forms of government Flashcards
(20 cards)
Civics
the study or science of the privileges and obligations of citizens.
Community
a social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and often have a common cultural and historical heritage.
Government
the political direction and control exercised over the actions of the members, citizens, or inhabitants of communities, societies, and states; direction of the affairs of a state, community, etc.; political administration:
Government is necessary to the existence of civilized society.
Direct Democracy
a form of government in which policies and laws are decided by a majority of all those eligible rather than by a body of elected representatives.
Representative
a person or thing that represents another or others.
an agent or deputy:
Representative Democracy
This means that our government is elected by citizens. Here, citizens vote for their government officials. These officials represent the citizens’ ideas and concerns in government. Voting is one way to participate in our democracy.
Monarchy
a state or nation in which the supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in a monarch.: Compare absolute monarchy, limited monarchy.
supreme power or sovereignty held by a single person.
Oligarchy
a form of government in which all power is vested in a few persons or in a dominant class or clique; government by the few.
a state or organization so ruled.
Majority
he greater part or number; the number larger than half the total (opposed to minority):
the majority of the population.
a number of voters or votes, jurors, or others in agreement, constituting more than half of the total number.
Minority
the smaller part or number; a number, part, or amount forming less than half of the whole.
a smaller party or group opposed to a majority, as in voting or other action.
Autocracy
government in which one person has uncontrolled or unlimited authority over others; the government or power of an absolute monarch.
a nation, state, or community ruled by an autocrat.
SEE MORE
Communism
a theory or system of social organization based on the holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the community as a whole or to the state.
Socialism
a theory or system of social organization that advocates the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, capital, land, etc., by the community as a whole, usually through a centralized government.
Totalitarianism
he practices and principles of a totalitarian regime.
absolute control by the state or a governing branch of a highly centralized institution.
Head of Government
Person responsible for carrying on the business of government and for leading the team of ministers who control the central institutions of the government …
Citizen Participation
By voting, citizens are participating in the democratic process. Citizens vote for leaders to represent them and their ideas, and the leaders support the citizens’ interests. There are two special rights only for U.S. citizens: voting in federal elections and running for federal office.
Voting
a formal expression of opinion or choice made by an individual or body of individuals, especially in an election.
Legislature
a deliberative body of persons, usually elective, who are empowered to make, change, or repeal the laws of a country or state; the branch of government having the power to make laws, as distinguished from the executive and judicial branches of government.
Anarchy
a state of society without government or law.
political and social disorder due to the absence of governmental control:
The death of the king was followed by a year of anarchy.
Tyranny
arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power; despotic abuse of authority.
the government or rule of a tyrant or absolute ruler.
