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AP Gov unit 1
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Politics | The process of influencing the actions and policies of the government. |
| Goverment | The rules and institutions that make up that 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 government to rule over them to ensure an orderly and functioning society. |
| American Political Culture | The set of 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 through their representatives. |
| Inalienable Rights | Rights that the government cannot take away. |
| 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 government's control |
| Pluralist Theory | A theory of democracy that emphasizes the role of groups in the policymaking process. |
| Enlitist Theory | a theory of democracy that the elites have a disproportionate amount of influence in the policy making process. |
| Political Institutions | the structures of government, including the executive, legislator, and judiciary. |
| Constitutional Republic | A democratic system with elected representatives in which the constitution is the supreme law of the land. |