| Term | Definition |
|---|
| statute | an ordinary law passed by a legislature, not part of the constitution |
| constitution | basic rules that structure a government, usually written. |
| judicial review | ability of courts to decide if laws are constitutional; not present in all countries |
| judicial activism | willingness of some judges to override legislatures by declaring certain statutes unconstitutional |
| judicial restraint | unwillingness of some judges to overturn statutes passed by legislatures. |
| political culture | the psychology of the nation in regard to politics. |
| constitutionalism | degree to which government limits its powers. |
| separation of powers | U.S. doctrine that branches of government should be distinct and should check and balance each other, found in few other governments |
| unitary system | concentrate power in the nation's capital |
| federal system | power is divided among national, state, and local governments |
| unitary system | a system that concentrates all governmental power in a central or national government |
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