AP US Government - Unit 1 Vocabulary

Politics

The process of influencing the actions and policies of government

Government

The rules and institutions that make up the system of policymaking

Democracy

A system of government where power is held by the people

Natural Rights

The right to life, liberty, and property, which government cannot take away

Social Contract

People allow their government to rule over them to ensure an orderly and functioning society

American Political Culture

The set of beliefs, customs, traditions, and values that Americans share

Popular sovereignty

The idea that the government's right to rule comes from the people

Republicanism

A system in which the government's authority comes from the people

Inalienable Rights

Rights the government cannot take away

Liberty

Social, political, and economic freedoms