Authority - the right to make and implement a decisionBargaining - a form of negotiation in which two or more parties who disagree propose exchanged and concessions to find a course of acceptable collective actionCabinet - the formal group of presidential advisers who head the major departments and agencies of the federal government, members are chosen by the president and approved by the SenateCoalition - an alliance of unlike-minded individuals or groups to achieve some common purpose such as lobbying, legislating, or campaigning for the election of public officialsCollective Action - an action taken by a group of like-minded individuals to achieve a common goalCompromise - settlement in which each side concedes some of its preferences in order to secure othersConformity Costs - the difference between what a person ideally would prefer and what the group with which the person makes collective decisions actually does, individuals pay conformity costs whenever collective decisions produce policy outcomes that do not best serve their interestsConstitution - a document outlining the formal rules and institutions of government and the limits placed on its powersCoordination - the act of organizing a group to achieve a common goal, it remains a prerequisite for effective collective action even afterDirect Democracy - a system of government in which citizens make policy decisions by voting on legislation themselves rather than by delegating that authority to their representativesFree-Rider Problem - a situation in which individuals can receive benefits from a collective activity whether or not they helped to pay for it, leaving them with no incentive to contributeGovernment - the institutions and procedures through which people are ruledInitiative - an approach to direct democracy in which a proposal is placed on an election ballot when the requisite number of registered voters have signed petitions to do soParliamentary Government – a form of government in which the chief executive is chosen bythe majority party or by a coalition of parties in the legislaturePolitics - the process by which individuals and groups reach agreement on a common course of action even as they continue to disagree on the goals that action is intended to achievePower - an officeholder’s actual influence with other officeholders, and, as a consequence, over the government’s actionsPreferences - individuals’ choices, reflecting economic situation, religious values, ethnic identity, or other valued interestsPrisoner’s Dilemma - a situation in which two (or more) actors cannot agree to cooperate for fear that the other will find its interest best served by going back on an agreementPrivate Goods - benefits and services over which the owner has full control of their usePrivatize - prevent a common resource from being over-exploited by tying the benefit of its consumption costPublic / Collective Goods- goods that are collectively produced and freely available for anyone’s consumptionReferendum - an approach to direct democracy in which a state legislature proposes a changeto the state’s laws or constitution which all the voters subsequently vote onRegulation - setting up rules limiting access to a common resource and monitoring and penalizing those who violate themRepresentative Government - a political system in which citizens select government officials,who, acting as their agents, deliberate and commit the citizenry to a course of collective actionRepublic - a form of democracy in which power is vested in elected representativesSeparation of Powers - the distribution of government powers among several political institutions, in the United States, at the national level, divided between the three branches: Congress, the president, and the Supreme CourtTragedy of the Commons - a situation in which group members overexploit a common resource, causing its destructionTransaction Costs - the costs of doing political business reflected in the time and effort required to compare preferences and negotiate compromises in making collective decisionsTyranny - a form of government in which the ruling power exploits its authority and permits little popular controlAgency Loss - the discrepancy between what citizens ideally would like their agents to do and how the agents actually behaveAgenda Control - the capacity to set the choices available to othersAgent - someone who makes and implements decisions on behalf of someone elseAntifederalists - a loosely organized group (never a formal political party) that opposed ratification of the Constitution which the group believed would jeopardize individual and states’ rights, after ratification, their efforts led to the adoption of the first ten amendments (Bill of Rights)Articles of Confederation - the compact among the thirteen original states that formed the basis of the first national government from 1777 to 1789, when it was supplanted by the ConstitutionBicameral Legislature - a legislature composed of two houses or legislatures (U. S. Congress is an example - composed of Senate and House)Bill of Rights - the first ten amendments to the U. S. ConstitutionChecks and Balances - a constitutional mechanism giving each branch some oversight and control of the other branches (ex: presidential vetoCommand - the authority of one actor to dictate the actions of anotherCommerce Clause - a clause in the Constitution that gives Congress the power to regulate all business activities that cross state lines or that affect more than one state or other nationsConfederation - a joining of several groups for a common purposeDelegation - the act of one person or body authorizing another person or body to perform an action on its behalfElectoral College - a body of electors in each state, chosen by the voters, who formally elect the President and vice president of the US; each state's number of votes equals its representation in Congress; an absolute majority of the total electoral vote is required to electthe president and vice presidentFaction - a group of people sharing common interests who are opposed to other groups with competing interests (James Madison said it was any group with objectives contrary to the general interest of society)Fast-Track Authority - impermanent power granted by congress to the president to negotiate international trade agreements Federalists - the name given to two related, but not identical, groups in the late 18th century American politics; the