Government 1
About this set
Created by:
Bpfogarty6 on January 16, 2012
Subjects:
Description:
Chapter 1 & 2 American Government
Log in to favorite or report as inappropriate.
Order by
28 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 articles of confederation | plan of government adopted by the Continental Congressafter the American Revolution |
| autocracy | a form of government in which a single person holds unlimited political power |
| compromise | an adjustment of opposing principles or systems by modifying some aspect of each |
| confederate government | an alliance of independent states with a centralized government that has only the power the states assigned to it |
| confederation | a joining of several people for a common purpose |
| constitution | the body of fundamental laws setting out the principles, structures, and processes of a government |
| democracy | a form of government in which the supreme authority rests with the people |
| dictatorship | a form of government in which the leader has absolute power and authority |
| direct democracy | the will of the people is translated into public policy by the people, themselves, in mass meetings |
| division of powers | basic principle of federalism: the constitutional provisions by which governmental powers are divided on a geographic basis |
| executive power | the power to execute, enforce, and administer law |
| federal government | a form of government in which powers are divided between a central government and several local governments |
| free enterprise system | an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods |
| government | the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies |
| indirect (representative) democracy | a small group of people, chosen by the population, act as representatives, expressing the popular will |
| judicial power | the power to interpret laws, to determine their meaning, and to settle disputes within a society |
| law of supply and demand | a law which states when supplies of goods become plentiful, prices tend to drop. When supplies become scarcer prices tend to rise |
| legislative power | the power to make law and frame pubic policies |
| limited government | government that does not have absolute power over it's people |
| mixed economy | an economy in which private enterprise exists in combination with a considerable amount of government regulation and promotion |
| oligarchy | a form of government in which the power to rule is held by a small, usually self-appointed elite |
| parliamentary government | a form of government in which the executive branch is made up of the prime minister, or premier, and that official's cabinet |
| popular sovereignty | basic principle of American government; asserts that the people are the source of any and all government power |
| presidential government | a form of government in which the executive and legislative branches of the government are separate, independent, and coequal |
| public policy | all of the many goals that a government pursues in all of the many areas of human affairs in which it is involved |
| sovereign | having supreme power within its own territory; neither subordinate or responsible to any other territory |
| state | a body of people (population) living in a defined territory who have a government with the power to make and enforce law without the consent of any higher authority (sovereignty) |
| unitary government | a centralized government in which all government powers belong to a single, centralized agency |
First Time Here?
Welcome to Quizlet, a fun, free place to study. Try these flashcards, find others to study, or make your own.