Autocracy
is a government in which one person has all the power
Monarchy
A king or a queen rules the country and is called a monarch
Dictatorship
is a form of government where one leader has absolute control over citizens lives
Oligarchy
A small group of people hold all the power
Democracy
A political system in which citizens hold political power
Representative Democracy
A system of government in which citizens elect representatives, or leaders, to make decisions about the laws for all the people.
Direct Democracy
There are no representatives. Citizens are directly involved in the day-to-day work of governing the country.
Anarchy
(n) a lack of government and law; confusion
Theocracy
a government that recognizes God or a divine being as the ultimate authority
State of Nature
The basis of natural rights philosophy; a state of nature is the condition of people living in a situation without man-made government, rules, or laws.
Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan
Believes that humans were naturally selfish and wicked, and governments were needed to keep order and rulers needs absolute power to keep citizens under control.
John Locke, Second Treatise of Government
He wrote that all human beings have a right to life, liberty, and property and that governments exist to protect those rights. He rejected the theory of the Divine Right of the monarchy, and believed that government was based upon a "social contract" that existed between a government and its people. If the government failed to uphold its end of the contract by protecting those rights, the people could rebel and institute a new government.
Government
The institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies
Unitary
Central government has all the power
Federal
power is shared between central and local governments
Confederation
local government has the power
Legislative Branch
the branch of government that makes the laws
Executive Branch
the branch of government that carries out laws
Judicial Branch
the branch of government that interprets laws