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Republic

a form of government in which citizens choose their leaders by voting

Confederacy

a loose union of independent states

soverignty

the supreme and absolute authority within territorial boundaries

Nation

a group of people united by bonds of race, language, custom, tradition, and sometimes religion

Democracy

a form of government in which citizens govern themselves

Government

the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies

State

a politically organized body of people under a single government

Monarchy

state ruled over by a single person, as a king or queen

Constitution

a document establishing the structure, functions, and limitations of a government.

Dictatorship

an individual or group holds complete political power

Federal System

form of government that divides powers between the states and the federal government

Social Contract

an agreement in which people give power to a government in exchange for its protections

Unitary System

form of government in which all key powers are given to the national government

Political Party

a group which tries to be elected into power on the basis of its policies

Limited Government

The government has only the powers that the constitution gives it

Ratify

To Approve

Unicameral

A legislature consisting of one part, or house

Bicameral

A legislature consisting of two parts, or houses

Federalist

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Supporters of ratification of the Constitution and of a strong central government.

Antifederalist

Opponents of ratification of the Constitution and of a strong central government.

Articles

The main body of the Constitution, which establishes the framework for the United States government

Jurisdiction

The authority of a court to hear a case

Supremacy Clause

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Statement in Article VI stating that the Constitution shall be the Supreme Law of the Land

Amendments

Official changes, corrections, or additions to the Constitution

Popular Sovereignty

The idea that the government's authority comes from the people

Separation of Power

The division of power among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government

Federalism

A system in which power is divided between the national and state governments

Checks and Balances

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Each branch of the government is subject to restraints by the other two branches

Judicial Review

Allows the court to determine the constitutionality of laws

Elastic Clause

The power that gives Congress the flexibility needed to do its job

Expressed Powers

Powers specifically granted to the federal government by the Constitution

Implied Powers

Powers that the government requires to carry out the expressed constitutional powers

Reserved Powers

Powers given to the state government alone

Concurrent Powers

Powers held jointly by the national and state governments

Lobbying

Interest group activities aimed at convincing lawmakers to support the group's positions

Interest Group

A group of people with common goals who organize to influence government

Public Opinion

What the public thinks about a particular issue at any point in time

Peer Groups

Groups of people who are similar in age and stage of life

Political Socialization

The process by which we develop our political attitudes, values, and beliefs

Political Culture

The basic norms for political activity in a society

Population