History Terms 9/23/2026

Representative Government

a political system in which power is exercised by elected leaders who work in the interests of the people

Rule of Law

the principle that government is based on clear and fairly enforced laws and that no one is above the law

Limited Government

a political system in which the powers exercised by the government are restricted, usually by a written constitution

Individual Rights

the rights and liberties that can be claimed by individuals by virtue of being human; also called natural rights or human rights

Separation of Powers

the idea that the powers of a government should be split between two or more strongly independent branches to prevent any one person or group from gaining too much power

Popular Sovereignty

the principle that the people are the ultimate source of the authority and legitimacy of a government

Constitutionalism

the belief that governments should operate according to an agreed set of principles, which are usually spelled out in a written constitution

Majority Rule

the idea that decisions approved by more than half of the people in a group or society will be accepted and observed by all of the people

Natural Law

a universal set of moral principles believed to come from humans’ basic sense of right and wrong that can be applied to any culture or system of justice

Natural Rights

rights that all people have by virtue of being human

Unalienable Rights

a person's basic individual rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; Thomas Jefferson's interpretation of John Locke's natural rights

Ratification

formal approval of an agreement, treaty, or constitution

Bicameral

made up of two houses, as in a bicameral legislature

Unicameral

made up of one house, as in a unicameral legislature

Federalism

a political system in which power is divided between a central government and smaller regional governments

Federalists

supporters of ratification of the U.S. Constitution, who favored the creation of a strong federal government that shared power with the states

Anti-Federalist

opponents of ratification of the U.S. Constitution, who favored the loose association of states established under the Articles of Confederation

Due Process

the principle that no person can be deprived of life, liberty, or property without fair legal procedures and safeguards

Republican Government

a representative political system in which authority comes from the people and is exercised by elected officials

Checks and Balances

a system in which each branch of government can limit the power of the other branches