Monarchy
a government in which power is in the hands of one person
Oligarchy
a government in which power is in the hands of a few people
Theocracy
a government controlled by religious leaders
Aristocracy
a government in which power is in the hands of the hereditary ruling class or nobility
Democracy
a government controlled by its citizens, either directly or through representatives
Republic
a form of government in which power is in the hands of representatives and leaders are elected by citizens who have the right to vote
Feudalism
a political system in which nobles are granted the use of lands that legally belong to their king, in exchange for their loyalty, military service, and protection of the people that live on the land
Autocracy
a government in which the ruler had unlimited power and uses it in an arbitrary manner
Meritocracy
a government in which power is by people selected on the basis of their ability - jobs/merit
Unitary System
one strong centralized government - one place for power
Confederate System (Confederate)
a loose alliance of states
Federate System (Federalism)
divides power into national, state, and local governments
Socialism
an economic system in which the factors of production are owned by the public and operate for the welfare of all
Totalitarianism
government control over every aspect of public and private life
Communism
an economic system in which all means of production–land, mines, factories, railroads, and businesses–are owned by the people, private property does not exist, and all goods and services are shared equally
Enfranchisement
the giving of a right or a privilege, especially the right to vote
Suffrage
the right to vote in political elections
Amend
fix, change
Veto
a constitutional right to reject a decision or proposal made by a law-making body
Ratify
sign or give formal consent to, agree
Tariff
tax or duty to be paid on a particular class of imports or exports
Bureaucracy
a system of departments and agencies formed to carry out to work of the government