Exam 1 Gov 310L O'Brien Questions
and Already Solved Solutions.
Aristocracy - Answer - rule by a few
-government headed by a privileged minority or upper class
Checks and Balances - Answer A system that allows each branch of government to limit the
powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power
collective action problem - Answer A situation in which the members of a group would
benefit by working together to produce some outcome, but each individual is better off refusing
to cooperate and reaping benefits from those who do the work.
Democracy - Answer A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens
who can elect people to represent them
Direct Democracy - Answer A form of government in which citizens rule directly and not
through representatives
economic individualism - Answer the autonomy of individuals to manage their own financial
decisions without government interference
factions - Answer Groups such as parties or interest groups, which according to James
Madison arose from the unequal distribution of property or wealth and had the potential to
cause instability in government.
- American government set up to avoid domination of these groups
- why we have state legislatures
free market - Answer an economic system in which prices are determined by unrestricted
competition between privately owned businesses.
- without government interference
free riders - Answer those who enjoy the benefits of collective goods but did not participate
in acquiring them
- in everyone's best interest to do the work but no one wants to contribute even though they
would benefit from the outcome collective contributions will make
, idealogy - Answer A cohesive set of ideas and beliefs used to organize and evaluate the
political world
A significant source of conflict in politics
Indirect Democracy - Answer a system of government that gives citizens the opportunity to
vote for representatives who work on their behalf
- what most countries have today
monarchy - Answer rule determined by hereditary
- power held by one
polity - Answer Rule by the many, such as the general population
A group of people with a collective identity who are organized by some form of institutionalized
social relations and have the capacity to mobilize resources
public good - Answer a shared good or service for which it would be inefficient or impractical
to make consumers pay individually and to exclude those who did not pay
republic - Answer A form of government in which the people select representatives to govern
them and make laws.
Seperation of Powers and Checks and Balances - Answer This idea was that the government
would consist of an executive,legislative and judicial branch. Each branch would "check on each
other" in order to prevent one person or branch becoming too powerful. Within the legislative
branch, the two houses would also "check on each other."
Texas Creed - Answer Built upon individualism, liberty, equality, constitutionalism, and
democracy.
the tragedy of the commons - Answer situation in which people acting individually and in
their own interest use up commonly available but limited resources, creating disaster for the
entire community
Articles of Confederation - Answer 1st Constitution of the U.S. 1781-1788 (weaknesses-no
executive, no judicial, no power to tax, no power to regulate trade)
- first gov
-weak national gov, states thought of themselves more like countries
- could not tax
- too much decentralized gov
and Already Solved Solutions.
Aristocracy - Answer - rule by a few
-government headed by a privileged minority or upper class
Checks and Balances - Answer A system that allows each branch of government to limit the
powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power
collective action problem - Answer A situation in which the members of a group would
benefit by working together to produce some outcome, but each individual is better off refusing
to cooperate and reaping benefits from those who do the work.
Democracy - Answer A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens
who can elect people to represent them
Direct Democracy - Answer A form of government in which citizens rule directly and not
through representatives
economic individualism - Answer the autonomy of individuals to manage their own financial
decisions without government interference
factions - Answer Groups such as parties or interest groups, which according to James
Madison arose from the unequal distribution of property or wealth and had the potential to
cause instability in government.
- American government set up to avoid domination of these groups
- why we have state legislatures
free market - Answer an economic system in which prices are determined by unrestricted
competition between privately owned businesses.
- without government interference
free riders - Answer those who enjoy the benefits of collective goods but did not participate
in acquiring them
- in everyone's best interest to do the work but no one wants to contribute even though they
would benefit from the outcome collective contributions will make
, idealogy - Answer A cohesive set of ideas and beliefs used to organize and evaluate the
political world
A significant source of conflict in politics
Indirect Democracy - Answer a system of government that gives citizens the opportunity to
vote for representatives who work on their behalf
- what most countries have today
monarchy - Answer rule determined by hereditary
- power held by one
polity - Answer Rule by the many, such as the general population
A group of people with a collective identity who are organized by some form of institutionalized
social relations and have the capacity to mobilize resources
public good - Answer a shared good or service for which it would be inefficient or impractical
to make consumers pay individually and to exclude those who did not pay
republic - Answer A form of government in which the people select representatives to govern
them and make laws.
Seperation of Powers and Checks and Balances - Answer This idea was that the government
would consist of an executive,legislative and judicial branch. Each branch would "check on each
other" in order to prevent one person or branch becoming too powerful. Within the legislative
branch, the two houses would also "check on each other."
Texas Creed - Answer Built upon individualism, liberty, equality, constitutionalism, and
democracy.
the tragedy of the commons - Answer situation in which people acting individually and in
their own interest use up commonly available but limited resources, creating disaster for the
entire community
Articles of Confederation - Answer 1st Constitution of the U.S. 1781-1788 (weaknesses-no
executive, no judicial, no power to tax, no power to regulate trade)
- first gov
-weak national gov, states thought of themselves more like countries
- could not tax
- too much decentralized gov
