| A | B |
|---|
| equal protection | a requirement of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that state laws may not arbitrarily discriminate against persons |
| higher law | as used in describing a legal system, refers to the superiority of one set of laws over another |
| limited government | a system restricted to protecting natural rights and that does not interfere with other aspects of life |
| private domain | areas of human affairs placed off limits to unreasonable government interference |
| republic | a form of government in which the supreme political power resides in the electorate, and administration is exercised by representatives who are responsible to the people |
| separation of powers | the division of powers among different branches of government |
| totalitarianism | a form of government in which one person or party exercises absolute control over all aspects of life and in which no opposition is allowed |
| tyranny | a government in which a single ruler is vested with absolute power |
| unwritten constituton | the body of political practices developed through custom and tradition |
