COGO 1.3

Democratic Regimes

Governments based on the will of the people.

Authoritarian Regimes

Governments based on decisions made by political elites with little input from citizens.

Civil Rights

Protection of groups of citizens from discrimination by the government or other individuals.

Civil Liberties

Individual’s protection against abuse of powers by the government.

Transparency

Ability of citizens to access information about government policies to hold officials accountable.

Free and Fair Elections

Elections that allow competition for opposition candidates to defeat the ruling party.

Rule of Law

Principle that a state should be governed by law, not arbitrary decisions.

Independence of Governmental Branches

Prevents any one branch from controlling all governmental power.

Separation of Powers

Independence of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

Checks and Balances

System that prevents any one branch of government from becoming too powerful.

Illiberal Democracies and Hybrid Regimes

Governments that hold elections with minimal competition and have diminished civil liberties.

One-Party States

States like China where rival parties are prohibited from controlling government power.

Theocracies

Governments controlled by leaders of a specific religion.

Totalitarian Governments

Governments that severely limit citizens’ rights to movement and free choice of employment.

Military Regimes

Governments where military leaders hold top governing authority.