - ✔✔-not all issues work with the chart, such as gun control
-doesn't consider that some issues have more weight than others
-more tendencies not hard and fast rules
Policy process - ✔✔People-->linkage processes-->government agenda-->government--
>policies-->back to top (full circle)
Requirements for democracy - ✔✔1. popular sovereignty
2. political equality
3. political liberty
Popular sovereignty - ✔✔-government policies reflect wishes of people
-government leaders are elected
-elections are free and fair
-people participate in the process
EMILY CHARLENE © 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
Answers 100% Pass
What is government and why do we have it? - ✔✔It is a formally established way of
making and carrying out political decisions
Politics - ✔✔The competition to shape government's impact on society's problems and
goals
In what ways is our present government undemocratic? - ✔✔violates majority rule
Social contract theory - ✔✔-can guides us to some extent, normative rather than
empirical theory
-not a written contract, but a general agreement between people and their government
Normative - ✔✔the way things ought to be
Empirical - ✔✔the way things actually are
Purposes of government - ✔✔protecting life
protecting rights and liberties
providing public goods
EMILY CHARLENE © 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
, promoting equality
Conflicts - ✔✔Citizens disagree about which functions are most important and which
functions should be vigorously enforced
Political ideology - ✔✔A coherent set of beliefs about how policies affect society and
which policies are desirable. In the US, we think of two: liberals and conservatives
Nolan chart - ✔✔-not all issues work with the chart, such as gun control
-doesn't consider that some issues have more weight than others
-more tendencies not hard and fast rules
Policy process - ✔✔People-->linkage processes-->government agenda-->government--
>policies-->back to top (full circle)
Requirements for democracy - ✔✔1. popular sovereignty
2. political equality
3. political liberty
Popular sovereignty - ✔✔-government policies reflect wishes of people
-government leaders are elected
-elections are free and fair
-people participate in the process
EMILY CHARLENE © 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
