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Government. Why we need government:. Imagine a society with hundreds of thousands of people and no rules. .
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Why we need government: • Imagine a society with hundreds of thousands of people and no rules. http://www.google.com/imgres?start=216&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=929&tbm=isch&tbnid=Goz74MUhYRJEXM:&imgrefurl=http://hdw.eweb4.com/out/162573.html&docid=-iRdbE1QH3n0YM&imgurl=http://www.fantazie.nl/images/wallpaper-coloured-chaos-1920.jpg&w=1920&h=1200&ei=tNSKUKGPH-bC2gXvv4C4BA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=537&vpy=610&dur=505&hovh=177&hovw=284&tx=132&ty=110&sig=103936338024215500646&page=7&tbnh=129&tbnw=186&ndsp=36&ved=1t:429,r:36,s:200,i:112
Without government: • Life would be chaos. • Who would establish order? • Ensure safety? • Manage/resolve conflict? http://www.google.com/imgres
Governments organize societies • Governments run countries. • Governments make laws. • Governments enforce laws.
Different governing systems… • Make and enforce laws in different ways.
4 Major types of Government • Democracy • Monarchy • Dictatorship • Oligarchy
Democracy • A democracy is a governing system in which the people of the country take part. • What do you know about our election process?
Gettysburg Address- primary source • “of the people, by the people, for the people” • Lincoln means a government created by citizens and run by citizens for the good of citizens.
Democracy • Citizens in a democracy vote and are free to choose their government leaders. • What needs to happen for a democracy to work well?
Answer • People need to stay informed and participate for a democracy to work well.
Ancient Greece • Ancient Greeks in the city of Athens formed the first democracy. • Direct Democracy • Every citizen who had the right to vote could play a direct role in making every decision. • How is this different than the U.S.?
Direct Democracy vs. Representative Democracy Direct Democracy: • Not every adult was considered a citizen • Everyone who was allowed to vote could play a direct role Representative Democracy: • Modern day democracy • We vote for a small number of people to represent us in government. • These elected leaders make laws and decisions for their citizens.
In a democracy… • Decisions need to be approved by a majority, or most of a group, before the decisions can take effect. • What is this called?
Majority Rule: • Used to elect leaders • Used to make new laws • Based on the idea that the judgment of many is better than the judgment of a few.
Democracy is more than a governing system… • It is a way of life in which an important idea is that all citizens are equal. • As equals: • All citizens in a democracy have certain rights • Freedom of speech • Freedom of the press • Freedom of religion • Freedom of assembly In a democracy, these rights can never be taken away, even by the majority.
Democracy in practice • Countries highlighted in blue are designated "electoral democracies" in Freedom House's 2010 survey "Freedom in the World".[23] Freedom House considers democracy in practice, not merely official claims.
Today • More than a 140 countries in the world have some form of democracy. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Forms_of_government.svg
Discussion • How would you describe democracy?
Other governing systems • Most early governments were not democracies. • What were they?
Monarchy • A governing system in which one person rules. • The word monarchy means “rule by one.” • In this system a monarch – a king or queen – can make the decisions for all the people.
One person rules? • I want that job! How do I become queen?
Well, I’m out of luck! • The position of monarch is usually inherited, which means it is passed down within one family.
Monarchy • In some monarchies, the rulers have complete control, or absolute monarchy. • In others, laws limit their authority. These are called constitutional monarchy.
England • At one time, the monarch of England had authority to rule however he or she chose. • Then in the year 1215 , the ruler at the time, King John, signed the Magna Carta.
England and the Magna Carta • Listed the rights of England’s upper class • Limited the power of the monarchy • Today England still has a monarchy, but the monarch’s authority is limited. In addition, England has a democracy with elected leaders who run the country. • David Cameron
Dictatorship • A governing system in which one person claims complete control is a dictatorship. • The difference between a monarchy and a dictatorship is that dictators do no inherit their authority. • Former Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali is pictured in this April 2008 file photo. A Tunisian court Wednesday sentenced Ben Ali to life in prison.
Dictatorship • Dictators often take control of the government, often in a sudden and violent way. • Former Argentine dictator Jorge Videla listens to the verdict during his trial in a courthouse in Buenos Aires on July 5, 2012.
Dictatorship • One of the first dictatorships was in ancient Rome. • At first, Roman dictators served only briefly during emergencies. • Later, they refused to give up their control. • Dictators, like monarchs, often rule until their deaths or until they are overthrown.
Oligarchy • In the governing system called an oligarchy, a group of people who are not elected by the citizens controls the country. • In the ancient Greek city of Sparta the rulers were a group of landowners.
China • Present-day China the group is made up of members of the Chinese Communist party. • The people in this group share the same ideas about government and work together to spread their ideas.
Discussion • How can a country’s government affect the way its people earn a living? • How would your life change if you were unable to buy goods produced in other countries? • A look ahead: we’ll be studying basic economy next!