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Forms of Government

Forms of Government. Classifying Governments. There are 3 criteria: Who can participate Geographic distribution of power Relationship between executive and legislative branches. Who Can Participate. Maybe the most important criteria. Based on number of people that can take part.

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Forms of Government

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  1. Forms of Government

  2. Classifying Governments • There are 3 criteria: • Who can participate • Geographic distribution of power • Relationship between executive and legislative branches

  3. Who Can Participate • Maybe the most important criteria. • Based on number of people that can take part. • Two basic forms to consider: Democracy and Dictatorship.

  4. Democracy • Supreme political authority rests with the people. • Government is conducted with the consent of the people. • Can be direct or indirect in form.

  5. Direct Democracy- Also called a pure democracy, exists when the will of the people is made into law directly through the people, usually in mass meetings. • It does not exist at the national level anywhere in the world today. Why not?

  6. Indirect Democracy- Also called representative democracy. Here a small group of people are chosen as representatives. • These Rep. carry out the will of the people and conduct day-to-day govt.

  7. They are held accountable through elections. • In a democracy, the people are sovereign; that is, they hold the power. Government only by consent of the people.

  8. Dictatorship • Dictatorships exist where rulers are not held responsible to the will of the people. • Probably the oldest and most common form of govt in history. • Can be classified as autocracies or oligarchies.

  9. Autocracy- a single person holds unlimited power. • Oligarchy- The power to rule Is held by a small, usually self appointed, elite. • All dictatorships are authoritarian, meaningthose in power hold absolute and unchallengeable power over those they rule.

  10. Modern dictatorships tend to be totalitarian as well. • Totalitarian- Holding complete power over every aspect of human affairs. • Examples of dictatorships include Facist Italy, Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union.

  11. In most dictatorships today, several groups hold power. These include, army, religious leaders, wealthy industrialists. • Many times people are able to vote, but ballots typically contain only one candidate. • Most dictatorships today are military in nature; power is gained and held by force.

  12. Geographic Distribution of Power • In every system of government the power to govern is located in one or more places, geographically. • Unitary • Federal • Confederate

  13. Unitary Government • Centralized government • All powers held by the government belong to a single, central agency. • Most governments in the world are unitary in form. • Great Britain is an example

  14. Federal Government • The powers of government are divided between a central gov’t and several local gov’ts. • Division of powers on a geographic basis. • Examples; United States, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Switzerland

  15. Confederate Government • A confederation is an alliance of independent states. • The confederate gov’t has the power to handle only those matters that the member states have assigned to it. • Rare but the EU is closest approach today, • Articles of Confederation 1781-1789 • Confederate States of America 1861-1865

  16. Presidential Seperation of powers between the executive and the legislative branches Two branches are independent of one another and coequal Ex. United states, Western Hemisphere Parliamentary The executive is made up of the prime minister or premiew, and that official’s cabinet. The PM and cabinet are members of the legislative branch, the parliament Exec, is chosen by, a part of, and is subject to the legislature. Relationship between Legislative and Executive Branches

  17. 5 Foundations of Democracy • Worth of the Individual • Equality of all persons • Majority Rule, Minority Rights • Necessity of Compromise • Individual Freedom

  18. Democracy and the Free Enterprise System • Capitalism • Law of supply and demand • Gov’t + Free enterprise = Mixed economy

  19. “HUMANS WOULD CEASE (BECOME EXTINCT) TO EXIST WITHOUT GOVERNMENT.” What does this statement mean? Do you agree with the author? Why or why not? What do we call a society where no organized government exists? Can this work?

  20. WHAT TYPE OF GOVERNMENT IS BEING DISCUSSED IN EACH DOCUMENT? DOCUMENT 1: The pharaoh was an absolute ruler. He commanded the army and controlled irrigation and grain supplies. People in this society considered the pharaoh to be a god. DICTATORSHIP/MONARCHY/AUTOCRACY

  21. NAME THAT GOVERNMENT: DOCUMENT 2: This civilization was founded in 750 B.C. This early city-state contained two main social classes: the patricians and the plebeians. In early times, these people overthrew their king and created a type of government in which leaders were elected. Power was shared between the Senate and two consuls elected by the Senate. INDIRECT DEMOCRACY/REPUBLIC

  22. NAME THAT GOVERNMENT: DOCUMENT 3: The Nazi Party took over every aspect of this country’s social, economic & political life. In Hitler’s “Third Reich” the following changes took place: human rights violations, control of education, persecution of Jews & a secret police was established. Hitler quickly secured his power by burning down a legislative building. He then blamed the Communists for the fire and used the incident to obtain emergency powers, becoming an absolute ruler. DICTATORSHIP/AUTOCRACY

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