Foundations of
Government
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1
absolute monarchy
2
Autocracy in which a king,
queen, or emperor
exercises supreme powers
of government
3
amendment
4
Changes in, or additions
to, a document (e.g. U.S.
Constitution)
5
Anti-federalist
6
The political leaders who
were against ratification of
the Constitution because
they though it gave too
much power to the federal
government and did not
protect the political rights
of the people.
7
Articles of Confederation
8
First constitution of the
United States, 1781.
Created a weak national
government, replaced in
1789 by the Constitution
of the United States.
9
authoritarian
10
A form of government in
which those in power
hold absolute and
unchangeable authority
over people such as in a
dictatorship.
11
authority
12
The right to enforce
laws, exact obedience,
command, determine,
or judge.
13
bicameral
14
A legislative body
composed of two
chambers
15
bills of attainder
16
A legislative act that
inflicts punishment
without a court trial.
17
Bill of Rights
18
First ten amendments
to the Constitution
which restrict the
federal government’s
power to take away
certain basic rights of
people.
19
checks and balances
20
Constitutional
mechanisms that
authorize each branch
of government to share
powers with the other
branches and thereby
check each other's
activities.
21
command economy
22
An economic system in
which economic decisions to
answer the basic economic
questions of "what", "how",
and "for whom" are made
by an authority such as a
feudal lord or government
agency.
23
confederate/confederal
24
Closely associated for a
common cause or by
treaty usually referring to
a system of government
such as Articles of
Confederation
25
consent of the governed
26
John Locke's ideas that
the government gets its
right to govern from the
people. Thomas
Jefferson included this
principle in the
Declaration of
Independence
27
Constitution
28
A set of customs,
traditions, rules and laws
that sets forth the way a
government is organized
and operated.
29
democracy
30
A form of government
in which political control
is exercised by all
people, either directly
or through their elected
representatives.
31
dictatorship
32
A government in which
the leader has
absolute power and
authority.
33
due process clause
34
Part of the Fourteenth
Amendment that
guarantees that no state
can deny basic rights to its
people.
35
eminent domain
36
The power of the
government to take
private property for
public use.
37
federal
38
A form of government in
which a union or states
recognizes the sovereignty
of a central authority while
sharing powers with
political units such as
states.
39
federalism
40
A form of political
organization in which
government power is
divided between a
central government and
territorial subdivisions.
41
Federalist
42
Supporters of a
stronger central
government who
advocated ratification
of the Constitution.
43
Fifth amendment
44
This amendment
covers due process
and the rights of
accused persons
45
framers of the Constitution
46
Group of delegates who
drafted the United States
Constitution at the
Philadelphia Convention in
1787.
47
limited government
48
A higher law such as a
constitution which declares it
necessary to limit the powers
of government in order to
protect
Individual civil liberties,
political and economic
freedoms.
49
majority rule
50
A principle of
democracy that asserts
that the greater number
of citizens in any
political unit should
select officials and
determine policies.
51
mixed economy
52
An economy which relies on
a combination of traditional
decision making, market
decision making, and
command decision making
in order to answer the basic
questions of what, how and
for whom.
53
oligarchy
54
A form of government in
which small, usually selfappointed elite holds the
power to rule.
55
Parliamentary democracy
56
A form of government
that gives government
the authority to a
legislature or
parliament which in
turn selects the
executive among its
own members.
57
popular sovereignty
58
The rule by the people. Basic
principle of the American
System of government that
asserts that the people are the
source of any and all
governmental power and that
government can exist only with
the consent of the governed.
59
presidential democracy
60
A form of government
in the executive and
legislative branches is
separate,
independent, and
coequal.
61
ratification
62
Formal approval; final
consent to the
effectiveness of a
constitution,
constitutional
amendment, or treaty.
63
representative democracy
64
A type of government in
which the people
choose representatives
to vote and make laws
for them
65
rule of law
66
The principle in which
the law applies to
government officials as
much as to ordinary
citizens.
67
separation of powers
68
The division of
governmental power among
several institutions that
must cooperate in decisionmaking.
69
sovereignty
70
Supreme and
absolute authority
within territorial
boundaries.
71
totalitarian
72
A government that
exercises dictatorial
(authoritarian) power
over nearly every
aspect of human
dignity.
73
traditional economy
74
A system wherein economic
decisions that people and
groups make to answer the
basic economic questions of
"what”,” for whom" and "how"
generally repeat the decisions
made at an earlier time or by
an earlier generation.
75
unitary government
76
A centralized system in
which all powers of
government belongs to
a single, central
agency.
77