government vocab - week 2

types of government

Absolute Monarchy

A form of monarchy with no limits on the monarch’s power

Anarchy

The absence of any form of government

Authoritarian

a form of government that forces strict obedience to authority, especially that of government, at the expense of personal freedom

Autocracy

a form of government in which unlimited power is concentrated in one individual or small group

Checks and balances

a principle that allows each branch of government to limit the power of the other branchs

Consent of the governed

The idea that government gains it power/authority from the people

Constitutional monarchy

a form of monarchy where the monarch serve in only a limited or symbolic role, restricted by a written set of laws

Constitutional republic

a form of government in which there is democratic voting, but governmental power is limited by the existence of a constituion that protects the rights of citizens

Democracy

a form of government in which political power is held by the people

Dictatorship

a form of autocracy where an individual has absolute control over a country, often achiving it and keeping it through violence means

Direct democracy

a form of democracy in which the power to govern is directly in the hands of the people rather than the elected representatives

Due process of law

the idea that peopl accused of a crime still have indivdual rights, that the process of weighing their accused crimes must take place fairly, following an established standard, beore hey can lose either their life or freedom

federalism

a system of government in which power is divided and shared between national, state, and local governments

Form of Government

the way a government is structured and operates

Indirect democracy

a form of democracy in which the people elect representatives to make policies and laws for them; soemtimes called a republic or representative democracy

individual rights

rights guaranteed or belongin to a person

Monarchy

a form of government headed by a king or queen who inherits the position, rules for life, and holds power that can range from anywhere from limited to absolute

oligarchy

a form of government in which a small group or class of people who have total control and power

representative governent

a type of government that allows people to vote and elect government officals to represent their beliefs and make decisions on their behalf

republic

a form of government in which the people elect representatives to make policies and laws for them; sometimes called a represetative democracy or indirect democracy

republicanism

the political belief that the best form of government is one where citizens choose their represntatives and leaders and actively participte in civic life for the common good of the nation/community

rule of law

the idea that those who govern must also follow the same laws as everyonee; no one is above the law

seperation of powers

a principle that sets up three branches with their own distinct powers and responsibilities

theocracy

a form of government in which religious authorities rule in the name of a god or deity

totalitarian

a form of government in which power is centralized with one individual or group and requires complete subservice to the state

limited government

a government that has been limited in power by a constitution,or written agreement