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A political community that occupies a definite territory and has an organized government with the power to make and enforce laws without approval from any higher authority
State
The supreme and absolute authority within territorial boundaries
Sovereignty
The institution through which the state maintains social order, provides public services, and enforces binding decisions on citizens
Government
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
Social Contract
A system of government in which the power to rule is in the hands of a single individual
Autocracy
Autocracy in which a king, queen, or emperor exercises supreme powers of government
Monarchy
A government in which voters hold sovereign power; elected representatives, responsible to the people, exercise that power
Republic
An economic system providing free choice and individual incentive for workers, investors, consumers, and business enterprises
Capitalism
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
Socialism
The philosophy that government should keep its hands off the economy
Laissez-Faire
A group of people united by bonds of race, language, custom, tradition, and sometimes religion
Nation
A system of government in which a small group holds power
Oligarchy
Government in which people rule
Democracy
A group of individuals with broad common interests who organize to nominate candidates for office, win elections, conduct government, and determine public policy
Political Party
the opportunity to control one's own economic decisions
Free Enterprise
Economic system in which buyers and sellers make free choices in the marketplace
Free Market
Capitalists who own the means of production
Bourgeoisie
Workers who produce the goods
Proletariat
An economic system in which the central government directs all major economic decisions
Communism
An economic system in which the government controls the factors of production
Command Economy
The notion that the gods had chosen certain people to rule
Divine Right Theory
This philosopher believed that when governments failed to preserve the rights of the people, the people could justly break the contract
John Locke
The people elect representatives and give them the responsibility and power to make laws and conduct government
Representative Democracy
German thinker and writer that was a socialist who advocated violent revolution in order to establish his form of socialism
Karl Marx
Governments emerged when all the people of an area were brought under the authority of a single person or group through physical force
Force Theory