domingo, 8 de diciembre de 2013

Glossary Unit 3 (Social Sciences)


State: a sovereign political power or community
Sovereignty:  supreme and unrestricted power, as of a state
Constitution: the fundamental political principles on which a state is governed
Democracy: the fundamental political principles on which a state is governed
Monarchy: a form of government in which supreme authority is vested in a single and usually hereditary figure, such as a king, and whose powers can vary from those of an absolute despot to those of a figurehead
Dictatorship: one person has all the power in his/her country
Globalization: the process enabling financial and investment markets to operate internationally, largely as a result of deregulation and improved communications
Regional: Of or relating to a particular region or district.
Cultural diversity:  the cultural variety and cultural differences that exist in the world, a society, or an institution
Universal suffrage:
suffrage for all persons over a certain age, usually 18 or 21, who in other respects satisfy the requirements established by law.
Legislative power: The authority under the constitution to make laws and to alter or repeal them.
Executive power: Power to enforce executive orders as intended and given, authorized by law.
Judicial power: to interpret statutes and laws when disputes arise.
Supranational:  beyond the authority or jurisdiction of one national government
Mass culture:   the culture that is widely disseminated via the mass media
UN: United Nations
NGO: Non Governmental organization
Civil servant: A person employed in the civil service
Justice: the principle of fairness that like cases should be treated alike
Liberty: the power of choosing, thinking, and acting for oneself; freedom from control or restriction
Subsidiarity: the principle of devolving decisions to the lowest practical level
Culture: the total of the inherited ideas, beliefs, values, and knowledge, which constitute the shared bases of social action
Multiculturalism: the policy of maintaining a diversity of ethnic cultures within a community
Interculturalism:  representing different cultures
Referendum: submission of an issue of public importance to the direct vote of the electorate

Elections: the selection by vote of a person or persons from among candidates for a position