Chapter 1 vocabulary

198447392	American Dream	An American ideal of a happy successful life, which often includes wealth, a house, a better life for one's children, and, for some, the ability to one day become president
198447393	Popular Sovereignty	The right of the majority to govern themselves.
198447394	Monarchy	A form of government in which power is vested in hereditary kings and queens who govern in the interests of all.
198447395	Republic	A government rooted in the consent of the governed; a representative or indirect democracy.
198447396	Oligarchy	A form of government in which the right to parcipitate is conditioned on the possession of wealth, social status, military position, or achievement
198447397	Social Contract	An agreement between the people and their government signifying their consent to be governed.
198447398	Conservative	One thought to believe that a government is best that governs least and that big government can only infringe on individual, personal, and economic rights.
198447399	Democracy	A system of government that gives power to the people, whether directly or through their elected representatives.
198447400	Indirect Democracy	A system of government that gives citizens the opportunity to vote for representatives who will work on their behalf
198447401	Government	a collective of individuals and institutions, the formal vehicles through which policies are made and affairs of state are conducted
198447402	Liberal	One considered to favor extensive governmental involvement in the economy and the provision of social services and to take an activist role in protecting the rights of women, the elderly, minorities, and the environment.
198447403	Direct Democracy	a system of government in which the members of the polity meet to discuss all policy decisions and then agree to abide by the majority rule
198447404	Political Ideology	The coherent set of values and beliefs about the purpose and scope of government held by groups and individuals.
198447405	Libertarian	one who favors a free market economy and no governmental interference in personal liberties
198447406	Majority Rule	The central premise of direct democracy in which only policies that collectively garner the support of a majority of voters will be made into law.
198447407	Politics	The study of who gets what, when, and how -- or how policy decisions are made.
198447408	Citizen	Member of the political community to whom certain rights and obligations are attached.
198447409	Social Contract Theory	The belief that people are free and equal by God-given right and that in turn requires that all people give their consent to be governed; espoused by John Locke and influential in the writing of the Declaration of Independence.
198447410	Personal Liberty	A key characteristic of U.S. democracy. Initially meaning freedom from governmental interference, today it includes demands for freedom to engage in a variety of practices free from governmental discrimination.
198447411	Political Culture	Commonly shared attributes, beliefs, and core values about how government should operate.