US Government Unit 1 Vocabulary

Federal System

a government that divides the powers of government between the national government and state or provincial governments

Government

an institution through which leaders exercise power to make and enforce laws affecting the people under its control

Anarchy

a state without government or laws

Dictatorship

a system of government in which power is in the hands of one person who has total control

Divine Right

the idea that people are chosen by a god or gods to rule

Confederacy

a loose union of independent states

Republic

a government in which voters hold sovereign power; elected representatives

Autocracy

a system of government by one person with absolute power

Oligarchy

a system of government in which a small group holds power

Unitary Government

a government that gives all key powers to the national or central government

Federal Government

a government that divides powers of government between the national and state or provincial governments

Confederation

an organization which consists of a number of parties or groups united in an alliance or league

Nation

a group of people united by bonds of race

State

a political community that occupies a definite territory and has an organized government

Force Theory

the process of establishing a new government or country through the use of aggression. Armies were raised and a person or group seized control of the army and thus states were created through military force

Social Contract Theory

the idea that people voluntarily gave up power to the state in order to ensure a maintenance of order

John Locke

believed that people were born with natural rights to life

Thomas Hobbes

was one of the first to theorize on the social contract. He believed that the people/citizens did not have the authority to violate/break the agreement

Divine Right Theory

the idea that a god or gods have chosen certain people to rule by “divine right”

Evolution Theory

the state evolved from the family unit. The head of the family served as the authority or “governor”. Extended families would be included and thus making the government more complex and thus the need for the state

Majority Rule

the principle that the greater number should exercise greater power

Citizen

a member of a political society

Free Enterprise System

the opportunity to control one’s own economic decisions

Socialism

a political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production

Fascism

a political philosophy

Communism

a system in which goods are owned in common and are available to all as needed; a theory advocating elimination of private property