Unit 1 Topic 1 Civics Vocabulary

Liberty

the state or quality of being free

Governance

the act of overseeing and directing the resources, actions, and responsibilities of a group or place

Democracy

a government in which the people hold power

Direct Democracy

a government in which citizens vote directly on the issues that affect them

Legislature

the lawmaking body in a government

Republic

a society governed by representatives of the people

Monarchy

a form of government with a head of state who inherits the position and rules for life

Social Contract

the idea that a government is an agreement between those who are governed and those who govern

Constitutional Monarchy

a monarchy in which laws or customs significantly limit the monarch's power

Autocracy

a form of government in which one person has unlimited power and authority

Authoritarian

characterized by the concentration of governmental authority in a leader not constitutionally accountable to the people

Totalitarian

characterized by a centralized government that asserts total control over citizens and the national economy

Fascism

a form of totalitarian government characterized by dictatorship, political oppression, extreme nationalism, and bigotry against minority groups

Theocracy

a form of government in which a religious leader, or leaders, holds power

Representative Democracy

a form of democracy in which people elect representatives instead of voting directly on laws

Constitutional Republic

a form of democracy in which leaders are elected by the people and carry out their roles as outlined in the country's constitution, or set of principles and laws

Dictator

a head of government who has unlimited power and authority

Tyranny

oppressive, harsh power

Oligarchy

a government led and controlled by a small group of people

Unitary

characterized by having a strong central government that exercises most of the political power

Federal

characterized by sharing power between a central government and various smaller governments

Confederate

formed out of smaller, highly dependent members such as tribes or states

Head of State

the symbolic and ceremonial leader of a country who may also exercise political power

Head of Government

the political leader of a country who oversees government policies at the highest level

Parliamentary System

a system in which the people elect the legislature, whose members then choose a leader to head the government

Presidential System

a system of representative democracy in which the people elect both the legislature and head of government

Political Party

an organized group whose members support candidates for political office based on shared ideals and goals

Bicameral

in a legislature, having two separate houses or chambers

Unicameral

in a legislature, having a single house or chamber

Capitalism

an economic system in which individuals and private companies own the means of production and operate for profit

Socialism

an economic system in which the government or community collectively owns and controls major industries

Communism

an economic system in which all property is publicly owned and the government makes all decisions about production and distribution

Separation of Powers

division of government into different branches with distinct responsibilities

Checks and Balances

ways in which different branches of government limit (or check) each other's powers

Mixed Economy

an economy that includes capitalistic elements of a free market as well as some government intervention in the interest of both economic stability and the public good

Government

the group or organization that makes decisions on behalf of the people in a political unit, such as a country, state, or city