government
the governing body of a nation, state, or community.
Power
the rate at which work is done
policy
a course or principle of action adopted or proposed by a government, party, business, or individual.
state
a nation or territory considered as an organized political community under one government.
Sovereignty
supreme power or authority
politics
the effort to control or influence the conduct and policies of government
Legitimacy
the hereditary right of a monarch to rule
Divine Right of Kings
the doctrine that the right of rule derives directly from God, not from the consent of the people.
Social Contract
An agreement between the people and their government signifying their consent to be governed
Theory
A hypothesis that has been tested with a significant amount of data
Monarchy
A government ruled by a king or queen
Dictatorship
A form of government in which the leader has absolute power and authority.
Oligarchy
A government ruled by a few powerful people
Direct Democracy
A form of government in which citizens rule directly and not through representatives
Republic
A form of government in which citizens choose their leaders by voting
unitary system
A government that gives all key powers to the national or central government
federal system
the sharing of power between the central and state governments
confederal system
A form of government in which independent states unite to accomplish common goals.
presidental system
government in which the executive is chosen independently of the legislature and the two branches are separate
Parliamentary system
A system of government in which the legislature selects the prime minister or president.
ideal
conception of something in its most perfect form
liberty
freedom
equality
the state of being equal, especially in status, rights, and opportunities.
self-government
a system of government in which people make their own laws
majority rule
Governance according to the expressed preferences of the majority.
minority rights
A principle of traditional democratic theory that guarantees rights to those who do not belong to majorities.
Liberal Democracy
a form of democracy that protects the rights of the minority
free enterprise
an economic system in which private business operates in competition and largely free of state control.