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Foundations of American Government Vocabulary
Vocabulary Lesson 1
32
History
11th Grade
09/19/2010

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Cards

Term

 

NATION

Nation

Definition
a group of people united by bonds of race, language, custom, tradition, and, sometimes, religion
Term

 

STATE

State

Definition
a political community that occupies a definite territory and has an organized government with the power to make and enforce laws without approval from any higher authority
Term

 

UNITARY SYSTEM

Unitary System

Definition
a government that gives all key powers to the national or central government
Term

 

FEDERAL SYSTEM

Federal System

Definition
a government that divides the powers of government between the national government and state or provincial government
Term

 

AUTOCRACY

Autocracy

Definition
a system of government in which the power to rule is in the hands of a single individual
Term

 

OLIGARCHY

Oligarchy

Definition
a system of government in which a small group holds power
Term

 

CONFEDERACY

Confederacy

Definition
a loose union of independent states
Term

 

FREE MARKET

Free Market

Definition
economic system in which buyers and sellers make free choices in the marketplace
Term

 

REPUBLIC

Republic

Definition
a government in which voters hold sovereign power; elected representatives, responsible to the people, exercise that power
Term

 

ECONOMICS

Economics

Definition
the study of human efforts to satisfy seemingly unlimited wants through the use of limited resources
Term

 

GOVERNMENT 

Government

Definition
the institution through which the state maintains social order, provides public services, and enforces binding decisions on citizens
Term

 

PREAMBLE

Preamble

Definition
a statement in a constitution that sets forth the goals and purposes of government
Term

 

POLITICS

Politics

Definition
the effort to control or influence the conduct and policies of government
Term

 

SOCIALISM

Socialism

Definition
an economic system in which the government owns the basic means of production, distributes the products and wages, and provides social services such as health care and welfare
Term

 

CONSENSUS 

Consensus

Definition
an agreement about basic beliefs
Term

 

PROLETARIAT

Proletariat 

Definition
workers who produce the goods
Term

 

COMMUNISM

Communism

Definition
an economic system in which the central government directs all major economic decisions
Term

 

DEMOCRACY 

Democracy

Definition
government in which the people rule
Term

 

BOURGEOISIE

Bourgeoisie

Definition
capitalists who own the means of production
Term

 

DEVELOPED NATIONS

Developed Nations

Definition
a nation with large industries and advanced technology that provides a more comfortable way of life than developing nations
Term

 

SOCIAL CONTRACT

Social Contract

Definition
theory that by contract, people surrender to the state the power needed to maintain order and the state, in turn, agrees to protect its citizens
Term

 

CONSTITUTION

Constitution

Definition
a plan that provides the rules for government
Term

 

FREE ENTERPRISE

Free Enterprise

Definition
the opportunity to control one's own economic decisions
Term

 

LAISSEZ-FAIRE

Laissez-faire

Definition
the philosophy that government should keep its hands off the economy
Term

 

CONSTITUTIONAL LAW

Constitutional Law

Definition
law that involves the interpretation and application of the U.S. Constitution and state constitutions
Term

 

COMMAND ECONOMY

Command Economy

Definition
an economic system in which the government controls the factors of production
Term

 

DEVELOPING NATIONS

Developing Nations

Definition
a nation that is only beginning to develop industrially
Term

 

CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT

Constitutional Government

Definition
a government in which a constitution has authority to place clearly recognized limits on the powers of those who govern
Term

 

MONARCHY

Monarchy

Definition
autocracy in which a king, queen, or emperor exercises supreme powers of government
Term

 

SOVEREIGNITY

Sovereignity

Definition
the supreme and absolute authority within territorial boundaries
Term

 

CAPITALISM

Capitalism

Definition
an economic system providing free choice and individual incentive for workers, investors, consumers, and business enterprises
Term

 

NATION-STATE

Nation-State

Definition
a country in which the territory of both the nation and the state coincide
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