Types of Government

1. Types of Government Defining, Classifying and Comparing

2. The 3 Major Types • Autocracy: • Oligarchy: • Democracy:

3. Autocracy • Dictatorship: Gov’t ruled by an individual without hereditary ascension, often militarily based. • Example: Iraq under Saddam Hussein • Monarchy: Gov’t headed by a King/Queen through hereditary title. • Absolute:Government where the king or queen has complete and total power over all aspects of his/her subjects' lives. • Example: France under Louis XIV • Constitution:Government in which a King/Queen acts as the head of state of a written constitution. • Example: United Kingdom

4. Oligarchy • Government in which power effectively rests with a small elite segment of society distinguished by royal, wealth, intellectual, family. Often with distorted election process. • Example: 20th South Africa under white rule.

5. Democracy • The true power lays with the people. • Examples: • Direct: Exists in only small areas. Each individual has a direct say/direct vote. • Examples: Class room vote or some small town hall meetings. • Representative: Most common. People elect someone to understand the issues and vote for the people they represent. • Example: United States

6. Parliamentary Systems • Type of representative democracy used in most democracies. • Many parties - due to either no election districts (Israel) or multi-person districts. • Majority party or coalition party (several smaller parties combined to form the majority) have control of the government. • Executive (president or prime minister, or both) is selected by majority or coalition party. • Some have a unicameral parliament. (ex – Greece, Finland, Israel)

7. Red – constitutional monarchies Orange – parliamentary republics where parliamentary is superior to head of state Turquoise – parliamentary republics where head of state is superior to parliament

8. Comparing Governments- Discussion Questions • What do you see as the strengths of each form of government? • What do you feel are the weaknesses of each form of government?

9. Economic Theories Main Systems Affecting Governments

10. Different Views of the Following: • Ownership of Property • Principle of Operation • Wages • Profits • Government’s role/involvement • Amount of Competition • Production Decisions

11. Main Types of Economic Government Theories Communism Socialism Capitalism

12. Capitalism • Ownership of Property: Private, most businesses not governmentally owned (or limited government ownership). • Principle of Operation: Free market system with open competition, accumulation of wealth is possible and heavily encourages investment. • Example: United States (but we are not purely capitalistic)

13. Continued… • Wages: Will also vary depending on educational levels, type of work, and the amount of skill required. • Profits: Vastly ranges depending on type of business or services offered.

15. Capitalism Continued • Government’s role/involvement: Laissez-faire (hands off). Examples when they do get involved is when a monopoly develops or when economic conditions dictate their involvement. • Creation of low income programs to provide aid or relief. • Example: Food Stamps, Welfare • Also when gov’t regulations are needed to protect the consumers. • Example: FDA and EPA

16. Continued… • Amount of Competition: Unlimited Competition, sometimes markets can become supersaturated. • Example: Gas Stations and fast food • Production Decisions: Entirely up to the owner based on demand for products. Can increase or decrease production as they see fit.

17. Capitalism Issues BANK

18. Side effect of modern capitalism

19. Socialism • Ownership of Property: Some public ownership (or cooperative ownership) of land, factories and other means of production. • Principle of Operation: The idea that everybody shares and that the distribution of wealth and opportunities is more equal.

20. Socialist Communes

21. Continued… • Wages: Everybody makes the same due to the idea of sharing equally all profits and products. • Profits: Harder to accumulate wealth; people usually get enough for everyone to live well but extravagantly.

22. Socialism Continued • Government’s role/involvement: Controls raw materials used in production of goods, aides in distribution of products and wages, may also operate certain industries and provide social welfare programs. • Amount of Competition: Limited due to the fact that everyone shares and is in it together. • Production Decisions: Dictated by the needs of the people and regulated by the government.

23. Capitalism to Socialism

24. Communism • Ownership of Property: The State owns the land, businesses, raw materials and transportation. • Principle of Operation: The gov’t makes the decisions for the nation’s economy with the idea of meeting the basic needs of the people.

25. View of Communism

26. Continued… • Wages: Enough for people to survive and provide the basic means for their family. • Profits: Goes to the state (or communist party leaders)

27. Communism Continued • Government’s role/involvement: Gov’t controls all aspects including the mass media. • Amount of Competition: Limited since all businesses are owned and operated by the gov’t. • Production Decisions: Government officials make all decisions on what to produce, how much and then how to distribute those goods throughout the nation.

28. Russian Breadlines under Communism

29. Dangers of Communism

30. For Discussion Are there any particular aspects of these forms that appeal to you? Which ones? Which ones don’t?