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Government and the State
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| government | the institution through which a society makes and enforces public policies |
| public policies | the things a gov’t decides to do |
| legislative power | the power to make laws |
| executive power | the power to enforce and administer laws |
| judicial power | the power to interpret laws |
| Constitution | the body of fundamental laws setting out the principles, structures and processes of a govt. |
| dictatorship | a government in which all power rests with an individual or small group |
| democracy | a government in which supreme authority rests with the people |
| state | a body of people, living in a defined territory, with a government that can make and enforce law without the consent of any higher authority |
| sovereign | to have supreme and absolute power within a territory |
| divine right | the theory that governments gain their authority from the will of God |