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