Political Systems - Vocabulary
1.
Centralized Government- A form of government where power is
concentrated or consolidated in one area (ex: kings, dictators, emperors)
Strong central government/leaders
2.
Decentralized - A form of government where power is delegated or
distributed from the top (ex: Feudalism) Weak central government/leaders
3.
Democracy – A form of government where the people have the power;
formed in Ancient Greece
4.
Republic – A form of democracy where people elect or vote their
representatives to make decisions; (Formed in Ancient Rome)
5.
Direct democracy - Form of democracy where Citizens have direct say in
the making of decisions
6.
Monarchy - Government headed by a king or queen.
7.
Absolutism (absolute monarchy) - Government where the king or a queen
has total or absolute power/control
8.
Totalitarian – A form of government that has total control over all aspects
of the lives of the people. (Ex: Soviet Union)
9.
Autocracy – A form of government ruled by one person with unlimited
authority.
10.
Fascism – A Government based on extreme nationalism and an allpowerful state. (Nazi Germany, Italy)
11.
Dictatorship – A country led by a person given “temporary” absolute
authority.
12.
Communism – A political system where a dictator sets up a totalitarian
state and controls all aspects of life, especially the economy; (Ex: The Soviet
Union, China, North Korea, Cuba)
13.
Divine right theory – The European theory that a monarch’s power to rule
comes from God
14.
Dynasty – Ruling family of China; Succession comes from lineage
15.
Mandate of Heaven – The Chinese theory that the emperor’s right to rule
comes from Heaven/God.
16.
Dynastic Cycle – The political cycle in China that as long as an Emperor
ruled well, he kept the mandate of Heaven. If a ruler was corrupt, he lost
the mandate and another dynasty took over. Cycle that explains the rise
and fall of dynasties
17.
Feudalism – A decentralized political, system in Europe during the Middle
Ages where land was exchanged, loyalty, services and protection.
Land=wealth=power
18.
City-state - A small, politically independent country built around an larger
area; (Sparta or Athens in Greece)
19.
Sovereign - A nation or group that has the power to make independent
decisions (Free nation)
20.
Separation of power – The theory that no one branch of the government
has all the power; (checks and balances)
21.
Codified law - Laws that have been written down or recorded
22.
Veto – The act of overriding a bill or a law.
23.
Czar - Emperor of Russia; derives from the word (Caesar)
24.
Citizenship - The right of the “people” to vote and participate in their
society. Membership in a political community
25.
Anarchy – The absence of political authority; (chaos)
26.
Suffrage - A movement that fights for a group’s right to vote (ex: Women
Suffrage, Black Suffrage)
27.
Laws - Rules for people in a society to follow (to keep order)
28.
Radical - One who works for political change quickly (Extremists); may
resort to violence or terrorism to bring attention to their cause.
29.
Liberal – A supporter of civil liberties; A person that promotes social and
political progress through an active government
30.
Conservative – A person who resists political or social change through an
active government