Chapter 1- Political Dictionary

 

Prepared by a Student

 

  1. Government- is the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policy.

Significance- Government is made up of those people who exercise its powers, those who have authority and control over people.

 

  1. Public Policy- everything the government decides to do.

Significance-Public policies cover matters ranging from taxation, defense, education, crime and health care to transportation, the environment and working conditions.

 

  1. Legislative Power- an exercise of power to make law and to frame public policy.

Significance- Legislative power makes the laws which citizens abide by.

 

  1. Executive Power- the power to execute, enforce and administer law.

Significance- One of the key kinds of power that the government has and exercises.

 

  1. Judicial Power- the power to interpret laws, to determine their meaning, and to settle disputes that arise within society.

Significance- The judicial powers along with the executive and the legislative powers are often outlined in the constitution.

 

  1. Constitution- a body of fundamental laws setting out the principals, structures, and processes of government.

Significance- The constitution is essential for our democratic government.

 

  1. Dictatorship- the exercising of powers held by a single person or by a small group.

Significance- Those who rule cannot be responsible to the will of the people.

 

  1. Democracy- Government by the people exercised either directly or through elected representatives.

Significance-The United States is a Democracy.

 

  1. State- a body of people, living in defined territory, organized politically and with the power to make and enforce law without the consent of any higher authority.

Significance- There are more than 190 states in the world today.

 

  1. Sovereign- Supreme and absolute power within its own territory and can decide its own foreign and domestic politics.

Significance- The United States can determine its form of government because it’s a sovereign state.

 

  1. Autocracy- a government in which a single person holds unlimited political power.

Significance- Autocracy is a form of authoritarian government.

 

  1. Oligarchy- a government in which the power to rule is held by a small, usually self- appointed elite.

Significance- Oligarchy is also another form of authoritarian government in which those in power hold absolute and unchallengeable authority over the people.

 

  1. Unitary Government- A centralized government.

Significance- All powers held by the government belong to a single, central agency.

 

  1. Federal Government- a government in which the powers of government are divided between a central government and several local governments.

Significance- The United States has a important federal government.

 

  1. Division of Powers- An authority superior to both the central and local government.

Significance- Both levels of government act directly on the people through their own sets of laws, officials, and agencies.

 

  1. Confederation- alliance of independent states.

Significance- A central organization, the confederate government, only handles those matters that member states assign to it.

 

  1. Presidential Government- the executive and legislative branches of the government are separate, independent of one another, and coequal.

Significance- The chief executive is chosen independently of the legislature, holds office for a fixed tern, and has broad powers not subject to the direct control of the legislative branch.

 

  1. Compromise- an order to find the position most acceptable to the largest number.

Significance- Compromise is a process of blending and adjusting competing views and interests.

 

  1. Free Enterprise System- It is an economic system characterized by the private ownership of capital goods, investments made by private decision, not by government directive and success or failure determined by competition in the marketplace.

Significance- Free enterprise system is based on four fundamental factors: private ownership, individual initiative, profit and competition.

 

  1. Law of Supply and Demand- The law states when supplies of goods and services become plentiful, prices tend to drop. When supplies become scarcer, prices tend to rise.

Significance- The law of supply and demand keeps the economy stable.

 

  1. Mixed Economy- An economy in which private enterprise exists in combination with a considerable amount of government regulation and promotion.

Significance- Government’s participation in the economy serves a twofold purpose: to protect the public and to preserve private enterprise.