1. Republic– a state in which the people and their elected representatives hold supreme power, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch

2. Democracy– a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives

3. Forms of Government– Different types of government (a direct democracy, a representative democracy, socialism, communism, a monarchy, an oligarchy, and an autocracy)

4. Constitution– the basic principles and laws of a nation, state, or social group that determine the powers and duties of the government and guarantee certain rights to the people in it

5. Constitutional Government– governments that establish documented rules or principles about the legal limits of the government

6. Limited Government– the concept of a government limited in power

7. Divine Right– the right of a sovereign to rule as set forth by the theory of government that holds that a monarch receives the right to rule directly from God and not from the people

8. Inalienable Rights– a right that can't be restrained or repealed by human laws

9. Political Legitimacy– the right and acceptance of an authority, usually a governing law or a regime

Popular Sovereignty– a doctrine in political theory that government is created by and subject to the will of the people

PHILOSOPHERS & Terms Related to each:

1. Aristotle - A greek philosopher that led to lots of ideas used now

2. Civic Virtue- The character of a good participant in a system of government

3. Classical Republicanism– The notions of what constituted an ideal republic to classical republicans themselves depended on personal view.

4. Common Good– either what is shared and beneficial for all or most members of a given community

5. John Locke - to promote public good, and to protect the life, liberty, and property of its people.

6. Natural Rights– those that are not dependent on the laws or customs of any particular culture or government, and so are universal, fundamental and inalienable

7. Consent of the Governed– a political idea that states that the only legitimate government is one in which the power is derived from its citizens.

8. Right of Revolution– the right or duty of a people to "alter or abolish" a government that acts against their common interests or threatens the safety of the people without cause.

9. Social Contract Theory– the view that persons' moral and/or political obligations are dependent upon a contract or agreement among them to form the society in which they live.

10. Thomas Hobbes - effective government—whatever its form—must have absolute authority

11. Leviathan- the political state especially : a totalitarian state having a vast bureaucracy.

12. State of Nature– the real or hypothetical condition of human beings before or without political association.

“Rights of Englishmen”- term used in 17th century England & America referring to historically established rights (such as those in the Magna Carta and other documents listed below)

1. Magna Carta– the first document to put into writing the principle that the king and his government were not above the law

2. Rule of Law– a principle under which all persons, institutions, and entities are accountable to laws that are: Publicly promulgated. Equally enforced. Independently adjudicated.

3. Writ of Habeas Corpus–  court order in which the judge demands a law enforcement agency to produce a detainee for a court hearing

4. The Petition of Right - in 1628 Parliament forced the King to assent

5. The Habeas Corpus Act of English Parliament- ensures that no one can be imprisoned unlawfully

6. English Bill of Rights- firmly established the principles of frequent parliaments, free elections, and freedom of speech within Parliament