People and Government
Terms
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- political party
- A group of individuals with broad common interests who organize to nominate candidates for office, win elections, conduct government, and determine public policy.
- developing nations
- These nations are only beginning to develop industrially.
- nation-state
- A country in which the territory of both the nation and the state coincide.
- state
- Precisely identifies a political community that occupies a definite territory and has an orgaqnized government with the power to make and enforce laws without approval from any higher authority
- republic
- Voters hold soveriegn power. Elected representatives who are responsible to the people exercise that power.
- autocracy
- Any system of government in which the power and authority to rule are in the hands of a single individual.
- confederacy
- A loose union of independent states.
- industrialized nations
- These nations have generally large industries and advanced technology that provide a more comfortable way of life than developing nations do.
- preamble
- A statement (in a constitution) that sets forth the goals and purposes to be served by the government.
- free enterprise
- The opportunity to control one's economic decisions provides a base for making independent political decisions.
- nation
- Any sizable group of people who are united by common bonds of race, language, custom, tradition, and sometimes, religion.
- communism
- An economic system in which the central government directs all major economic decisions.
- constitutional law
- The interpretation and application of the constitution.
- proletariat
- Workers who produce the goods.
- sovereignty
- The state has supreme and absolute authority within its territorial boundariess.
- capitalism
- An economic system providing free choice and individual incentive for workers, investors, consumers, and business enterprises.
- democracy
- Any systtem of government in which rule is by the people.
- free market
- Buyers and sellers were free to make unlimited economic decisions in the marketplace.
- consensus
- An agreement about basic beliefs.
- laissez-faire
- A french term that means "to let alone." (Government should keep its hands off the economy).
- politics
- The effort to control or influence the conduct and policies of government.
- economics
- The study of human efforts to satisfy seemingly unlimited wants through the use of limited resources.
- social contract
- Theory that by contract, people surrender to the state the power needed to maintain order and the state, in turn, agrees to protect its citizens.
- bourgeoisie
- Capitalists who own the means of production.
- government
- The institution through which the state maintains social order, provides public services, and enforces decisions that are binding on all people living within the state.
- command economy
- An economic system in which the government controls the factors of production.
- unitary system
- This gives all key powers to the national or central government.
- socialism
- The government owns the basic means of production, determines the use of resources, distributes the products and wages, and provides social services such as education, health care, and welfare.
- monarchy
- Like a autocracy. A king, queen, or emperor exercises the supreme power of government.
- constitutional government
- A government in which a constitution has authority to place clearly recognized limits on the powers of thsoe who govern.
- federal system
- Government divides the powers of government between the national government and state or provincial governments.
- oligarchy
- Any system of government in which a small group holds power.
- constitution
- A plan that provides the rules for government