Types of government Government: the organization that people set up to protect their community and to enforce its rules

Monarchy Main characteristic of a monarchy is that the ruler inherits power Monarchs fulfill their role as supreme ruler by surrounding themselves with followers and advisors who help them govern Rule by Divine Right In older forms of monarchy, the ruler claimed absolute power Claimed to hold this power by “divine right”, or the will of God Ordinary people had no rights or freedoms, except those that the monarch allowed. Constitutional Monarchy In recent times, monarchs have shared power with an elected legislature Subjects enjoy traditional, protected rights Great Britian is an example

Republic A government without a king or queen Often will choose representatives to make decisions The United States is a republic

Democracy Government authority is based on the will of the people. Direct Democracy: Invented by the Greeks in ancient Athens Democracy is a greek word that means “people-power” People voted on issues directly Representative Democracy: Developed by the Romans People elected representatives that met in assemblies The United States has a Representative Democracy

Dictatorship A system of government in which a single person or small group exercises complete power over others. A dictator does not inherit their power like a king, they either seize control by force or are placed into a position of authority by others. Sometimes the military will sometimes seize power and establish a dictatorship Citizens in a dictatorship have few rights Main advantage of a dictatorship is that decisions can be made quickly

Dictatorship: Example Robert Mugabe was elected as President of Zimbabwe He quickly became a dictator who used police to block opponents from voting He even arrested and tortured opponents

Totalitarian Systems Dictators will often establish totalitarian systems in which the government controls all aspects of individual life People can only belong to organizations controlled by the government No separate political parties, labor unions, or other organizations Government controls or prohibits all churches and religious groups One leader or political party maintains total control over all aspects of society Government controls all television, radio, and newspapers All dissent is suppressed and citizens are terrorized by secret police. People who oppose the government are arrested and sent to labor camps or killed

Theocracy A government run by religious leaders Claims to be directed by God, or divinely blessed No legal separation between church and state Citizens of other faiths are often excluded or expelled Iran’s Theocracy: Muslim religious leaders seized power in Iran in 1979 Iranian Constitution emphasizes the importance of religion and Islamic law (sharia law) Has a Theocratic and democratic government Voters elect the President and representatives to the legislature but these officials remain subject to the control of Iran’s Supreme Leader The Supreme Leader is the head of government, even above the elected President The Supreme Leader interprets religious law, can dismiss the President, and can declare war. Iran’s Supreme Leader: Ayatollah Khamenei Iran’s President: Hassan Rouhani

Let’s Act it Out!!! Thomas Jefferson – Democracy Joseph Stalin – Dictator Louis XIV - Monarchy