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Types of Gov't
Types of Government and colonial terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Totalitarianism | government that is centralized and dictatorial and requires complete obedience to the state |
| Representative Democracy or Republic | a democracy in which citizens choose their lawmakers |
| Democracy | government in which citizens hold the power to rule |
| Direct Democracy | government in which citizens get a vote on on everything |
| Oligarchy | government in which a few people or families hold all the power |
| Aristocracy | government in which power is held by the nobles. |
| Theocracy | government run by religious law or divine right |
| Anarchy | a state of disorder due to absence of authority |
| Social Contract | an agreement among people in a society with a government |
| Popular Sovereignty | the notion that power lies with the people |
| Salutary Neglect | a policy by the British of avoiding strict enforcement of laws to keep American colonies obedient to England |
| Articles of Confederation | original constitution of the US; called for a weak-federal government and strong state governments |
| Northwest Ordinance | a law that helped regulate settlement of the Northwest Territory |
| Unalienable Rights | rights that cannot be taken away such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness |