Words to Know

1. Words to Know • Autocracy: • Oligarchy: • Unitary Government: • Federal Government: • Confederate Government:

2. Words to Know • Autocracy: A government in which one person holds unlimited political power • Oligarchy: A government in which a small group of people hold unlimited political power • Unitary Gov’t: A system of government that gives all key powers to the national/central gov’t • Federal Gov’t: A form of gov’t in which powers are divided between a central gov’t and several local gov’ts • Confederate Gov’t: A form of gov’t in which several states join together for a common purpose

3. Forms of Government

4. 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?

5. 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.

6. Who can participate in the governing process? 2. Dictatorship • Those who rule have complete authority over 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.

7. What are the geographical distributions of power? • Governmental power is located in one or more places within the government. • There are 3 basic forms of government that exist as defined by geographic location: • Federal • Confederate • Unitary

8. 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

9. What are the geographical distributions of power? • Confederate: an 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.

10. What are the geographical distributions of power? • 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 to 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

11. Distribution of Power Federal Government Confederate Government Unitary Government Central Gov’t Local Gov’t Most power belongs to the local govt. The Central govt has limited power Power belongs to the Central govt. Local govt is secondary The national government and the states are equal partners

12. What is the relationship between the legislative and executive branch? • Presidential Government: the executive and legislative branches are separate but equal • The chief executive is elected separate from the legislative branch • The legislative branch makes the laws, and the executive branch makes sure the laws are carried out • Each has powers that can block the actions of the other branch: called Checks and Balances

13. What is the relationship between the legislative and executive branch? • Parliamentary: the executive branch is made up of a Prime Minister and his/her cabinet • The Prime Minister and the Cabinet are members of parliament; they are also chosen by parliament • Fewer conflicts between executive and legislative branches • No checks and balances

14. Ideas to Review List the 4 characteristics of a nation. Define the 4 theories through which government develops. What are the 3 questions that we use to describe government systems? What are the 2 types of government systems that answer the question “who participates in government?” What are the 3 types of geographic distribution of power? What are the 2 types of relationships between the executive and legislatives branches of government?

15. Words to Know • Compromise: • Free Enterprise: • Majority Rule:

16. Words to Know • Compromise: a settlement of differences by mutual concessions • Free Enterprise: The freedom of private businesses to operate competitively for profit with minimal governmental regulation • Majority Rule: the numerical majority of an organized group can make decisions binding on the whole group

17. Basic Concepts of Democracy

18. What are the basic concepts of Democracy?

21. Summary • All nations need: Population, territory, government, sovereignty • Theories on how government forms are: Evolutionary Theory, Force Theory, Divine Right Theory and Social Contract Theory • Political Participation begins in the family – crucial in democracy • Governments can be classified three ways: • Who may participate ,where power is held and what the relationship is between the legislative and executive branches • Dictatorships hold all power in the central government • Democracies have power resting with the people. • Democracies are: Federal, Unitary and Confederal • Democracy rests on the rights and freedoms of individuals. The United States has a free enterprise system