Nation-State
A single people (a "nation") governed by a political authority (a "state"); similar to the modern notion of "country
Law
A system of binding and recognized codified rules of behavior that regulate the actions of people pertaining to a given jurisdiction
Citizens
Legally recognized inhabitants of a country who bear the rights and responsibilities of citizenship as defined by the state
Noncitizens
Individuals who reside in a given jurisdiction but do not possess the same rights and privileges as the citizens who are recognized inhabitants; sometimes referred to as residents, temporary workers, or aliens
Welfare State
A government or country's system of providing for the financial and social well-being of its citizens, typically through government programs that provide funding or other resources to individuals who meet certain criteria
Interest Groups
Advocacy or lobby groups that utilize their organizational and social resources to influence legislation and the functioning of social institutions
Class Dominance Theory
The theory that a small and concentrated group of elite or upper-class people dominate and influence societal institutions; compatible with conflict theory
Power Elite
A group of people with a disproportionately high level of influence and resources who utilize their status to influence the functioning of societal institutions
Coercion
The threat or use of physical force to ensure compliance
Traditional Authority
Power based on a belief in the sanctity of long-standing traditions and the legitimate right of rulers to exercise authority in accordance with those traditions
Rational-Legal Authority
Power based on a belief in the lawfulness of enacted rules (laws) and the legitimate right of leaders to exercise authority under such rules
Charismatic Authority
Power based on devotion inspired in followers by the personal qualities of a leader
Authoritarianism
A form of governance in which ordinary members of society are denied the right to participate in government, and political power is exercised by and for the benefit of a small political elite
Monarchy
A form of governance in which power resides in an individual or a family and is passed from one generation to the next through hereditary lines
Dictatorship
A form of governance in which power rests in a single individual
Totalitarianism
A form of governance that denies popular political participation in government and also seeks to regulate and control all aspects of the public and private lives of citizens
Direct Democracy
A political system in which all citizens fully participate in their own governance
Representative Democracy
A political system in which citizens elect representatives to govern them
Politics
The art or science of influencing public policy
Political Action Committees (PACs)
Organizations created by groups such as corporations, unions, environmentalists, and other interest groups for the purpose of gathering money and contributing to political candidates who favor the groups' interests
Lobbyists
Paid professionals whose job it is to influence legislation