Studied by 28 people
Constitution
a plan of government that sets forth the structures and powers of government- authoritative law democracies
Constitutional Government
limited government; “rule of law”, form of government where a written/ unwritten constitution serves as a higher fundamental law where everyone must obey
forms of government
Aristotle’s idea of 3 forms of government: monarchies, republics, autocracies
Polity
Right form of government by many people (democracy)
mixed constitution
mixed elements from the 3 forms of government
Parliament
British legislature that consists of 2 houses - house of lords (nobility) and House of commons (common people)
Republic
form of government that derives power from the people - incorporates representative institutions (officials holding power or a limited time)
Unwritten Constitution
body of political practices developed from customs and tradition - not explicitly stated
Written Constitutions
Written plan of government, sets forth structure and powers of government
Democracy
“rule of the people” - form of government where all citizens exercise political power
Limited government
Constitutional government governed by the rule of law - written/unwritten constitutions that protects natural rights
Power
the ability of one person to get another person to act in accordance with the first person’s intentions
Authority
right to use power- must be legitimized to be formal/recognized
Legitimacy
Political authority (rights) conferred by law or constitution
Social contract theory
an implicit agreement among members of a society to cooperate for social benefits
Political power
right of governments to make laws for the protection and regulation of life, liberty, and property -for public good
Civic virtue
dedication of citizens to the common welfare of their community/ country
classical republicanism
ideals and practices of ancient Greek or Roman city-states that emphasize responsibility of citizens for the well being of their country - common welfare
common good
the good of the community as a whole- the public good/ interest
consent of the governed
agreement by citizens to obey the laws and the government they create - legitimizes government
divine right
divine right of kinds - gives king authority to rule - will of god
inalienable rights
fundamental rights inherent to being human that can’t be taken away by the government
natural rights
basic rights of life, liberty, property in the state of nature - government protects these rights
Political legitimacy
acceptance by the governed that the claim to authority by those who governed is justified
Popular sovereignty
the natural rights concept that ultimate political authority is with the people
Pursuit of happiness
unalienable rights, Americans are allowed to pursue personal fulfillment
rights of revolution
right of the people to charge or overthrow a government that doesn’t serve its interests
State of nature
the condition of people living in a situation without government - in nature
Capitalism
economic system- producing and distributing goods that are privately owned and operated for profit in competitive markets
city- state
a politically independent community consisting of a city and its surrounding territory
feudalism
a form of government in which power is divided and shared between a central government and state and local government
Judeo- Christian
ideas, beliefs and practices that have their historical roots in Judaism and Christianity
nation- state
a country - the standard unit of political organization in the world- “nation”
private morality
derived from religion, philosophy, family- and individual’s idea about right and wrongs in a person’s life
public morality
the values and principles of right and wrong pertaining to public policies and actions
Participatory democracy
the government is ruled by the majority of the people [popular sovereignty] through the election of representatives who serve as trustees
Elitist democracy
elected representatives that include/ are influenced by a small number of powerful elite to affect policy in the best interests of this select group - many citizens have little access to the political process and civil society
Pluralist democracy
groups compete to promote their policy and rely on bargaining and compromise to affect political decision making - allows minorities to have a voice in policy making - interest group
trustees
elected representatives that act according to their own conscience- going against constituents (voters)
delegates
elected representatives that act strictly to what is expected of them by their constituents
Note
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