TYPES OF GOVERNMENTS

TWO MAIN CATEGORIES Limited  Democracy  Republic  Constitutional Monarchy Unlimited  Absolute Monarchy  Dictatorship  Communism

DIRECT DEMOCRACY Advantages  Every citizen has equal power  Loyalty and support for decisions  Individual rights are protected Disadvantages  Only works with small number of people involved  Need to be able to gather all citizens together in one place  Time Consuming

REPUBLIC (REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY) Advantages  Citizens choose representatives  The job of the representative is to meet the needs of their constituents  Representatives are usually the most educated and capable people Disadvantages  Representatives may not always agree with those they represent  Representatives are sometimes only concerned about their citizens or issues  Special interest groups can influence representatives

CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY Advantages  Limits placed on the monarch’s power by a written constitution  Continuous line of leadership  Splits the power between the “royals” and the elected leadership Disadvantages  Too much emphasis put on “royal” issues  Confusion over who is in charge

ABSOLUTE MONARCHY Advantages  One person in charge- can make decisions quickly and forcefully  Leaders are not influenced by special interest groups Disadvantages  Ruler has no restrictions on him - absolute power  Must have an heir for the monarchy to continue  Needs of the people are often neglected

MILITARY DICTATORSHIP Advantages  Strong, powerful decisions can be made quickly  Citizens may feel protected from the outside world Disadvantages  Citizen’s rights and needs are neglected  Power changes hands violently

COMMUNISM Advantages  Ideally, there are no rich or poor – everyone is equal  Equal distribution of resources and work  Strong sense of community Disadvantages  The larger the area or the population – the harder it is to divide the wealth and work equally  Tendency to be cut off from outside influences  High level of corruption