Democracy
In this type of democracy, citizens elect leaders to make decisions and pass laws for them.
What is a Representative Democracy (or Republic)?
This is a form of government where a single leader has absolute control over the lives of citizens and the government.
What is a Dictatorship?
This is a form of government where a small group of people—usually based on wealth, family, or military power—holds all the control.
What is an Oligarchy?
In a parliamentary system, this person serves as the head of government and is usually the leader of the majority party.
What is a Prime Minister?
This is the absence of any government or law; a state of total disorder.
What is Anarchy?
This term describes a democracy where citizens vote directly on laws and policies themselves, rather than electing officials.
What is a Direct Democracy?
In a dictatorship, this branch of government usually has no power or is completely controlled by the leader.
What is the Legislative (or Lawmaking) branch?
In many oligarchies, power is passed down through these, which are groups of people related by blood or marriage.
What are Families (or Dynasties)?
Unlike the U.S. President, the Prime Minister is chosen by this group of people, not directly by the citizens.
What is the Legislative Branch (or Parliament)?
This term refers to a government ruled by religious leaders who claim to act on behalf of a God or higher power.
What is a Theocracy?
Often found in the U.S., this is the principle that the person or idea with more than half the votes wins, while still protecting individual rights.
What is Majority Rule?
Dictators often use this—biased or misleading information—to control how citizens think about the government.
What is Propaganda?
This Greek-rooted word describes a specific type of oligarchy where the "best" or highest social class holds the power.
What is an Aristocracy?
This is the name for the group of advisors who help the Prime Minister run the various departments of government.
What is the Cabinet?
In this system, power is inherited through a family line, but the ruler's power is limited by a set of laws.
What is a Constitutional Monarchy?
This is a form of government where people have responsibilities beyond just voting, such as serving on advisory boards or proposing legislation.
What is Participatory Democracy?
Unlike a Monarchy, a dictator usually gains power by this method rather than through family inheritance.
What is Force (or a military takeover/coup)?
Unlike a Democracy, the general population in an oligarchy usually has little to no say in this process.
What is Decision-making (or Voting)?
If the government loses the support of the majority in Parliament, they may face this type of vote to remove them from power
What is a Vote of No Confidence?
This political concept describes a government's recognized right to rule, usually based on popular consent or a constitution.
What is Legitimacy?
In this specific model of democracy, a small number of people (usually wealthy or highly educated) make the decisions while the rest of the public just votes for them.
What is Elitist Democracy?
This term describes a regime that holds "fake" elections and has a parliament, but the dictator ensures they can never actually lose power.
describes a regime that holds "fake" elections and has a parliament, but the dictator ensures they can never actually lose power.What is an Illiberal Democracy (or Authoritarianism)?
This "Iron Law" suggests that any complex organization, regardless of how democratic it starts, will eventually be ruled by a small elite group.
What is the Iron Law of Oligarchy?
This is the specific term for a situation where no single party wins enough seats to lead, forcing rival parties to form a "Coalition Government.
What is a Hung Parliament?
This political philosophy emphasizes social equality and believes the government should provide extensive public services funded by higher taxes on the wealthy.
What is Left-wing (or Socialism)?