Lesson 5 Glossary (copy)
Democracy
A political system characterized by a freely elected government that represents the majority of its citizens.
Dictatorship
A political system in which a single person exercises absolute authority over an entire country
Political orientation
The placement of specific ideas within a spectrum of political views ranging from extreme far-right thinking (fascism) to moderate views (capitalism and socialism) before extending to far-left thinking (communism).
Capitalism
An economy characterized by private ownership of business and industry, the profit motive, and free markets.
Communism
A political system on the extreme left, founded on the theory of Karl Marx, that calls for government or community ownership of the means of production.
Socialism
A political system of the moderate left that calls for public ownership of the principal means of production, to be achieved in a democratic and peaceful manner.
fascism
A political system on the extreme right, combining a free-market economy with a non-democratic form of government.