Government Civics and Concepts of Democracy

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering key principles of government, state theories, forms of democracy, structural divisions of power, and economic systems from the Government Civics lecture notes.

Government

The group of people and agencies entrusted with making and carrying out laws and policies agreed upon by the larger population.

Public policy

The laws and goals that a government follows or pursues.

Legislative power

The power to make laws.

Executive power

The power to execute, enforce, and administer laws.

Judicial power

The power to settle arguments and decide the meaning of laws.

Constitution

A plan for government that outlines the goals and structure of a nation.

State

The main political unit in the world, characterized by population, territory, sovereignty, and government.

Sovereignty

The power to decide foreign and domestic policy within a territory, having supreme and absolute authority.

Force theory

A theory stating that a state began when a small group took over an area and forced others to follow their rules.

Evolutionary theory

A theory stating that the state began as a family, with related families joining and cooperating to form a tribe and state.

Divine right theory

A theory holding that God created the state and gave a ruler a divine right to rule.

Social contract theory

A theory of government in which people agree to form a state to keep order and protect well-being.

Autocracy

A form of government in which a single person holds unlimited political power.

Oligarchy

A form of government in which a small group of people holds unlimited political power.

Democracy

A form of government in which people hold the power.

Direct democracy

A form of government where citizens directly vote on laws and policies, typically working best at a local level.

Indirect democracy

A form of government in which a small group of people is elected to represent a larger group; also known as representative democracy.

Unitary government

A system of government where power resides with the central government and local government is secondary.

Federal government

A system of government in which powers are divided and shared between a central national government and local state governments.

Confederate government

An alliance of independent states where most power belongs to local regional governments and the central government has only limited power.

Presidential government

A form of government where the executive and legislative branches are separate and equal.

Parliamentary government

A form of government in which the executive branch is headed by a prime minister chosen from within the legislative branch.

Division of power

The constitutional provisions by which government powers are divided between the national government and state governments.

Checks and balances

A system where both branches of government have powers that can block or limit the actions of the other branch.

Compromise

A settlement of differences in which each side gives up some of its demands.

Majority rule

The belief that the will of most of the people will be right more often than it will be unjust.

Free enterprise system

An economic system characterized by private ownership, private decision-making, and market competition; also called capitalism.

Law of supply and demand

An economic concept stating that when goods are plentiful, prices are lower, and when goods are scarce, prices are higher.

Patent

A license issued to an inventor granting the exclusive right to use or sell an invention for a limited period of time.

Command economy

An economy in which the government plans, directs, and controls economic output and investments.

Market economy

An economy controlled by individuals and market forces without heavy government regulation or intervention.

Mixed economy

An economic system combining elements of a market economy with government regulation.