Questions and Answers
What is an oligarchy?
What is democracy?
A system of government in which the people rule.
What characterizes a monarchy?
Rule by one person, typically a king or queen.
What is direct democracy?
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What is representative democracy?
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What is popular sovereignty?
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What does autocracy refer to?
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What is majority rule?
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What is political equality?
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What are civil rights?
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What is political liberty?
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What is a social contract?
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What defines liberal democracy?
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What is majority tyranny?
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What does Jim Crow refer to?
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Study Notes
Types of Government
- Oligarchy: Power is held by a minority, such as an aristocracy or clerical group, overshadowing the majority.
- Democracy: Governance by the people, empowering the majority to make decisions.
- Monarchy: Authority rests with a single ruler, typically a king or queen.
- Autocracy: Encompasses any system of government led by one person or a small group, including monarchies, military regimes, and theocracies.
Forms of Democracy
- Direct Democracy: Citizens directly decide policies in assemblies or through initiatives and referenda.
- Representative Democracy: Citizens elect representatives who make decisions on their behalf.
Fundamental Principles
- Popular Sovereignty: The foundational concept that the government derives its authority from the people's consent.
- Majority Rule: Policies are determined by what most people prefer, forming a critical decision-making method.
- Political Equality: Ensures each individual’s opinion holds equal value in public decision-making.
Rights and Freedoms
- Civil Rights: State guarantees of equal rights and protections for all social groups, ensuring no discrimination.
- Political Liberty: Citizens are safeguarded against government encroachment on essential freedoms, including speech and assembly.
Social and Political Concepts
- Social Contract: The notion that government arises from a mutual agreement among people, with the right to overhaul it if it breaches the contract.
- Liberal Democracy: A system combining representative democracy with principles of popular sovereignty, individual freedom, and political equality.
Challenges to Democracy
- Majority Tyranny: The oppression of minority rights by the majority's choices.
- Jim Crow: A historical term denoting the legally enforced racial segregation in the American South until the mid-20th century.
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Description
Explore the various types of government, including oligarchy, democracy, monarchy, and autocracy. Understand the forms of democracy and fundamental principles such as popular sovereignty and majority rule. This quiz will test your knowledge and comprehension of these essential concepts in political science.
