a democratic form of government in which citizens make public decisions directly, either in a popular assembly or through a popular vote

an economic and political system of the European Middle Ages in which landowners granted land to tenants in return for military assistance and other services

developed the social contract theory

the idea that the legitimacy of a government stems from an unwritten contract between the ruler and the ruled; a ruler who breaks this contract by abusing people’s rights loses legitimacy and may be overthrown

the sudden overthrow of a government by a small group of military officers or political leaders; from a French term meaning “blow to the state”

a nation in which supreme power rests with the citizens and is exercised by their elected representatives

an extreme form of authoritarian rule in which the state seeks to control every aspect of its citizens’ lives

developed the theory that, to be successful, power in government should be separation

the right to exercise supreme authority over a geographic region, a group of people, or oneself

an economic system in which individual investors, or capitalists, privately own the means of production; also known as a free enterprise system

a totalitarian system in which businesses remain in private hands but under government control

a system of government in which a single political party controls both the government and the economy

Not to be confused with Jay-Z's new album, this document was the first to limit the power of the government

the ancient Roman idea that citizens should serve their country

a democratic form of government in which elected representatives make public decisions on behalf of the citizens

a government headed by religious leaders

a totalitarian system in which businesses remain in private hands but under government control

wrote the Declaration of Independence

he principle that government is based on clear and fairly enforced laws and that no one is above the law

the idea that the powers of a government should be split between two or more strongly independent branches to prevent any one person or group from gaining too much power

a sovereign state consisting of a city and its surrounding territory

a form of totalitarianism and type of fascism, based in part on the myth of racial superiority; developed in Germany before World War II

Strong supporter of Athenian democracy and made many reforms to advance democracy

the rights and liberties that can be claimed by individuals by virtue of being human; also called natural rights or human rights

a written agreement between two or more parties or nations to perform some action