Essential Definitions Flashcards
Absolutism
A political system where a king or queen holds total power, often justified by divine right, and without legal or constitutional limitations
Democracy
A form of government where power relies on people, either directly or through elected representatives, with free and fair elections
Despotism
A form of government where a single authority rules with absolute power, often in a cruel manner, without regard for the welfare or the rights of the people
Dictatorship
A political regime in which a single leader or party wields absokute power, typically without the consent of the giverned and often maintained by force
Enlightenment
An intellectual and cultural movement of the 17th and 18th centuries that emphasized reason, invidualism, and skepticism of tradicional authority, leading to advances in political and social thought
Estate
In pre-revolutionary France, a social class or order; the three estates were the clergy (First Estate), the nobility (Second Estate) and the commoners (Third Estate)
National Sovereignity
The principle that a notion has the right to givern itself independently, free form from external control or interference
Ancient régime
The political and social system of France before the French Revolution, characterized by absolute minarchy, feudal privileges, and the estate system
Republic
A form of givernment in which the head of state is elected, and power is held by the people and their elected representatives, rather than by a monarch
Universal suffrage
The right of all adult citizens to vote in elections, regardless of property, income, race or gender
Restricted suffrage
A system of voting rights limited to certain groups based on criteria such as property ownership, income or education
Bill of rights
A formal declaration of the legal and civil rights of citizens, tipically enshined in a constitution, that protects individuals against government abuses.
Separation of powers
A principle of governance in which the executive, legislatuve and judicial branches of givernment are kept distinct to prevent power abuse
Parliament
A legislatuve body of government, tipically consisting in elected representatives, thats makes laws, debates policy, and checks the power of the executive
Industrial revolution
A period of major industrialization during the late 18th and 19th centuries that transformed economies from agrarian to industrial, leading ti significant social, economic and technological changes.
