Chapter 1 Flashcards
What is government?
The institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies
What are the public policies of a government?
All of the things a government decides to doTaxation, defense, education, crime, and healthcare
What is legislative power?
The power to make laws and to frame public policies
What is executive power?
The power to execute, enforce, and administer laws
What is judicial power?
The power to interpret laws, to determine their meaning, and to settle disputes that arise within the society
What is a constitution?
Body of fundamental laws setting out the principles, structures, in processes of a government
What is a dictatorship?
Government in which those who rule cannot be held responsible to the will of the people
What is a democracy?
A form of government in which the responsibility for the exercise of power rests with a majority of the people
What is politics?
The process by which a society decides how power and resources will be distributed within that society
What is the state?
A body of people, living in a defined territory, organized politically, and with the power to make and enforce law without the consent of any higher authority
What does it mean for a state to have sovereignty?
The state has supreme and absolute power within its own territory and can decide it’s own foreign and domestic policies
What is an autocracy?
A government in which a single person holds unlimited political power
What is an oligarchy?
A government in which the power to rule is held by a small, usually self-appointed elite
What is a unitary government?
All powers held by the government belong to a single, central agency
What is a federal government?
A government in which the powers are divided between a central government and several local governments
