Constitutional Underpinnings Flashcards
Anarchy
Lack of government.
Autocracy
Rule by one
Absolute Monarchy
(Type of Autocracy) Ruler gains power through inheritance; there are no restrictions on the ruler’s power.
Constitutional Monarchy
(Type of autocracy) Ruler gains power through inheritance; formal restrictions limit power, often restricting the monarch to ceremonial status.
Dictatorship
(Type of autocracy) Ruler seizes power, keeps power by force and restricts opposition to regime; no restrictions on dictator’s power.
Oligarchy
Rule by a few.
Aristocracy
(Type of oligarchy) Rule by the elite, usually determined by social status or wealth.
Theocracy
(Type of Oligarchy) Rule by the religious leaders.
Democracy
Rule by the people
Direct Democracy
(Type of democracy) Citizens meet and make decisions about public policy issues.
Representative Democracy
(Type of democracy) Citizens choose officials (representatives) who make decisions about public policy.
Traditional Democracy Theory
Government depends on the consent of the governed, which may be give directly to through representatives.
Pluralist Theory
The theory that political power is distributed among a wide array of diverse competing interests groups.
Elite Theory
A small number of powerful elite (corporate leaders, top military officers, government leaders) form an upper class, which rules in its own self interest.
Bureaucratic Theory
The hierarchical structure and standardized procedures of modern governments allow bureaucrats, who carry out the day-to-day workings of government , to hold the real power over public policy.
