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Texas State University
POSI 2310 OpenStax American Government
Chapter 1 Key Terms Questions and Answers
2026 Latest Update
common goods Ans: goods that all people may use but that are of limited
supply
democracy Ans: a form of government where political power rests in the
hands of the people
direct democracy Ans: a form of government where people participate
directly in making government decisions instead of choosing
representatives to do this for them
elite theory Ans: claims political power rests in the hands of a small, elite
group of people
government Ans: the means by which a society organizes itself and allocates
authority in order to accomplish collective goals
ideology Ans: the beliefs and ideals that help to shape political opinion and
eventually policy
intense preferences Ans: beliefs and preferences based on strong feelings
regarding an issue that someone adheres to over time
latent preferences Ans: beliefs and preferences people are not deeply
committed to and that change over time
majority rule Ans: a fundamental principle of democracy; the majority
should have the power to make decisions binding upon the whole
minority rights Ans: protections for those who are not part of the majority
© 2026 All rights reserved
Texas State University
POSI 2310 OpenStax American Government
Chapter 1 Key Terms Questions and Answers
2026 Latest Update
common goods Ans: goods that all people may use but that are of limited
supply
democracy Ans: a form of government where political power rests in the
hands of the people
direct democracy Ans: a form of government where people participate
directly in making government decisions instead of choosing
representatives to do this for them
elite theory Ans: claims political power rests in the hands of a small, elite
group of people
government Ans: the means by which a society organizes itself and allocates
authority in order to accomplish collective goals
ideology Ans: the beliefs and ideals that help to shape political opinion and
eventually policy
intense preferences Ans: beliefs and preferences based on strong feelings
regarding an issue that someone adheres to over time
latent preferences Ans: beliefs and preferences people are not deeply
committed to and that change over time
majority rule Ans: a fundamental principle of democracy; the majority
should have the power to make decisions binding upon the whole
minority rights Ans: protections for those who are not part of the majority
© 2026 All rights reserved
