American Government/Civics Unit 1 Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts and terms from Unit 1 notes on government, democracy, and the social contract.

State of nature

A hypothetical condition of humanity before the establishment of organized societies or governments.

Natural rights

Rights that all people have by virtue of being human; Locke specified life, liberty, and property.

Social contract

An agreement in which people give up some freedoms and submit to government in exchange for security and social order.

Thomas Hobbes

Enlightenment thinker known for Leviathan; argued the state of nature is nasty, brutish, and short and that people give up absolute freedom to a monarch.

John Locke

Enlightenment thinker who proposed the social contract to preserve natural rights and supported representative government; believed people can change government that violates rights.

Charles de Montesquieu

Enlightenment thinker who emphasized separation of powers and checks and balances.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Enlightenment thinker whose social contract theory centers on the general will and the community governing itself for the public good.

Power

The ability of one person or group to make others do something, even if they don’t want to.

Authority

The right to use power, often granted by law, tradition, or the consent of the people.

Authoritarianism

A form of government where power is held by a single person or a small group, with little citizen influence.

Autocracy

A government where a single person holds all of the power.

Absolute monarchy

A monarchy in which the king or queen holds all power, typically inherited.

Dictatorship

A government where a single leader uses force and restricts citizens' rights.

Oligarchy

A government where a small group (wealthy elite or military) holds all the power.

Theocracy

A government where religious leaders rule in the name of a god or higher power.

Single-party state

A government in which only one political party is legally allowed to exist and hold power.

Totalitarianism

An autocracy or oligarchy with complete government control over all aspects of life.

Democracy

A system in which the people hold the power and influence government decisions through voting and participation.

Direct democracy

A system where all citizens vote directly on every law and policy.

Representative democracy

Citizens elect a group to make laws and policies on their behalf.

Parliamentary democracy

Executive leader (prime minister) is chosen from the leading party and can be removed by the legislature.

Presidential democracy

President is elected separately from the legislature and heads the executive branch; powers are divided.

Constitutional monarchy

A government where a monarch shares power with a constitutionally organized government and has limited authority.

Limited government

Powers exercised by the government are restricted, usually by a written constitution.

Rule of law

Government operates under clear, fairly enforced laws that apply to everyone.

Popular sovereignty

The principle that the people are the ultimate source of authority and legitimacy of a government.

Constitution

A written plan that sets up a government, outlines its powers, and lists the rights of the people.

Separation of powers

Powers of government are divided among two or more independent branches.

Checks and balances

Each branch can limit the power of the other branches.

Federal system

Power is shared between a strong central government and strong state or regional governments.

Unitary system

All power is held by a central government; local governments exist but are limited by the central authority.

Confederal system

Power is held mainly by the states or regions; the central government is weak.

Claim-Evidence-Reasoning

A framework for building an argument: a claim, supporting evidence, and justification (reasoning) for why the evidence supports the claim.