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Political Systems & Ideologies Vocabulary
Forms of government and political thought
10 words
All 10 Words
autocracy
/ɔˈtɑkɹəsi/government by a single person with absolute power
“The revolution ended centuries of autocracy.”
oligarchy
/ˈɑɫəˌɡɑɹki/government by a small elite group
“Critics called it an oligarchy of billionaires.”
plutocracy
/pluːˈtɒkrəsi/government by the wealthy
“Campaign finance laws aim to prevent plutocracy.”
technocracy
/tekˈnɒkrəsi/government by technical experts
“The pandemic empowered technocracy.”
theocracy
/θiˈɑkɹəsi/government by religious leaders
“The state operated as a theocracy.”
federalism
/ˈfɛdɝəˌɫɪzəm/division of power between central and regional governments
“Federalism allows states to experiment with policies.”
populism
/ˈpɑpjəˌɫɪzəm/politics appealing to ordinary people against elites
“Populism swept across democracies worldwide.”
authoritarianism
/əˌθɔɹəˈtɛɹiəˌnɪzəm/concentration of power with limited political freedoms
“The country's slide into authoritarianism alarmed observers.”
libertarianism
/ˌlɪbərˈteəriənɪzəm/ideology prioritizing individual liberty and minimal government
“Libertarianism opposes most regulations.”
totalitarianism
/ˌtoʊˌtæɫəˈtɛɹiəˌnɪzəm/absolute state control over all aspects of life
“Totalitarianism crushed all dissent.”
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