Government/Civics Flashcards
the institution through which society makes and enforces its public policies
Government
all of those things a government decides to do
Public policy
the power to make law and to frame public policies
Legislative power
the power to execute, enforce, and administer law
Executive power
the power to intercept laws, to determine their meaning, and to settle disputes that arise within society
Judicial power
the body of fundamental laws setting out the principles, structures, and processes of a government
Consitution
the ultimate responsibility for the exercise of these powers may be held by a single person or by a small group
Dictatorship
when the responsibility for the exercise of these powers rests with a majority of the people
Democracy
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
State
has supreme and absolute power within its own territory and can decide its own foreign and domestic policies
Sovereignty
a government in which a single person holds unlimited political power
Autocracy
a government in which the power to rule is held by a small, usually self-appointed elite
Oligarchy
often described as a centralized government, all powers held by the government belong to a single, central agency
Unitary government
the powers of government are divided between a central government and several local governments
Federal government
an authority superior to both the central and local governments makes this on a geographic basis, it cannot be changed by either the local or national level acting alone
Division of powers
