Self-government :  n : government of a country by its own people [syn: self-determination, self-rule]

Declaration of Independence, absolute monarchy, aplomb, aristocracy, autarchy, autarky, autocracy, automatic control, automation, automatism, automatization, autonomy, coalition government, colonialism, commonwealth, composure, constitutional government, constitutional monarchy, constraint, control, democracy, dictatorship, discipline, dominion rule, duarchy, duumvirate, dyarchy, federal government, federation, feudal system, freedom, garrison state, gerontocracy, heteronomy, hierarchy, hierocracy, home rule, independence, individualism, inner-direction, internationalism, internationality, limited monarchy, martial law, meritocracy, militarism, military government, mob rule, mobocracy, monarchy, nationalism, nationality, nationhood, neocolonialism, ochlocracy, oligarchy, pantisocracy, patriarchate, patriarchy, peoplehood, police state, possession, pure democracy, regency, representative democracy, representative government, republic, restraint, rugged individualism, self-action, self-activity, self-command, self-conquest, self-containment, self-control, self-denial, self-determination, self-direction, self-discipline, self-mastery, self-motion, self-possession, self-propulsion, self-regulation, self-reliance, self-restraint, self-sufficiency, social democracy, sovereign nationhood, sovereignty, statehood, stratocracy, technocracy, thearchy, theocracy, totalitarian government, totalitarian regime, triarchy, triumvirate, tyranny, welfare state, willpower,

Self-government : \Self`-gov"ern*ment\, n. 1. The act of governing one's self, or the state of being governed by one's self; self-control; self-command. 2. Hence, government of a community, state, or nation by the joint action of the mass of people constituting such a civil body; also, the state of being so governed; democratic government; democracy. It is to self-government, the great principle of popular representation and administration, -- the system that lets in all to participate in the councels that are to assign the good or evil to all, -- that we may owe what we are and what we hope to be. --D. Webster.