Vocab

• Politics: The process of influencing the actions and policies of government
• Government: the rules and institutions that make up the system of policymaking.
• Democracy: A system of government where power is held by the people
• Natural Rights: The right to life, liberty, and property, which government cannot take away.
• Social Contract: People allow their governments to rule over them to ensure an orderly and functioning society.
• American Political Culture: The set beliefs, customs, traditions, and values that Americans share.
• Popular Sovereignty: the idea that the government's right to rule comes from the people.
• Republicanism: a system in which the government's authority comes from the people.
• Inalienable Rights: Rights that cannot be taken away by the government.
• Liberty: social, political, and economic freedoms
• Participatory Democracy: a theory that widespread political participation is essential for democratic government.
• Civil Society Groups: independent associations outside the governments control
• Pluralist Theory: A theory of democracy that emphasis the role of groups in the policymaking process
• Elitist Theory: A theory of Democracy that the elites have a disproportionate amount of influence in the policymaking process.
• Political institutions: the structure of government, including the executive, judicial, and legislature.
• constitutional republic: a democratic system with elected representatives in which the constitution is the supreme law.