Chapter 1

Question 0

Politics

Answer 0

The process of determining who shall be in leadership roles and how the power of government shall be exercised.

Question 1

Government

Answer 1

An institution with the power to make and enforce rules for a group of people

Question 2

Divine right of kings

Answer 2

Rulers receive their authority to govern from god

Question 3

The social contract theory

Answer 3

People sign an unofficial social contract to give up their sovereignty to the state

Question 4

Natural rights

Answer 4

Rights that people have simply because they are human beings

Question 5

Thomas Hobbes

Answer 5

People surrender their individual sovereignty in exchange for peace and order provided by the state.
- when born should agree to follow the laws of their nation

Question 6

John Locke

Answer 6

The power of the government comes from the people governed

- gov. Role is to protect natural rights

Question 7

Rousseau

Answer 7

Suggested that the collective nation should promote the public good
-ensuring the public good required a reciprocal relationship btwn the nation and citizens

Question 8

Montesquieu

Answer 8

Believed that government should be divided btwn branches so that we prevent individuals gaining too much power
- separation of powers, checks and balances

Question 9

Monarchy

Answer 9

Single ruler has supreme power based on heredity or divine right

Question 10

Absolute monarchy

Answer 10

Ultimate all encompassing power is in the monarch

Ex: king Henry VIII(England), king Abdullah(Saudi Arabia)

Question 11

Constitutional monarchy

Answer 11

Monarch is only the ceremonial head of state

Real power lies in another branch of government

Question 12

Dictatorship/totalitarianism

Answer 12

A single person has supreme power by force

Usually fascist or communist

Question 13

Despotism

Answer 13

Dictator seeks complete control over all aspects of a citizen’s life

Question 14

Autocracy

Answer 14

Rule by one monarch/military leader

Question 15

Oligarchy

Answer 15

Government run by a small group of people

Ex: Caesar,Pompey,Crassus(roman triumvirate)

Question 16

Junta

Answer 16

Small military group of officials who seize control of a country’s government.
Ex: Burma(until 2011) Egypt (briefly)

Question 17

Theocracy

Answer 17

Government headed by religious leader
More common in ancient times( the Vatican City)
Ex: Iran

Question 18

Democracy

Answer 18

System of gov. Where citizens have supreme power
2 types
During 1900s the only form of gov. Not declined

Question 19

Direct democracy

Answer 19

Public decisions are made directly by citizens meeting together in an assembly or voting by ballot
Ex: Athens Greece

Question 20

Representative democracy (indirect democracy)

Answer 20

Government in which supreme power rests with the citizens and is excercises by their elected representatives
Ex: USA Ancient Rome

Question 21

Unitary system

Answer 21

-Power concentrated in national/central governments
- promotes national unity
- can be bad for large diverse countries
Ex: Vatican City, North Korea

Question 22

Confederal system

Answer 22

-Power concentrated in regional gov.(states or nations)
-national gov. Only give power in certain cases( defense foreign affairs etc.)
Ex: European Union, confederate states of America

Question 23

Federal system

Answer 23

Power divided btwn national state, country and city governments
-great for diverse area
-can lead to conflicts btwn laws
Ex: USA

Question 24

Presidential democracy

Answer 24

A political system where voters choose a president to lead the gov. As the head of the executive branch

Question 25

Parliamentary democracy

Answer 25

System of government where voters elect lawmakers to represent them. The lawmakers select prime minister to the head of executive

Question 26

Sovereignty

Answer 26

Absolute authority that a government has over it’s citizens