Irony of Democracy, Ch1-5 Study Guide
POLITICAL SCIENCE EXAM #1 STUDY GUIDE
TEST: 3/6/14
Based on Chapters 1-5 in “Irony of Democracy”
Chapter 1- The Irony of Democracy
Elites, and not the masses, govern the United States: all major decisions are made by the elite minority….they have power. Elite members are anyone who participates in decisions that allocate resources for society
Masses are the people that do not have power compared to elites. They usually are very uninformed, and many don’t even vote in the national election. Their lives are shaped by the institutions that the elites create
Elite theory is an approach to describing society, focusing on the few with power, their values, their behavior, and their demographics
In a democracy, elites have to take control and they have power over the resources. Despite the differences in political parties, elites generally have consensus over the broader issues (limiting government, individual liberties, and sanctity of private property)
Iron Law of Oligarchy: theory in political science stating that an elite is inevitable in any social organization, of any size, whether family, club, union, business, or society as a whole (there must be elites in any style of government or society…there needs to be control and we can’t have all the millions of people deciding what laws are good for us) Upward mobility is common in our country. People wouldn’t put in so much effort in their lives if they knew they were going to stay in the same social class. Thus, a circulation of elites occurs, where there is a movement of talented and ambitious individuals from the lower strata into the elite Democracy: where there is a participation in government, where people are highly involved and the country forms its own identity. “Let the people rule” (“majority rule, minority rights”) The United States took much of its work from John Locke, who was in favor of “natural rights to life, liberty, and property” Public policy reflects
TEST: 3/6/14
Based on Chapters 1-5 in “Irony of Democracy”
Chapter 1- The Irony of Democracy
Elites, and not the masses, govern the United States: all major decisions are made by the elite minority….they have power. Elite members are anyone who participates in decisions that allocate resources for society
Masses are the people that do not have power compared to elites. They usually are very uninformed, and many don’t even vote in the national election. Their lives are shaped by the institutions that the elites create
Elite theory is an approach to describing society, focusing on the few with power, their values, their behavior, and their demographics
In a democracy, elites have to take control and they have power over the resources. Despite the differences in political parties, elites generally have consensus over the broader issues (limiting government, individual liberties, and sanctity of private property)
Iron Law of Oligarchy: theory in political science stating that an elite is inevitable in any social organization, of any size, whether family, club, union, business, or society as a whole (there must be elites in any style of government or society…there needs to be control and we can’t have all the millions of people deciding what laws are good for us) Upward mobility is common in our country. People wouldn’t put in so much effort in their lives if they knew they were going to stay in the same social class. Thus, a circulation of elites occurs, where there is a movement of talented and ambitious individuals from the lower strata into the elite Democracy: where there is a participation in government, where people are highly involved and the country forms its own identity. “Let the people rule” (“majority rule, minority rights”) The United States took much of its work from John Locke, who was in favor of “natural rights to life, liberty, and property” Public policy reflects