Government - Unit 1 Key Terms Flashcards

1. Authority
   Chapter 1 Pg. 1

ex: Mr. Sarria

Definition) The legal right and power to give orders and enforce rules
Sentence) Mr. Sarria has authority over his students.
Connections) Power, Legitimacy

2. Government

Ch 1 Pg. 2
Ex: US government.

Definition) A group of people that pass and enforce laws. Or a system that exercises authority over individuals.
Sentence) The government makes laws that we must follow.
Connections) Authority, Public Policies

3. Power

Ch 1. Pg 2
Ex: Police

Definition) The ability to cause others to behave as they might not otherwise choose to do.
Sentence) The police have power to detain you if they see it fit.
Connections) Authority, Abuse of Power

4. Legitimacy

Ch 1. Pg 3

Ex: George Washington

Definition) The quality of being accepted as an authority, often applied to laws or those in power.
Sentence) George Washington had legitimacy as a leader.
Connections) Authority, Social-Contract Theory

5. Public Good

Ch 1. Pg 4
Ex: Roads, parks, etc.

Definition) A product or service that is available for all people to consume, whether they pay for it or not.
Sentence) The park is a public good provided to us by the government.
Connections) Public Policies, Government

6. Public Policies

Ch 1. Pg X

Ex: Medicaid, ObamaCare

Definition) All the laws a government decides to pass and enforce.
Sentence) Public policies benefit the people.
Connections) Government, Authority

7. State (Nation-state)

Ch 1. Pg 6

ex: USA

Definition) A group of people living within a defined area, with population, which has and is controlled by a government that has the power to make and enforce laws within its defined territory.
Sentence) There are 50 states in the US.
Connections) Sovereignty, Government

8. Sovereignty

Ch 1. Pg 6

Ex: North Korea

Definition) Having total/absolute control (power) within your land/state, over a group of people.
Sentence) Kim Jong Un has sovereignty.
Connections) State, Power

9. Politics

Ch 1. Pg 8
Ex: Conservative.

Definition) The process and method of making decisions for groups. Usually applied to government, but is also observed in all human interactions.
Sentence) Politics is great at dividing people.
Connections) Power, Government

10. Institution

Ch 1. Pg 9

Ex: Colleges.

Definition) An established organization, especially one providing a public service, and the rules that guide it.

Sentence) SJSU is a well-respected institution.
Connections) Government, Formal Authority

11. Abuse of power

Ch 1. Pg 3

Ex: North Korea

Definition) The misuse of authority for harmful, unethical, or illegal ends.
Sentence) Kim Jong Un is widely known to abuse his power.
Connections) Power, Authority

12. Formal Authority

Ch 1. Pg 3
Ex: President

Definition) Power to give orders and enforce rules that has been defined in a legal or official way.
Sentence) Police officers have formal authority to search with a warrant.
Connections) Authority, Institution

13. Mandate of heaven

Ch 1. Pg 4
Ex: Emperors in China

Definition) An ancient Chinese doctrine that the ruler was the "son of heaven" and thus enjoyed supreme authority.
Sentence) China followed the mandate of heaven.
Connections) Divine Right of Kings, Legitimacy

14. Divine right of kings

Ch 1. Pg. 4
Ex: European monarchs

Definition) The idea that European monarchs has a God-given right to rule and thus deserved absolute power.
Sentence) The divine right of kings stated that his power came from God.
Connections) Divine Right Theory, Authority

15. Social contract theory

Ch 1. Pg 4
Ex: paying taxes, obeying laws.

Definition) A theory of the development of the state that says the state developed out of an agreement freely made by individuals to form a government.
Sentence) The social contract theory would hypothetically create a better society.
Connections) Legitimacy, Government

16. Evolutionary Theory

Ch 1. Pg X

ex: USA

Definition) A theory of the state that says the state evolved slowly through time from the early family, to a tribe, to a clan, to a village, to a city, then to a modern nation state.
Sentence) USA kind of followed the evolutionary theory as we developed from the 13 colonies.
Connections) State, Institution

17. Divine Right Theory

Ch 1. Pg X

ex: King James I of England

Definition) Theory of how the state developed that says that God created the state, and chose royal families to rule via divine right.
Sentence) Claiming divine right is an unusually easy way to power.
Connections) Divine Right of Kings, Authority

18. Force Theory

Ch 1. Pg X

ex: Mongol Empire.

Definition) A theory of how the state developed that says the state was created through, violence, force, and conquest of other territories or kingdoms.
Sentence) Genghis Khan used force theory and conquered with violence.
Connections) Power, State

19. Niccolo Machiavelli and The Prince

Ch 1. Pg 11

Definition) A political philosopher born in Florence, Italy, who rose to a high position in the city's government.
Sentence) Niccole Machiavelli explains how to maintian power and authority as a ruler in The Prince
Connections) Power, Machiavellian

20. Machiavellian

Ch 1. Pg 11

Definition) Characterized by cunning or ruthless methods to obtain and maintain power; associated with the political philosophy of Niccolò Machiavelli that "the end justifies the means".
Sentence) Machiavellian justified their unwrongful doings.
Connections) Power, Abuse of Power

21. Civil Disobedience

Ch 1. Pg 12
Ex: Rosa Parks

Definition) A form of protest in which people disobey a law they consider unjust.
Sentence)  Rosa Parks used civil disobedience to fight for her rights.
Connections) Civil, Public Policies

22. Civil

Ch 1. Pg 12
Ex: Civil rights movements

Definition) Having to do with citizens, as in civil rights
Sentence) The judge decided this was a civil matter.
Connections) Civil Disobedience, State