Chapter 1: People and Government Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards generated from Chapter 1 notes on government foundations, governance structures, political theory, and economic systems.

Polis

The ancient Greek city-state studied by Aristotle, from which many modern terms and concepts of government originated.

State

A political community that occupies a definite territory and has an organized government with the power to make and enforce laws without approval from any higher authority.

Nation

Any sizable group of people who are united by common bonds of race, language, custom, tradition, and, sometimes, religion.

Nation-state

A country in which the territorial boundaries of modern states and those of nations coincide.

Consensus

An agreement about basic beliefs among a population that contributes to the stability of a government.

Sovereignty

The political supreme and absolute authority of a state within its territorial boundaries, giving it complete power to make laws, shape foreign policy, and determine its own actions.

Government

The institution through which the state maintains social order, provides public services, and enforces decisions that are binding on all people living within the state.

Evolutionary Theory

The theory that the state evolved naturally from the primitive family unit, where the head of the family served as the government.

Force Theory

The theory that government emerged when all the people of an area were brought under the authority of one person or group by force.

Divine Right Theory

The notion that gods chose certain people to rule, or that a monarch's right to rule comes directly from God.

Social Contract Theory

The theory that individuals surrender to the state the power needed to maintain order, and the state in turn agrees to protect its citizens and their rights.

Legitimacy

A source of government authority based on the willingness of citizens to obey the government and their consent to be governed.

Coercive Force

A source of government authority derived from police, judicial, and military institutions that allows the government to compel obedience and punish offenders.

Unitary System

A system of government that gives all key powers to the national or central government.

Federal System

A system of government that divides the powers of government between the national government and state or provincial governments.

Confederacy

A loose union of independent states.

Constitution

A written or unwritten plan that sets out rules, basic structures, powers, duties, and supreme law for a government.

Constitutional Government

A limited government in which a constitution has authority to place clearly recognized limits on the powers of those who govern.

Preamble

A statement at the beginning of a constitution that sets forth the goals and purposes to be served by the government.

Constitutional Law

The field of law involving the interpretation and application of the constitution, defining government powers and citizens' rights.

Politics

The effort to control or influence the conduct and policies of government.

Industrialized Nation

A state with generally large industries and advanced technology that provides a relatively comfortable way of life.

Developing Nation

A state that is only beginning to develop industrially, where per capita income is low and standard of living may involve high rates of poverty.

Autocracy

Any system of government in which the power and authority to rule are in the hands of a single individual.

Monarchy

A form of autocratic government in which a king, queen, or emperor exercises the supreme powers of government, usually inherited.

Oligarchy

Any system of government in which a small group holds power derived from wealth, military power, social position, or religion.

Democracy

Any system of government in which rule is by the people, who hold sovereign power.

Direct Democracy

A form of democracy in which citizens govern themselves by voting on issues individually.

Representative Democracy

A form of democracy in which citizens elect representatives and give them the power and responsibility to make laws and conduct government.

Republic

A system of limited government in which voters hold sovereign power and elect representatives responsible to them to exercise that power.

Political Party

A group of individuals with broad common interests who organize to nominate candidates for office, win elections, conduct government, and determine public policy.

Free Enterprise

The economic system providing freedom of private business to operate with minimal government control, giving individuals control over economic decisions.

Economics

The study of human efforts to satisfy seemingly unlimited wants through the use of limited resources.

Capitalism

An economic system emphasizing freedom of choice and individual incentive for workers, investors, consumers, and business enterprises.

Free Market

An economic market system in which buyers and sellers are free to make unlimited decisions in the marketplace.

Laissez-faire

A French term meaning 'to let alone,' expressing the philosophy that government should not interfere in the economy.

Mixed-Market Economy

An economy in which free enterprise is combined with and supported by government decisions in the marketplace.

Socialism

An economic system in which the government owns the basic means of production, determines resource use, distributes products and wages, and provides social services.

Democratic Socialism

A socialist system where people have basic human rights and elected leadership, but government owns basic means of production and manages major economic decisions.

Bourgeoisie

The capitalist class who own the means of production in an industrialized society, according to Karl Marx.

Proletariat

The working class who produce goods without owning the means of production, according to Karl Marx.

Communism

An economic system theoretical goal where property is held in common, a single class evolves, and government is no longer needed.

Command Economy

An economic system in which major production and distribution decisions are made at the upper levels of government and handed down.