1. Representative government – a form of government where citizens elect other citizens
to represent them in government.
2. Virginia House of Burgesses – The first representative assembly in the New World
founded in 1619.
3. Mayflower Compact – A social contract signed by the male members aboard the
Mayflower, in it they agreed to establish a democratic form of government, this is one
of the first examples of a self-governing colony. It was signed in 1620.
4. Self-government – the idea that regular people can govern themselves, rather than be
governed by a king.
5. Fundamental Orders of Connecticut – This is considered the first written constitution in
the New World, Thomas Hooker, the founder of Connecticut, greatly influenced the
ideas within this document.
6. Magna Carta - This document, signed by King John in 1215, is the first to limit the power
of the King, establish basic rights such as, taxation by consent only, trial by juries, and
protected property from unreasonable seizures.
7. English Bill of Rights – This document signed by King William and Mary after the Glorious
Revolution, in it created a Constitutional Monarchy, Parliament would be lawmaking
governking body, and rights of British citizens were protected.
8. Parliament – Britain’s lawmaking body.
9. Constitution – the fundamental principles on which a government is founded upon,
constitutions also define the rights of its’ citizens. Constitutions are like rule books for
governments.
10. Social contract – theory proposed by John Locke, in which people enter into an
unspoken contract with their governments, they agree to give up some of their personal
freedoms and liberties in exchange for protections of their rights.
11. Inalienable rights – these are sometimes called human rights, or natural rights, they are
rights that cannot be taken away.
12. Legislature - the lawmaking body of any community, usually made up of elected
representatives of the people.