government
an institution that determines and enforces a society's laws. The size and nature of a government varies according to the society it governs.
state
1. a territory whose population maintains an organization governmental body that regulates internal and external affairs. 2. a political unit in a federal system, such as a state within the United States.
citizen
an officially recognized member of a state.
sovereignty
the absolute authority that a government has over its citizens
law
a set of rules, issued and enforced by a government that binds every member of society
natural law
a system of justice derived from nature instead of from rules of society
public policy
decisions and laws that a government makes in a particular area of public concern
divine right of kings
the theory that rulers receive their authority to govern from God.
legitimacy
the legal and recognized right of a government to make decisions for the citizens of a nation, state, or locality
social contract
the theory that people give up their individual sovereignty in exchange for peace and order provided by the state.
natural right
a right that is considered to belong to all people, regardless of time on place. Being natural to everyone, these rights do not need to be granted by a government and should not be transferred or taken away. Natural rights are also known as inalienable ri
politics
the are and science of governing. Through politics, people express opinions about what government should or should not do.
value
a basic quality, principle or standard that is considered important or desirable and by which people live their lives. For example, humility is a value that many people consider important.
public good
the common interests of the members of a society; also known as the public interest.
monarchy
a system of government in which the head of state, usually a royal figure, is a hereditary position
feudalism
a system of government based on the rule of local lords bound to a monarch by ties of loyalty.
absolute monarchy
a system of government in which the head of state is a hereditary position and the king or queen has almost complete power.
constitutional monarchy
a government whose head of state inherits the position and holds it for life but either shares power with elected leaders to merely serves as the nation's symbolic leader, exercising no significant power.
republic
a system of government in which government power comes from the people, who elect individuals to represent them in decision making.
classical republic
a system of government which all adult citizens participate directly in making government decisions. Ancient Greek city-states are an example of a classical republic
democracy
a system of government in which political authority is held by the people. Democracies typically feature constitutional governments with majority rule, a belief in individual worth and in equal rights for all people, freedom of expressions, political free
dictatorship
a system of government in which one person or a small group of rulig elite has total political power
autocracy
a government in which one person, a dictator, has unlimited political power
oligarchy
a system of government in which political power and control is held by a small group of political elite. The leaders of an ogliarchy often govern for their own benefit or for the benefit of their social class.
authoritarianism
a system of government in which a dictator answers only to him-or herself
totalitarian
a system of government in which a dictator or a small group of leaders exercise tremendous control over citizen's lives.
despotism
a system of government in which a dictator or a small group of leaders seek complete control over all aspects of citizen;s lives.
unitary system
a system of government in which all legal power is held by the national, or central government.
federal system
a form of government in which power is shared among central, state, and regional levels.
confederal system
a form of government in which independent states unite to accomplish common goals.
presidential system
a system of government in which the legislative and executive branches operate independently of each other
parliamentary systems
a system of government in which power is concentrated in a legislature. The legislature selects one of its members, usually called a prime minister as the nation's principal leader and other legislature members serve as the leader's cabinet.
anarchy
the absence of any leggovernmental authority, resulting in political disorder and sometimes chaos and mob rule.
majority rule
the principle that the will of the largest portion of a group should prevail in electing leaders and making policies. Majority rule is a basic characteristic of democratic systems of government.
liberal democracy
a form of democracy that protects the rights of the minority
minority rights
political rights that cannot be abolished in a democracy, even though they are held by less than half of the population
direct democracy
a system of government in which decisions are made directly by the people rather than by their elected representatives
representative democracy
a system of government in which the people choose political leaders to make policy decisions on their behalf.