Foundations of American Government Study Guide

A comprehensive set of vocabulary terms covering the foundations, theories, and forms of American government as outlined in the test out study guide.

Government

The institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies.

Dictatorship

A form of government in which the leader has absolute power and authority.

Democracy

A system of government in which supreme authority rests with the people.

State

A body of people living in a defined territory, organized politically, and with the power to make and enforce law without the consent of any higher authority.

Nation

An ethnic term referring to races or other large groups of people.

Country

A geographic term referring to a particular place, region, or area of land.

Sovereignty

The quality of having supreme and absolute power within its own territory and the ability to decide its own foreign and domestic policies.

Force Theory

The theory that one person or a small group claimed control over an area and forced all within it to submit to their rule.

Divine Right Theory

The theory that God created the state and gave those of royal birth the right to rule.

Evolutionary Theory

The theory that the state developed naturally out of the early family structures.

Social Contract Theory

The theory that the state arose out of a voluntary act of free people to give up some power in exchange for protection and order.

Form a more perfect union

A purpose of government meant to create a closer relationship between the states and the national government.

Establish justice

A purpose of government aiming to ensure that the law, in both its administration and substance, is reasonable, fair, and impartial.

Insure domestic equality

A goal of the U.S. government as specifically listed in the provided transcript's version of the Preamble purposes.

Provide for the common defense

A purpose of government focused on protecting the nation against foreign enemies.

Promote the general welfare

A purpose of government where the state provides services and programs that benefit all or most people.

Secure the blessings of liberty

A purpose of government meant to protect the rights and freedoms of the individual.

Direct Democracy

A form of democracy where the will of the people is translated into public policy directly by the people themselves.

Representative (Indirect) Democracy

A system of government in which public policies are made by officials selected by the voters and held accountable in periodic elections.

Autocracy

A government in which a single person holds unlimited political power.

Oligarchy

A government in which the power to rule is held by a small, usually self-appointed elite.

Theocracy

A government based on religious law or led by religious officials.

Communist

A system of government often characterized by state ownership of property and a single political party that controls the economy and society.

Anarchy

A state of disorder due to the absence or nonrecognition of authority and government.

Monarchy

A form of government led by a hereditary ruler, such as a king or queen.

Unitary Government

A centralized government in which all government powers belong to a single, central agency.

Federal Government

A form of government in which powers are divided between a central government and several local governments.

Confederate Government

An alliance of independent states that grants limited power to a central government.

Presidential Government

A form of government in which the executive and legislative branches remain separate, independent, and coequal.

Parliamentary Government

A form of government in which the executive branch is made up of the prime minister and that official's cabinet, who are members of the legislature.

Prime Minister

The leader of the executive branch in a parliamentary system, typically chosen by the legislature.

Compromise

The process of blending and adjusting competing views and interests to find a mutually acceptable solution.

Rights, Duties and Responsibilities of citizens

The set of legal protections (rights), legal obligations (duties), and social expectations (responsibilities) of individuals within a state.

Creating the Constitution

The historical process and foundations involved in drafting the supreme law of the United States.