How It Works

1. How It Works Types of government

2. Introduction • What is a government? • What kinds of government are there? • 1. Democracy • 2. Republic • 3. Dictatorship • 4. Monarchy • 5. Aristocracy/Oligarchy/Plutocracy

3. What is a government? • A government is simply a set of laws which dictates the manner in which a state or nation is managed • Many of the styles of government we discuss have overlap, such as the Parliament of Britain. England is functionally a Republic, but only because its Parliament has been given the power to legislate from the Monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. This is a “parliamentary constitutional monarchy” [1] • Everything in government is a shade of gray, a because governments are systems which evolve to meet needs and address problems, and every place has different needs and problems • Democracies are compromises based on the will of the people • Even dictatorships must make concessions on behalf of the people ruled in order to avoid revolt! This may be in the form of rallying the base, allowing certain freedoms, or displays of military might [2] • People have power, and people are made of persons. Never forget the responsibility you have to you, yours, and others! [1] http://h2g2.com/edited_entry/A591383 [2] http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/28/world/asia/north-korea-shows-military-might-at-mass-rally.html

4. 1. Democracy In a democracy, decisions are made directly as a result of counting every vote and acting on the majority Ancient Athens, Greece (~500 BCE) pioneered this form of government [3] This kind of historical democracy in modern times is referred to as “direct democracy” This system typically works in smaller populations, like ancient Athens, a classroom, or a social group [3] http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/greeks/greekdemocracy_01.shtml

5. 2. Republic In a Republic, citizens vote to elect officials who make the decisions (ideally) representing what the majority of those citizens would vote if given the opportunity to do so directly This system, while democratic in that the people vote, relies on “representatives” and is sometimes called a “representative democracy” or, modernly, simply “democracy” There are many different types of Republics: Federal, Parliamentary, Commonwealth, etc… Republics have a “head of state” which in America is the President A republic works with large populations in which a direct vote would be very difficult or expensive to accomplish, like the United States of America (1776-present CE), ancient Rome (509-27 BCE), and France (5 different times)

6. 3. Dictatorship • A dictatorship in structured around the head of state—the dictator—who decides policy and, through military/police action, enforces policy • Dictatorship is governing without the people’s consent—there is no voting, and very seldom is there free speech to question the decisions of the dictator. Though the people’s consent is not required, sometimes the presence of a dictator will be included in a nation’s Constitution • A dictatorship can be totalitarian (like North Korea) but that is not necessarily the case. Totalitarian means every aspect of citizens’ lives are controlled • Dictatorships focus on control and maintaining it, usually with an undercurrent of violent threat if control is lost or threatened • There are a few types of dictatorships: family, military, constitutional, single-party, etc…

7. 4. Monarchy • A monarchy is a nation in which power and laws are derived—either directly or indirectly—from the will of a monarch, often a King or Queen • In the past, “absolute monarchy” was the norm [4] but in modern times this dictatorial style has evolved in a “constitutional monarchy” in which the monarch grants power to (generally) elected officials for the purpose of governing the nation • England is a perfect example of such a constitutional monarchy, with a living Queen who has granted power to a parliament to facilitate the governance of Great Britain and its territories [4] http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/magna-carta-sealed

8. 5. Aristocracy/Oligarchy/Plutocracy • Aristocracy is government rule by a special class of a privileged, ruling class • This form of government is not seen in any modern nation but was nonetheless instrumental in forming Greek opinions on monarchy and democracy[5] • Similar to an aristocracy is an oligarchy, a general word for an elite few (not necessarily qualified but nonetheless doing so) ruling the many • Plutocracy specifically is a small group of the rich ruling the many [5] http://www.agathe.gr/democracy/the_athenian_aristocracy.html

9. There Are Many Other Types Of Government! • This was a simple explanation of very complicated systems which we will address throughout this semester • Just because we focus on the United States government for Government class does not mean it is the only system, or the best system. It is, however, the system which we have found works best to address our needs and problems! • Which system do you feel works best for your vision of government? • Why do you feel that way? Remember your ABCs – Always Back Claims!

10. Works Cited Anonymous. "The Athenian Aristocracy." Birth of Democracy:. American School of Classic Studies at Athens, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. Anonymous. "H2g2 - The British Parliamentary System - Edited Entry." H2g2 - The British Parliamentary System - Edited Entry. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition, 7 May 2010. Web. 27 Apr. 2014. Anonymous. "Magna Carta Sealed." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. Cartledge, Paul A. "The Democratic Experiment." BBC News. BBC, 17 Feb. 2011. Web. 25 Apr. 2014. Sang-hun, Choe. "North Korea Showcases Its Military Might at a Mass Rally."The New York Times. The New York Times, 27 July 2013. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.