Unit 1 Flashcards
Absolute Power
unlimited power held by someone of an autocracy or dictatorship
Capitalism
an economic and political system by which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit
Confederation
a joining of several groups for a common cause
Constitution
the body of fundamental laws setting out the principles, structures, and processes of a government
Democracy
form of government where authority rests with the people
Dictatorship
form of government where those who rule cannot be held responsible to the will of the people
Executive power
the power to execute, enforce, and administrate laws
Federalism
the separation of national and regional powers
Feudalism
a system where nobility owned land and serfs worked on the land in exchange for protection
Judicial Power
the power to interpret laws
Laissez-faire
economic system where no government is involved
Legitimacy
the belief of a people that a government has the right to make public policy
Mercantilism
an economic and political theory emphasizing money as the chief source of wealth to increase the absolute power of a nation
Legislative power
the power to make laws
Oligarchy
a form of government in which the power of rule is held in small, usually self-appointed elite
Parliamentary system
a system of democratic governance of a state where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the sport of the legislature, typically a parliament, to which it is accountable
Politics
the activities associated with the governance of a country or other area
Public Policy
all the things a government decides to do
The Social Contract
an agreement among the members of society to have a government in exchange for benefits
Socialism
economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production should be owned by the community as a whole
Sovereignty
when a state has supreme and absolute power within its own territory and can decide it’s own foreign and domestic policies
Supply and Demand
the amount of a commodity and desire determines the price
Theocracy
a system of government in which priests rule in the name of God or a god
Totalitarianism
a system of government that is centralized and dictatorial and requires complete subservience to the state
Unitary Government
a centralized government in which all government powers belong to a single, central agency
Four characteristics of a state
population, territory, sovereignty, and government
Force Theory
claimed control over a territory and forced people to submit
Evolutionary Theory
heads of families became the government and became sovereign
Divine Right Theory
God created a state and chose a person to rule a certain territory
Social Contract Theory
a population gave up some power to a government for the good of all
Politics
a process
Government
an institution
Where did democracy come from
Athens, Greece
Where did the idea of a republic come from
Rome, Italy
What is a direct democracy
when people represent themselves
What is a republic
when people elect other people to represent them
Mercantilism
Land -> Resources -> Money -> Power
What was Aristotle’s political theory
government exists to promote good for the citizens
What did Cincinnatus do
he was a farmer who was asked to be a dictator and then after completing his duty, he returned to his farm; civic virtue
What was Thomas Hobbes’ political theory
people are naturally evil and need a strict government; absolute monarchy
John Locke
people have natural rights; life, liberty, and property
What was Montesquieu’s political theory
separate government into three branches to keep them in check of each other
