WGU C181 Questions and Answers
Rated A
Maintaining Order ✔✔Establishing the rule of law to preserve life and protect property
Providing public goods ✔✔Benefits and services available to everyone. Such as, education,
...
WGU C181 Questions and Answers
Rated A
Maintaining Order ✔✔Establishing the rule of law to preserve life and protect property
Providing public goods ✔✔Benefits and services available to everyone. Such as, education,
sanitation, and parks. They benefit all citizens, but not likely to be voluntarily paid.
Promoting equality ✔✔Governments role in redistributing income - taking money from the
wealthy to give to the poor
Liberalism (according to John Locke) ✔✔The state should leave citizens free to further their
individual pursuits
Purpose of government (according to john locke's philosophy of liberalism) ✔✔The protection of
life, liberty and property
3 values considered to be foundational to American government ✔✔Maintain order, provide
public goods, and promote equality
Political equality ✔✔One person, one vote
Social equality ✔✔Equality in wealth, education and status
How does the U.S constitution guarantee political equality? ✔✔Says that anyone can run for office
or start a political party
Equality of opportunity ✔✔Everyone has the same change to succeed in life (public schools,
libraries etc)
Equality of outcome ✔✔Must ensure equal rights in economic and social outcomes, equal pay for
equal work, money redistribution
-equal pay for men and women
The ORIGINAL dilemma is freedom vs: ✔✔Order
Ex: mandatory testing for HIV/AIDS
The MODERN dilemma is freedom vs: ✔✔Equality
Ex: Mandating that buses and trains are accessible to people with disabilities
Political ideology ✔✔A consistent set of values and beliefs about the proper purpose and scope of
government
Totalitarianism ✔✔Government should control and do everything
Anarchism ✔✔Government shouldn't exist
Capitalism ✔✔Favors free enterprise, private business, and government provides safety and public
goods (conservatives)
Socialism ✔✔Government places strong role in regulating existing private industry and directing
the economy. Does allow some private ownership (liberals / welfare programs)
What kind of economic system would libertarians support? ✔✔Capitalism becuase its the least
amount of government control
Libertarian ✔✔Freedom vs Freedom
Wants all liberty and freedom, government is only for police and national defense
Conservative ✔✔Order vs Freedom
Use goverment for freedom and order, not equality
Support free enterprise and argue against goverment job programs, regulation of business and
legislation for working conditions and wage rates
Communitarian ✔✔Order vs Equality
Goverment for order and equality (academic theory)
Inclined to trade freedom for both order and equality
Liberal ✔✔Freedom vs Equality
Goverment to promote equality, but not laws and social order (social security, welfare programs,
wiling to tax)
See a positive role for government in helping the disadvantaged
Autocracy ✔✔One individual has the power
Oligarchy ✔✔Rule by an elite (few people)
Democracy ✔✔Rule by the people
Support harsher punishment for drug crimes ✔✔Conservatives
Support increased spending on public housing ✔✔Liberals
Oppose government except for protection of life/property ✔✔Libertarianism
Support higher income taxes (progressive tax) ✔✔Liberals
Support more regulation of big business ✔✔Liberals
Support lower taxes ✔✔Conservatives
Support legalization of drugs ✔✔Libertarianism
Indirect (representative) Democracy ✔✔Citizens elect public officials to make decisions on heir
behalf - Americans vote
Direct (participatory) Democracy ✔✔Universal participation. All members govern on their behalf.
Works in small cities
Majoritarian model of democracy ✔✔Assumes people...are interested in politics, are
knowledgeable about politics and have consisten opinions about politics.
Emphasizes the importance of public opinion
Believes elections are important
Believes government should be responsive to the general public
Pluralist Model of democracy ✔✔Believes decentralized, group participation is important
Believes government should be responsive to interest groups
Pluralist ✔✔Government by the people operating through competing interest groups. Democracy
exists when many (plural) organizations operate separately from the government, press their
interest on the government, and even challenge the government
Majoritarian ✔✔Government by the "majority of the people" relies on what's fair.
Election on a policy issue = referendum.
Petition to put a policy question on ballot = ballot initiative
Elite theory ✔✔The view that a small group (a minority) makes most of the important government
decisions.
The group would mainly be people connected
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