POLITICAL SYSTEMS

Vocabulary Government – a group of people who have the power to make and enforce laws for a country or area State – a region that shares a common government, also called nation-states. City-state – an independent state that consists of a city and the surrounding territory Empire – A state containing several countries

Powers of the Government Governments are put in place to keep order, to provide services, and to protect the common good Governments make laws to ensure that these things are provided Governments with too much power can take advantage of the people Today, most countries have a Constitution that limits the powers of the government.

Powers of the Government Limited Government Unlimited government Government actions are limited by law Work to protect the common good of all those who it serves People may gather freely to protest or change government policies Government actions are NOT limited by law This much power usually leads to tyranny or the unjust use of power Peoples rights are not protected Information is usually censored by the government to prevent people from having access to information

Ancient Governments Direct Democracy – all the people in the group have a vote In ancient Athens, all citizens had a vote on all matters of the city-state

Ancient Gov’t cont… Tribal rule – most people had a say in decision making, but important decisions are left to a group of elders Native American tribes used this form of government http://www.youtube.com/watc h?v=r3pohsdryNc

Monarchy A form of government ruled by a monarch (king, queen, sultan, emperor, etc…) Power is inherited by family members Absolute monarchs have unlimited power to do whatever they wish. Saudi Arabia and Brunei are two surviving absolute monarchies Constitutional monarchs are limited by a Constitution – a system of basic rules by which a government is organized

King of England – King Henry VIII He was an absolute monarch – his power was unlimited http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aO_Ezs7YGM8&feature=relmfu Queen of England – Queen Elizabeth II She is a constitutional monarch – her power is limited by the Constitution of England http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh1- 9ww_HmM&playnext=1&list=PL88D3EF81A4DB6 36A&feature=results_main King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. His is an absolute Monarch

Authoritarian Governments Government in which all power is held by a single person - Dictatorship or small group – Oligarchy Government may control ALL aspects of life and the governments power is unlimited Common form of authoritarian government is COMMUNISM.

Dictator of North Korea Kim Jong-Un Dictator of North Korea His power is absolute. Got his power from his father who took power through a violent overthrow of the government http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fvwp&NR=1&v=XgKrFsS8AwM President Xi Jinping Communist Party of China The party holds all of the power in this country and controls most aspects of the lives of their people.

Democracy A Democracy is a form of government in which citizens hold political power The United States is a Representative Democracy known as a Republic - people elect officials to represent them in government. The powers of the government in democracies are usually limited

His power is limited by the constitution. President Obama His power is limited by the constitution. President Enrique Pena Nieto His power is also limited by the constitution of Mexico.

International Organizations Every nation-state values its sovereignty – supreme authority or power over its territory. Most governments have a foreign policy – a set of goals describing how the country plans to interact with other countries’ governments. Governments may create a treaty or agreement with one or more countries. International organizations can help to manage treaties and help with diplomacy – managing communication and relationships between two countries.

Public Health Organizations These organizations help to promote health and safety around the world International Red Cross – helps to distribute medical supplies and aid around the world World Health Organization – helps distribute medicine, health information, and medical training around the world

Humanitarian Organizations These organizations seek to promote cooperation between nations, protect human rights, and achieve world peace. The United Nations (UN) is the largest peace-keeping organization in the world Amnesty International seeks to protect human rights around the world

Economic Organizations These organizations seek to promote economic development and resolve economic crisis's around the world. IMF International Monetary Fund tries to prevent worldwide economic crisis’s WTO World Trade Organization tries to make sure countries follow global rules of trade

Military Organizations These organizations help to provide defense or to ensure assistance if attacked NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization members agree to assist each other with defense if attacked