| A | B |
|---|
| political system | the special way a nation governs itself |
| totalitarianism | the government has total authority over everything |
| republic | representative democracy; citizens elect representatives to make laws and decisions for them |
| monarchy | government ruled by a king or a queen |
| dictatorship | a political system ruled by one powerful leader |
| oligarchy | political system controlled by a small and powerful group |
| federal republic | political system run by a union of states |
| executive branch | branch of the governemnt which enforces the nation's laws and manages the government |
| legislative branch | branch of the government which is responsible for lawmaking |
| judicial branch | branch of the government which interprets the laws and decides whether they are fair. |
| justices | judges who sit on the Supreme Court |
| checks and balances | system by which all power in the government is shared |
