Government

What is Government? People need rules to live together without conflict Rules and laws are created by governments Governments provide services through taxes Governments enforce the laws they create Governments decide laws, enforce laws, and usually provide for common defense of the nation.

Things in Common Taxes - most types of governments collect taxes from citizens for services. Schools and military Leadership – there is usually an individual or group of people in charge Laws – all governments have some form of rules or laws Military – most governments are in charge of forming and maintaining defense forces (Army)

Forms of Governments The forms of Governments Democracy – Direct Democracy – Representative Democracy – Constitutional Monarchy Autocracy – Absolute monarchy – Dictatorship Oligarchy – Rule by a few or a small group of powerful people

Direct Democracy Definition- All citizens vote directly on each law and not on candidates 1. The citizens decide on laws and vote on them 2. Some small towns in New England do this. Difficult to do in a large country Imagine if you had to vote on all federal, state, and local laws. Would you have time for anything else?

Representative Democracy Definition- People vote for leaders who make the laws for them 1. Voters don’t vote on laws. Reps do. 2. This is what we have in the USA

Constitutional Monarchy Definition- A monarch (king or queen) inherits right to rule but is limited by laws made by a parliament 1. Monarch usually has very little power and is just for show. People vote for leaders who make the laws for them (a parliament) 2. Limited Power Queen of England

Autocracy Definition- One person has absolute power and can do whatever they want. Usually ruled by a tyrant. Absolute Monarchy Dictatorship 1. Tyrant – someone who rules without regard to law or human rights 2. Memory tip- auto=car (1 driver)

Absolute Monarchy Definition- A monarch (king, queen, emperor, czar) inherits the right to rule from a relative and has Unlimited power 1. The right to rule is handed down through the family. There is no voting by the people 2. Laws are decided by the monarch. Saudi Arabia is an example Would you talk bad about a ruler that could do anything they wanted to?

Dictatorship Define-One person (called a dictator) makes all laws and suppresses any opposition. Often come to power through violence. 1. Limit speech, press, and religions. Answer to no one. Usually rule through fear Unlimited power

Autocracy The man pictured 1 st from the left is the current dictator of North Korea The smiling man to his right is his father, who was the leader of the country before him …and finally the man on the far right is the first dictator of North Korea, the father / grandfather of the first two men Question: Most have always considered North Korea to be a dictatorship. Based on what you have learned, what other type of government could you consider North Korea to be?

Infamous Dictators Adolf Hitler (Germany) 12 Million Saddam Hussein (Iraq) 600 thousand Joseph Stalin (Soviet Union) 7 million Mao Zedong (China) 30 – 65 million The numbers above represent approximately how many people each dictator either had murdered or died because of their policies. MAO Stalin Hussein Hitler

Oligarchy Define- Government run by a small group of people, usually powerful and rich. Oligarchies tend to be tyrannies, but not always Tyranny – 1. government ruled by a tyrant 2. cruel and unfair treatment by people with power over others What is going on in this political cartoon?

Systems of Government Just like there are different forms of government, there are different systems of government as well The system of government determines how power is distributed Power in government means who makes and enforces the laws and rules Not all democracies are organized like ours

Federal Definition- Power is shared by a powerful central government and states or provinces that are given considerable self rule, usually through their own legislatures. 1. This is what we have in the USA. 2. Copy the pic in your federal box

Confederation (Confederal) Definition- A weak or loose organization of states agrees to follow a central government. States have most of the power in this system States have most of the power

Unitary- The prefix uni means 1 (think unicycle) Definition- gov that has one strong central government with little or no power shared with the states. The central government has almost all the power in a unitary system of government Central government has most of the power

Parliamentary form of representative democracy, uses a parliament (a group of people who are elected to make laws) Here people vote for a political party and not a candidate The political party that wins gets to pick the prime minister, which is similar to a president