| A | B |
|---|
| natural law | unchanging principle, discovered through reason, that governs human conduct |
| social contract | an agreement by which people give up their freedom to a powerful government in order to avoid chaos |
| natural rights | rights that belongs to all humans from birth, such as life, liberty, and property |
| philosophe | French for philosopher; French thinker who desired reform in society during the Enlightenment |
| laissez faire | policy allowing business to operate with little or no government interference |
| free market | market regulated by the natural laws of supply and demand |
| censorship | restriction on access to ideas and information |
| baroque | ornate style of art and architecture popular in the 1600s and 1700s |
| rococo | lighter, more personal, elegant, and charming style of art and architecture popular in the mid-1700s |
| enlightened despot | absolute ruler who used his or her power to bring about political and social change |
| popular sovereignty | principle that asserts that the people are the source of any and all governmental power, and government can exist only with the consent of the governed |
| federal republic | government in which power is divided between the national, or federal, government and the states |
| checks and balances | system in which each branch of government has the power to monitor and limit the actions of the other two |
| ancien regime | old order system of government in pre-revolutionary France |
| estate | social class |
| bourgeoisis | the middle class |
| deficit spending | situation in which the government spends more money than it takes in |
| emigre | a person who flees his or her country for political reasons |
| sans-culottes | members of the working class who made the French Revolution more radical |
| suffrage | right to vote |
| guillotine | device used during the Reign of Terror to execute thousands by beheading |
| nationalism | a strong feeling of pride and devotion to one's country |
| plebiscite | a ballot in which voters have a direct say on an issue |
| annex | add a territory to an existing state or country |
| guerrilla warfare | fighting carried on through hit-and-run raids |
| abdicate | give up or step down from power |
