Unit 1: Principles of Government and Types of Government - Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from Unit 1 notes on Principles of Government and Types of Government.

Government

The institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies.

Public policies

All of the things a government decides to do.

Legislative power

The power to make laws and to frame public policies.

Executive power

The power to execute, enforce and administer laws.

Judicial powers

The power to interpret laws, determine their meaning, and settle disputes within society.

Dictatorship

A form of government where those who rule cannot be held responsible to the will of the people.

Aristotle

Greek philosopher who linked individuals in a social context and wrote about types of government and citizens’ obligations.

State

A body of people living in a defined territory.

Sovereign

Having supreme and absolute power within a territory and the authority to decide foreign and domestic policies.

Thomas Hobbes

English philosopher who argued that people and nations are in a constant struggle for power and wealth.

John Locke

English philosopher who wrote about natural rights, the social contract, separation of church and state, and religious liberty.

Divine Right of Kings Theory

The belief that God grants authority to a government.

Autocracy

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

Oligarchy

A form of government in which the power to rule is held by a small, usually self-appointed elite.

Theocracy

A form of government in which a country is ruled by religious leaders.

Unitary government

A centralized government in which all government powers belong to a single central agency.

Federal government

A form of government in which powers are divided between a central government and several local governments.

Division of powers

The basic principle of federalism; powers divided between national and state governments.

Confederation

A joining of several groups for a common purpose.

Presidential government

A form of government where the executive and legislative branches are separate, independent, and coequal.

Parliamentary government

A form of government where the executive branch (prime minister and cabinet) is part of the legislature.

Abraham Lincoln

Government of the people, by the people, for the people.

different democracies

All republics are democracies, but not all democracies are republics.

Constitutional republic

A republic that operates under a constitution; the United States is a constitutional republic with democratic elections.

Direct democracy

people decide directly

indirect democracy

in an indirect democracy, people decide who decides for them.