Test 1 Flashcards
Constitution
established precedents according to which a state or other organization is acknowledged to be governed
Parliment
the highest legislature, consisting of the sovereign, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons.
Republic
a state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives,
Classical republicanism
s a form of republicanism developed in the Renaissance-inspired by the governmental forms and writings of classical antiquity
Natural rights theory
natural rights are those that are not dependent on the laws, customs, or beliefs of any particular culture or government, and are therefore universal and inalienable (i.e., rights that cannot be repealed or restrained by human laws
Inaienable rights
incapable of being alienated, surrendered, or transferred
Sovereignty
supreme power or authority.
popular sovereignty
Popular sovereignty is the principle that the authority of a state and its government is created and sustained by the consent of its people, through their elected representatives,
Social contract
an implicit agreement among the members of a society to cooperate for social benefits
State of nature
The state of nature, in moral and political philosophy, religion, social contract theories, and international law, is the hypothetical life of people before societies came into existence
common law
the part of English law that is derived from custom and judicial precedent rather than statutes.
magna Carta
s a document guaranteeing English political liberties that were drafted at Runnymede
precedent
an earlier event or action that is regarded as an example or guide to be considered in subsequent similar circumstances.
writ of habeas corpus
The “Great Writ” of habeas corpus is a fundamental right in the Constitution that protects against unlawful and indefinite imprisonment.
stare decisis
the legal principle of determining points in litigation according to precedent.