Unit 1 Flashcards
describes the means by which a society organizes itself and allocates authority in order to accomplish collective goals and provide benefits that the society as a whole needs
Government
refers to the process of gaining and exercising control within a government for the purpose of setting and achieving particular goals, especially those related to the division of resources within a nation
Politics
Food, clothing, and housing are provided in ample supply by private businesses that earn a profit in return. You can buy it when you want to buy it.
Private Goods
goods that all people may use free of charge but that are of limited supply, such as fish in the sea or clean drinking water
Common Goods
Goods and Services that are provided by the government at no cost
Public Goods
available to many people, and many people can use them, but only if they can pay the price
Toll Goods
no person can be above the law regardless of their position in the government. In a democracy, the people make rules either directly or through elected representatives using majority rule. (50% + 1 vote)
Rule of Law
a system of government by the whole population or all eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives
Democracy
a small group of people having control of a country, organization, or institution
Oligarchy
a form of government in which policies and laws are decided by a majority of all those eligible rather than by a body of elected representatives
Direct Democracy
the idea that people should elect representatives to speak on their behalf and that citizens have certain duties such as voting, being educated, serving in the defense of the state, and obeying the laws of the nation
Republicanism ( Representative Democracy)
when a group of people or an individual has control and influence over a nation’s beliefs, actions, and behaviors. This power can be legitimate power granted by the people of a nation or it can be illegitimate, where power is seized through forceful action
Political Power
social and economic doctrine that calls for public rather than private ownership or control of property and natural resources. Individuals do not live or work in isolation but live in cooperation with one another
Socialism
a system in which the decision of more than half the people is accepted by all
Majority Rule
legal provisions that have two key features; first, they are intended to recognize or accommodate the distinctive needs of non-dominant ethnic or racial groups; and second they do so by adopting minority-specific measures, above and beyond the non-discriminatory enforcement of universal rights that apply regardless of group membership
Minority Rights
one in which, rather than directly governing, the people select some of their members to temporarily serve in political office
Constitutional Republic
a form of government in which one ruler has absolute control and decision-making power
autocracy
an electoral system in which the chief executive is elected in a national ballot and is independent of the legislative branch
Presidential System
a system of governance in which the head of the government ( the executive) is chosen by the legislature
Parliamentary System
the transfer or delegation of power to a lower level, especially by the central government to the local or regional administration
Devolution
a system of political organization in which most or all of the governing power resides in a centralized government, in contrast to a federal state
Unitary System
a system of government in which the same territory is controlled by two levels of government
Federal System
the concept that the people are the source of all power(popular sovereignty) in a society. The people give their consent to be governed in a binding agreement known as a social contract(Constitution)
Consent of the Governed
to limit the power a government has over its people usually by a constitution or social contract. This contract protects the rights of the citizens and prevents the government form interfering with those rights
Limited Government
the idea that human beings possess.”…certain and unalienable rights.” Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence. These rights are protected by the government.
Individual Rights
the concept of sharing power between the national government and state government. There is a built-in system of checks and balances that limits the roles and powers of the state and national government
Federalism
the people have the right to rule and to express their opinion by voting, in the American government, the right to vote is guaranteed in the Constitution
Popular Sovereignty
no one branch of government should be so powerful as to overule the others. It divides the functions of government(enforcing law, making laws, and interpreting laws) into separate branches, each with its own specific powers
Separation of Powers
a system in which each branch of government is able to check or restrain the powers of other branches of government. This prevents any branch from becoming more powerful than the other branches
Checks and Balances
