| Term | Definition |
|---|
| origin of the state | evolutionary theory, Force theory, Divine Right theory, and Social Contract theory |
| free market | 18th century economic concept pushed by Adam Smith. It meant that buyers and sellers were free to make unlimited economic decisions in the marketplace |
| constitution | a plan that provides the rules for government |
| a civil society | a complex network of voluntary associations that allow democracy to flourish |
| sovereignty | the supreme and absolute authority within territorial boundaries |
| capitalism | an economic system providing free choice and individual incentive for workers, investors, consumers, and business enterprises |
| communism | an economic systetm in which the central government directs all major economic decisions. this type of economic decision-making is labeled a command economy |
| socialism | an economic system in which the government owns the basic means of production, distributes the products and wages, and provides social services such as health care and welfare |
| autocracy | a system of government in which the power to rule is in the hands of a single individual. someone like Adolph Hitler was considered an autocrat or a totalitarian dictator |
| laissez-faire | the philosophy that government should keep its hands off the economy |
| monarchy | autocracy in which a king, queen, or emperor exercises supreme powers of government |
| constitutional monarchy | a monarch that has shared governmental powers with elected legislatues or serves maily as a ceremonial leader of the government |
| constitutional law | law that involves the interpretation and application of the U.S. Constitution and state constitutions |
| confederation | a loose association of independent states |
| politics | the effort to control or influence the conduct of government |
Combine with other sets
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