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Government
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the institutions, people, and processes by which a nation-state or political unit is ruled and its public policy created and administered
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Nation-State
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a political unit with a defined territory, organized under a government and having the authority to make and enforce the law
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Politics
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the methods or tactics involved in managing government and gaining power
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Sovereignty
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the authority of a nation-state's right to rule itself
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Divine Right
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the belief that rulers derive their authority directly from God and are accountable only to Him
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Social Contract
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the concept that the governed and those governing have obligations to each other, that the people being governed will support the government, and that the government will protect the basic rights of the people
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Elite
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a small and privileged group who have a disproportionate share of money or political influence
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Unitary Government
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a form of government in which all of the powers of the government are held by a single unit or agency
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Federal Government
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a form of government in which governmental powers are divided between a central authority and a number of regional political subdivisions
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Confederation
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a political system in which a weak central government has limited authority, and the states have ultimate power
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Parliamentary Government
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a form of government in which the executive leaders are chosen by and responsible to the legislature
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Presidential Government
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a form of government in which the legislative and executive branches are separate and function independently
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Monarchy
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government in which the ruler's power is hereditary
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Dictatorship
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a form of government in which an absolute ruler controls the power, often through fear or force, and ignores the will of the people
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Democracy
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a system of government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives
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Direct Democracy
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a democratic system of government in which all citizens participate in politics and decision-making, such as New England town meetings
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Representative Democracy
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a democratic system of government in which policies are made by officials to the people who elected them
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