Modern History

ANARCHISM

A rejection of all forms of government. Anarchists believe there should be no organised authority and no state institutions; all forms of government should be replaced by social co-operation based on freedom of individual action, without any organization

ARISTOCRACY

Rule by a heritory elite

AUTOCRACY

Rule by one person with unrestricted power. Individual dictators are autocrats, but party dictatorships are not autocracies because more than one person participates in making the decisions

CAPITALISM

Is an economic system in which major resources and enterprises are privately owned and the main purpose of all economic processes is to generate private profit

COMMUNISM

Is the belief that the best way for any group of people to operate is to share equally - sharing the work, sharing the income and sharing the goods, such as food, tools clothing and shelter. Central to communism is the idea that the group of society is mo

DEMOCRACY

IS a form of government that gives power to the 'people' - many differant governments call themselves democracies and there are various forms of democracy

DICTATORSHIP

means government that is not dependant on the consent of the poeple being governed. As a form of government, dictatorship tolerates neither oppositions nor debate

FASCISM

Is a form of governemnt that stresses the power of the state. Fascism is nationalistic and authoritarian

IMPERIALISM

Is the imposition of one nation's government, culture and/or economic needs on another nation or territory

LIBERALISM

IS a political theory that the government powers should be limited and the rights and freedom of individuals should be protected - in reurn, individuals are expected to behave as responsible citizens

MOAISM

Is a version of communism named after Mao Zedong who adapted communism to conditions in Chine

MILITARISM

IS an aggressive political position focused on the role of the armed services in maintaining the security of the state and promoting its interests beyond its boundaries

MONARCHY

Is a system of government in which th position of head od sate is inherited

NATIONAISM

is the belief in the priority, anf often superiority, of the intersts of a particular nation

NAISM

Is the short name for National Sociaism, a form of facism specific to Germany

RACISM

IS the belief that ny racial or ethnice group is either supierior or inferious to otheres

REPUBLICANISM

Is a political movement inn favour of replcing a monarch with a head of state chosen bythe people or their representative

REVOLUTION

Is the complete overthrow of one system by another

SOCIALISM

Is a political system based on common ownrship and control of reources and productive processes, which are administered by the government, but in the interests of the poeple

TERRORISM

Is the attempt to influence politics through violence and intimidation

TOTALITARIANISM

Is the belief that all the institutions in a society should be subordinate to on party or person