Introduction to Sociology 3e: Chapter 17

Absolute Monarchies

Governments wherein a monarch has absolute or unmitigated power.

Anarchy

The absence of any organized government.

Authority

Power that people accept because it comes from a source that is perceived as legitimate.

Charismatic Authority

Power legitimized on the basis of a leader's exceptional personal qualities.

Constitutional Monarchies

National governments that recognize monarchs but require these figures to abide by the laws of a greater constitution.

Democracy

A form of government that provides all citizens with an equal voice or vote in determining state policy.

Dictatorship

A form of government in which a single person (or a very small group) wields complete and absolute authority over a government or populace after the dictator rises to power, usually through economic or military might.

Monarchy

A form of government in which a single person (a monarch) rules until that individual dies or abdicates the throne.

Oligarchy

A form of government in which power is held by a small, elite group.

One Person, One Vote

A concept holding that each person's vote should be counted equally.

Patrimonialism

A type of authority wherein military and administrative factions enforce the power of the master.

Politics

A means of studying a nation's or group's underlying social norms as values as evidenced through its political structure and practices.

Power

The ability to exercise one's will over others.

Power Elite

A small group of powerful people who control much of a society.

Rational-Legal Authority

Power that is legitimized by rules, regulations, and laws.

Representative Democracy

A government wherein citizens elect officials to represent their interests.

Totalitarian Dictatorship

An extremely oppressive form of dictatorship in which most aspects of citizens' lives are controlled by the leader.

Traditional Authority

Power legitimized on the basis of long-standing customs.