The Purposes of Government

3. the belief that ordinary people could aspire to rule themselves
5. the ability of people to act and think as they choose, as long as their choices do no harm
8. any decision made by government in pursuit of a particular goal
11. a form of democracy that protects the rights of the minority
13. the political rights held by groups who make up less than half of the population
15. a conception of something in its most perfect form
16. a political community made up by a group of people that lives within a clearly defined territory

1. theory of rule that says the first governments formed as a result of people agreeing among themselves to submit to the authority of a state
2. the government's authority and ability to get things done
4. an economic system in which people and businesses make their own choices about how to best produce, distribute, and exchange goods and services, with limited interference from the government
5. when rulers are seen as right and proper by important segments of a nation's population
6. a decision-making system in which the candidate who receives more votes than any other candidate wins
7. a theory that states the king is answerable only to God, not the people he ruled
9. the process by which government makes and carries out decisions as to whose interests will be served in society
10. the formal structures and institutions through which decisions are made for a body of people
12. the principle that all people possess a fundamental, moral worth that entitles them to fair treatment under the law and equal opportunity in all aspects of life
14. the supreme power of the state to act within its territory