AP GovernmentExam Review Project

Sarah DanielB8

Public Policy• All of the goals that the government sets for

itself to (Sets the Agenda for the government)

• In the United States, policy makers address a public issue by instituting laws, regulations, decisions, or actions pertinent to the problem at hand

• In 2010, US president Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law. This health care reform and public policy is meant to offer all American citizens affordable health insurance

Representative Democracy vs.

Direct Democracy• In a direct democracy (pure democracy) each

citizen has an equal say in every single decision.

• Direct Democracy Example: Switzerland

• In a representative democracy, people elect representatives who vote on issues (on behalf of the citizens).

• Representative Democracy Example: USA

Traditional Democracy Theory

• Principles of Traditional Democracy equality in voting, effective participation, enlightened understanding, citizen control of the agenda, inclusion

• Our country was founded on this theory

• Example: Bill of Rights

Pluralist Theory• Concept of power being spread among

many different groups within a society

• Suggests that American politics is best understood through the generalization that power is relatively (though unequally) distributed among many interest groups that compete with one another to control public policy.

Elite Theory• Theory stating that the wealthy have the

most influence on government.

• Suggests that American politics is best understood through the generalization that nearly all political power is held by a small and wealthy group of people.

• Occupy wall street movement began in protest of this theory.