1. Government Notes SS7CG4: The student will compare and contrast various forms of government.

2. Government Systems  Unitary: A form of government in which power is held by ONE central authority.  Confederation: A voluntary association of independent states that agree to certain limits on their freedoms for a common purpose.  Federal: A form of government in which power is divided between one central authority and several regional authorities.

3. Role of the Citizen  Autocratic: A government in which one person has unlimited power and the citizen has little or no role in the government.  Oligarchic :A government by the few; sometimes a small group uses their power for corrupt and selfish reasons. The citizen has a very limited role.  Democratic : A government in which supreme power is given to the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually by holding free elections.

4. Democratic Systems PParliamentary: A system of government where power is given to the members of the legislature who themselves make laws. A Prime Minister may be elected by them as head of state. PPresidential: A system of government in which the president is independent of the law makers because the constitution set it up that way.

5. Additional Government Types  Theocracy: A government ran by a religious leader.  Monarchy: A government that has a king or queen as well as a parliament usually.