Chapter 1 - Foundations of Government Flashcards
The formal structures and institutions through which a territory and its people are ruled.
Government
The government’s authority and ability to get things done.
Power
Any decision made by government in pursuit of a particular goal.
Policy
A political unit made up by a group of people that lives within a clearly defined territory.
State
Ultimate, supreme power in a state; in the United States, it rests with the people.
Sovereignty
The process by which government makes ad carries out decisions.
Politics
Not limited by restriction.
Absolute
Right and proper.
Legitimacy
The theory that a monarch rules by sanction, or approval, of God.
Divine Right of Kings
A system of rules/laws/rights derived from a natural world (we are given them by birth, being here).
Natural Law / Rights
A theory of society in which government is a contract between a government and the governed to provide protection and support for the people; under this, a government is legitimate so long as the people voluntarily agree to hand over their power to the state.
Social Contract Theory
A form of government in which political power is exercised by a single ruler, such as a king or queen, who exercises absolute authority under the claim of divine / hereditary right.
Monarchy
A form of authoritarian government in which the government is ruled by religious leaders.
Theocracy
The leader / King / Queen of a government has unlimited power.
Absolute Monarchy
The leader / King / Queen has limited power, they are figureheads - limited by law. (UK)
Constitutional Monarchy