Citizen Participation in Government

Citizen Participation  In each country, the people have different rights to participate in the government  In some countries, any citizen can run for office or vote in elections  In other countries there are restrictions placed on who can run for office and who can vote  There are also countries where no citizen can vote and there are no elections

Key Questions… Who governs? What is the citizen participation ? Based on the answers, there are three basic types of governments: Autocracy, Oligarchy, and Democracy

Autocratic Governments Has a single ruler with unlimited power Citizens have no ability to participate in the selection of the ruler or in the creation of laws One benefit of this type of government is that decisions for a country can be made quickly… However, the needs of the people may be ignored or unheard

Autocracy Generally the power to rule is inherited or by military force.  two main types: dictatorship & absolute monarchy.

Autocracy: Dictatorship The leader has not been elected and uses force to control all aspects of social and economic life.  Examples: Adolf Hitler in Germany Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union

Autocracy: Absolute Monarchy The Monarch is a king, queen, emperor or empress  The power is usually inherited  The monarch has absolute power meaning they can make all decisions without consulting anyone

Autocracies of the World

Oligarchic Governments  Means “rule by a few” = country is ruled by a small group of people  An advantage is that decisions can be made relatively quickly  Compared to an autocratic system, oligarchies have more heads to think through problems and should make better choices  However, the citizens do not participate in the government

Oligarchy

A government in which a few people, such as a dominant clan or clique, have power. The group gets their power from either military, wealth, religion, or social status. Example: Saudi Arabia, Kazahstan

Oligarchy

Democratic Governments The people are in charge of the government because they can VOTE! All citizens have the opportunity to be a leader, and they have the opportunity to vote for leaders and laws All citizens are involved in the decision-making process of the government, and all groups can be represented Can be slow to make decisions because all people must discuss & vote on the issues

This is a “Polity Data Series Map” It tries to measure a country’s true democracy in government It gives scores of -10 to +10. The countries in the lightest pink have the highest democracy score, the darker the color, the lower the democracy score

In a Democracy…. Individual freedom and equality is valued. Free elections are held Decisions are based on majority rule. All candidates can express their views freely. Citizens vote by secret ballot.

Two Types of Democracy: Parliamentary Presidential

Parliamentary Citizens vote for members of the legislative branch, and then the legislature chooses the leader. The citizens DO NOT directly choose the leader Head of government and head of state are TWO different people Examples: United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Australia

Presidential Citizens usually vote for members of the executive AND legislative branch Citizens directly vote for the leader The elected leader is both head of government chief executive and head of state Examples: U.S.A., Russia, Mexico

Presidential Continued Unique thing about this type: there’s a separation of powers between the branches of government The leader is constitutionally independent of the legislature Example: the leader does not make the laws, the legislature does

Review of Democracy Types Parliamentary : Citizens do not vote directly for the leader. They vote on the legislature, then the legislature chooses the leader. Presidential : Citizens directly vote on the leader. Which would you prefer to participate in??

How Governments Determine Citizen Participation DemocracyOligarchicAutocratic Government Power Citizen Participation Government Power General Citizens’ Participation Government Power Citizen Participation Select Citizens’ Participation High Participation Low or No Participation