Chapter 1 Principles of Government

1. Chapter 1Principles of Government Sections 2 & 3

2. Classifying Government There are three basic government classifications: • Who can participate in the governing process? • What are the geographic distributions of governmental power within the state? • What is the relationship between the legislative and the executive branches of the government?

3. Who can participate in the governing process? • Democracy: • People hold the sovereign power & government is conducted only by and with the consent of the people. • Direct: the will of the people is translated into public policy directly through the people in mass meetings • Indirect: a.k.a. representative – small groups of people ask as representatives to express the will of the people • In a democracy, the people are sovereign. They are the only source for the government’s power.

4. Who can participate in the governing process? • Dictatorship • Those who rule cannot be held responsible to the will of the people. • Autocracy: a single person holds unlimited political power • Oligarchy: the power to rule is held by a small, usually self-appointed elite • Most modern dictatorships are totalitarian, they control all aspects of human concern. • Typically dictatorships are also militaristic. They take their power by force.

5. What are the geographical distributions of power? • Governmental power is located in one or more places within the government. • Unitary: all powers are held by a single, central agency • A.K.A. Centralized government • Local units are created for the convenience of the central government with only those powers that the central government chooses the give it. • It is not a dictatorship…officials can still be elected and power can be shared between the central agency and the local units

6. What are the geographical distributions of power? • Federal: powers of the government are divided between the central government and several local governments • Division of power cannot be changed by the federal or local levels alone • Both levels of government act directly on the people through their own set of laws, officials, and agencies • In Constitution describes the division of power for the United States

7. What are the geographical distributions of power? • Confederate: alliance of independent states • The central government only has the power to act on matters that the member states have assigned to it, resulting in limited power, especially in defense and foreign affairs. • Most often, they do not have the power to make laws that apply to individual citizens. • Rare in modern history.

8. What is the relationship between the legislative and executive branch? • Presidential Government: separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches • Two branches are independent • The chief executive is elected separate from the legislative branch and has a number of powers that are not subject to the direct control of the legislature

9. What is the relationship between the legislative and executive branch? • Parliamentary: the executive and his cabinet are members of the legislature • The Prime Minister is the leader of the majority in parliament and is chosen by the body. • The cabinet in chosen from the members of the parliament. • Since the executive branch is chosen from the legislative branch, it is part of it and subject to its direct control. • The prime minister remains in power as long as his policies maintain the support of parliament.