A coup d'etat, French for "stroke of state," is an illegal overthrow of a government by a small group from within, often led by elements of the military. Coups may take place with or without broader popular support and their ultimate "legality" depends on their success or failure. The term was first used to describe Napoleon's seizure of power in France in 1799. Julius Caesar's takeover of Rome is another example, as is his own subsequent assassination by a small group of senators. Coups are generally more common and successful in countries with weak or young government institutions and where political participation is limited to a small group.
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In social sciences there are many key concepts and terms that are crucial for students to know and understand. Often it can be hard to determine what the most important social sciences concepts and terms are, and even once you’ve identified them you still need to understand what they mean. To help you learn and understand key social sciences terms and concepts, we’ve identified some of the most important ones and provided detailed definitions for them, written and compiled by Chegg experts.