American Government/Civics

Magna Carta

A landmark document from 1215 that established the principle that everyone, including the king, is subject to the law.

Petition of Right

A constitutional document that limited the powers of the king and asserted subjects' rights, passed in 1628.

English Bill of Rights

An act passed in 1689 that outlined the rights of Parliament and rules for the monarchy, laying groundwork for constitutional monarchy.

Philosophes

French thinkers of the Enlightenment who advocated for reason, individualism, and social reforms.

Thomas Hobbes

Political philosopher known for his work 'Leviathan', where he argued for absolute monarchy and the social contract.

John Locke

Political philosopher who believed in natural rights (life, liberty, property) and that government should protect these rights.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Philosopher who advocated for popular sovereignty and the idea that individuals could collectively govern themselves.

Unitary Government

A centralized government where all powers are held by a single, central agency.

Federal Government

A government system that divides powers between a national government and smaller regional governments.

Confederate Government

A union of sovereign states, each retaining its independence and authority, with limited central power.

Oligarchy

A form of government where power resides in a small group of people.

Presidential Government

A government system where the executive branch exists separately from the legislative branch.

Parliamentary Government

A system of government where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from, and is directly accountable to, the legislature.

Authoritarianism

A political system where a single authority or small group holds significant power, often limiting individual freedoms.

Democracy

A government system in which power is vested in the people, who rule either directly or through freely elected representatives.

Direct Democracy

A form of democracy in which people decide on policy initiatives directly.

Republic

A form of government in which the country is considered a 'public matter' and is not the private concern of monarchs.

Representative Democracy

A type of democracy in which elected officials represent a group of people.