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HI 102
Western Civilization II Vocab Words
51
History
Undergraduate 1
12/06/2012

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Term
Nation-state
Definition
A form of political organization in which a relatively homogeneous people inhabits a sovereign state as opposed to a state containing people of several nationalities
Term
monarchy
Definition
a state or nation in which the supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in a monarch; supreme power or sovereignty held by a single person
Term
sovereignty
Definition
The status, dominion, power, or authority of a sovereign; royalty
Term
aristocracy
Definition
Class of hereditary nobility in medieval Europe; a warrior class who shared a distinctive lifestyle based on the institution of knighthood, although there were social divisions with the group based on extreme wealth
Term
oligarchy
Definition
ruled by a few
Term
plutocracy
Definition
The rule or power of wealth or of the wealthy
Term
democracy
Definition
Government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people & exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system
Term
common law
Definition
Law common to the entire kingdom of England; imposed by the king's courts beginning in the 12th century to replace the customary law used in county and feudal courts that varied from place to place
Term
separation of powers
Definition
The principle or system of vesting in separate branches= the executive, legislative, and judicial powers of a government
Term
checks and balances
Definition
limits imposed on all branches of a government by vesting in each branch the right to amend or void those acts of another that fall within its purview
Term
civil right
Definition
Rights to personal liberty established by the 13 & 14th amendment to the US Constitution & certain Congressional acts, especially as applied to an individual or a minority group
Term
civil liberty
Definition
The freedom of a citizen to exercise customary rights, as of speech or assembly, without unwarranted or arbitrary interference by the government
Term
authoritarianism
Definition
dictatorship: a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator
Term
amnesty
Definition
A general pardon for offenses, especially political offenses, against a government, often granted before any trial or conviction
Term
US Supreme Court
Definition
The highest court of the US
Term
United States Congress
Definition
The national legislative body of the US consisting of the Senate, or upper house, and the house of representatives or lower house, as a continuous institution
Term
US President
Definition
The highest executive officer of a modern republic as the chief executive of the US
Term
Plebiscite
Definition
The direct vote of all the members of an electorate.
Term
Political Party
Definition
an organization of people who share the same ideas about how a country should run and try to get political power.
Term
Liberalism
Definition
an ideology based on the belief that people should be as free from restraint as possible. In political terms it means that the government should have limited exercise of power so people can enjoy basic civil rights
Term
Federal
Definition
1.Having or relating to a system of government in which several states form a unity but remain independent in internal affairs
Term
confederacy
Definition
a league or alliance
Term
due process
Definition
Fair treatment through the normal judicial system, esp. as a citizen's entitlement
Term
equal protection under the law
Definition
the right of all persons to have the same access to the law and courts, and to be treated equally by the law and courts, both in procedures and in the substance of the law
Term
constitution
Definition
1.A body of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is acknowledged to be governed.
Term
bail
Definition
security given to guarantee a prisoner's appearance when legally required
Term
write of habeas corpus
Definition
a write issued to bring a party to a court
Term
conservatism
Definition
opposition to change
Term
socialism
Definition
based on share or government administration of the means of production and distribution of goods
Term
communism
Definition
common ownership
Term
welfare state
Definition
nation that assumes total responsibility for the welfare of the people
Term
pluralism
Definition
two or more states coexist
Term
parliament
Definition
constitutes the legislative body of a country
Term
capitalism
Definition
economic system of private or corporate ownership of capital goods
Term
writ
Definition
something written
Term
corpus delicti
Definition
fact proving that a crime has been committed
Term
corpus juris
Definition
body of law
Term
writ of mandamus
Definition
commanding and official to perform a ministerial thing
Term
unconstitutional
Definition
not in accordance with the constitution
Term
Bill of Rights
Definition
the first ten amendments to the constitution
Term
amendment
Definition
an addition to the constitution
Term
stare decisis
Definition
The legal principle of determining points in litigation according to precedent.
Term
petit jury
Definition
a jury of 12 to determine the facts and decide the issue in civil or criminal proceedings
Term
grand jury
Definition
A jury, normally of twenty-three jurors, selected to examine the validity of an accusation before trial.
Term
tyrant
Definition
cruel or oppressive ruler
Term
tyranny
Definition
2.A nation under such cruel and oppressive government
Term
hearing
Definition
a proceeding (usually by a court) where evidence is taken for the purpose of determining an issue of fact and reaching a decision based on that evidence
Term
trial
Definition
the hearing and judgment of a matter before a competent tribunal
Term
county seat
Definition
The town that is the governmental center of a county.
Term
American Creed
Definition
A set of values emphasizing personal freedom and limited government which provides national identity and structures politics in America..
Term
E Pluribus Unum
Definition
Out of many, one
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