POLI 2051 : Exam 1 Key Terms
Document Summary
Democracy- a system of government in which the people rule; rule by many. Oligarchy- rule by the few, where a minority holds power over a majority, as in an aristocracy or a clerical establishment. Monarchy- rule by one, such as where power rests in the hands of a king or queen. Representative democracy- indirect democracy, in which the people rule through elected representatives. Popular sovereignty- the basic principle of democracy that the people are the ultimate source of government authority and of the policies that government leaders make. Autocracy- general term that describes all forms of government characterized by rule by a single person or by a group with total power, whether a monarchy, a military tyranny, or a theocracy. Majority rule- the form of political decision making in which policies are decided on the basis of what a majority of the people want.
