Aristotle
a Greek philosopher and scientist; he was also a student of the philosopher Plato.
Divine right of Kings
a political and religious doctrine arguing that a monarch is subject to no human authority, and the right to rule comes directly from God.
Equality
the state of being equal, particularly in status, rights, and opportunities.
Failed State
a state whose political or economic system is so weak the government is no longer in control.
Freedom
the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without interference or restraint.
Thomas Hobbes
English political philosopher who advocated absolute sovereignty as the only kind of government that could resolve problems caused by the selfishness of human beings.
Justice
the attainment of what is just, especially what is fair, moral, right, or in accordance with law.
John Locke
English philosopher who attacked the doctrine of the divine right of kings, arguing that governments must have the consent of the governed.
Montesquieu
French political philosopher who advocated the separation of executive and legislative and judicial powers.
National Security
the defense and foreign relations of a country, as well as the protection of the interests of a country.
Order
a condition in which freedom from disorder or disruption is maintained through respect for established authority.
Politics
activities associated with the governance of a country, especially the debate among individuals or parties over power.
Power
the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of people or events.
Prosperity
a successful or thriving condition, especially in financial terms.
Public Safety
a responsibility of government with the goal of protecting the public and keeping them safe from threats.
Rule of Law
the principle that all people and institutions are subject to and accountable to the law.
Social Contract
an implicit agreement among the members of a society to cooperate for social benefits; for example, by sacrificing some individual freedom for state protection.
State of Nature
a concept used in political philosophy to describe the hypothetical conditions of what the lives of people might have been like before societies came into existence.
Zero-sum relationship
a mathematical representation of a situation in which each participant's gain (or loss) is exactly balanced by the losses (or gains) of the utility of the other participants.
Alien
a foreigner, especially one who is not a naturalized citizen of the country where they are living.
Birthright Citizenship
a legal right to citizenship for all children born in a country's territory, regardless of the status of a child's parents.
Citizen
a native or naturalized member of a state or nation who owes allegiance to its government and is entitled to its protection.
Citizenship
the status of being a citizen.
Civic disposition
the traits of private and public character that are important to the preservation of a country.
Civic engagement
individual and collective behavior designed to identify and address issues of public concern.
Civic responsibility
the actions of good citizens and their duties to the country and their fellow citizens.
Civil rights
the rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality.
Due Process
fair treatment through the regular judicial system.
Eminent domain
the right of a government to take private property for public use, with payment of compensation.
Loyalty
a sense of duty and attachment to one's country.
Naturalization
the process of admitting a foreigner to the citizenship of a country.
Patriotism
love, support, and defense of one's country.
Personal responsiblity
taking care of oneself and one's family.
Selective service
the system used in the United States to register young people into a possible draft for the armed services.
Stateless
a condition of not being a citizen of a country.
Treason
the crime of betraying one's country, especially by such actions as attempting to kill the ruler or overthrow the government.
Voting
the formal act of expressing opinion or choice (as by ballot in an election).
Emigration
the act of leaving one's resident country with the intent to settle elsewhere.
Expatriation
the process of abandoning one's native land or of being exiled.
Exile
the state of being barred from one's native country, typically for political or punishment reasons.
Immigration
the action of coming to live permanently in a foreign country.
Jurisdiction
the extent or range of judicial, law enforcement, or other governmental authority.
Treason
the crime of betraying one's country, especially by such actions as attempting to kill the ruler or overthrow the government.
US National
people born in the United States, or in American Samoa or Swains Island, the outlying possessions of the United States. All U.S. citizens are U.S. nationals, but all U.S. nationals are not U.S. citizens.
Voluntary renunciation
when a U.S. citizen voluntarily decides to give up American citizenship.
Authoritarian government
a form of government characterized by strong central power and limited political freedoms.
Checks and balances
division of government in ways that prevent one branch of government from gaining too much power.
Confederal government
a weak central authority that derives all its powers from the state or provincial governments.
Constitutional government
a government that follows a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which the country is governed.
Democratic centralism
a system in which policy is decided centrally (often by one party) and is binding on all members.
Dictatorship
a government in which power is held by one person or a small group of people.
Diffusion of power
how power is spread out between a central government and smaller government units, like states, counties, or cities.
Direct democracy
a form of democracy in which people decide policy initiatives directly instead of through elected representatives.
Federal government
a system that divides up power between a strong national government and smaller local governments.
Junta
a military or political group that rules a country after taking power by force.
Military government
a government that is administered by military forces.
Nation-state
a type of state that joins the political entity of a state with the cultural entity of a nation.
Oligarchy
a form of government in which power is held by a few people who are members of a dominant class or group within the society.
Parliamentary democracy
a form of government in which the party (or a coalition of parties) with the greatest representation in the legislature forms the government, and its leader becomes prime minister or chancellor.
Presidential democracy
a system of government where the head of government is also head of state and leads an executive branch that is separate from the legislative branch.
Representative democracy
a type of democracy with elected officials who represent citizens.
Sovereignty
the authority of a state to govern itself or another state.
Theocracy
a form of government in which a god (or group of gods) is recognized as the ultimate ruler.
Tyranny
cruel and oppressive government or rule.
Uncodified constitution
a constitution where the fundamental rules can take the form of customs, usage, precedent and a collection of statutes and legal documents.
Unitary government
the central government holds most of the political authority.
Written constitution
a formal document defining the rules that govern the political system and the rights of citizens and governments.