| Term | Definition |
|---|
| government | The institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies |
| public policy | All those things a government decides to do |
| legislative power | The power to make law and frame public policy |
| executive power | The power to execute, enforce, and administer law |
| judicial power | The power to interpret laws, to determine their meaning, and to settle disputes that arise within the society |
| constitution | The body of fundamental laws setting out the principles, structures, and processes of a government |
| dictatorship | A form of government in which a single person or a small group has absolute power and authority |
| democracy | A form of government in which the supreme authority rests with the people |
| state | A body of people living in a defined territory who have a government with the power to make and enforce law without consent of any higher authority |
| sovereign | Having supreme power within its own territory; neither subordinate nor responsible to any other authority |
| autocracy | A government in which a single person holds unlimited political power |
| oligarchy | A government in which the power to rule is held by a small, usually self-appointed elite |
| unitary | All powers held by the government belong to a single, central agency |
| federal | A form of government in which the powers are divided between a central government and several local governments |
| confederation | An alliance of independent states |
| presidential | A form of government in which the executive and legislative branches are separate, independent, and coequal |
| parliamentary | A form of government in which the executive branch is made up of a prime minister, or premier, and that official's cabinet |
| compromise | An adjustment of opposing principles or systems by modifying some aspect of each |
| mixed economy | An economy in which private enterprise exists in combination with a considerable amount of government regulation and promotion |
| free enterprise | An economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods; and determined in a free market |
Combine with other sets
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