1. Principles of Government Section 2: Forms of Government
American Government
Principles of Government
Section 2: Forms of Government

2. Objectives
Classify governments according to three sets of characteristics.
Define systems of government based on who can participate.
Identify different ways that power can be distributed, geographically, within a state.
Describe a government by the distribution of power between the executive branch and legislative branch

3. Bellringer
Students, come up to the board and circle which term applies to the US government.
Direct democracy
Indirect democracy
Dictatorship
Unitary government
Federal government
Confederation
Presidential government
Parliamentary government

4. Democracy – who governs?
Direct Democracy
Indirect Democracy
Pure democracy
People directly influence policy
Works well on small, local level
Town halls
Representative Democracy
Sometimes called republic
Group chosen by the people, express the will of the people
Used in bigger areas
United States
- What are the good things about democracy?
- What are the bad things about democracy?
- “government of the people, by the people, for the people”
Democracy: supreme political authority rests with the people

5. Dictatorships Autocracy Oligarchy
A government where a single person holds power.
A government where a small group, usually self appointed. An elite class
Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, Mussolini, Muammar Al-Qaddafi
China
Authoritarian
Totalitarian
Dictator holds absolute power
- All dictators are absolute
Dictator takes over every aspect of human affairs.
religion, job, clothing, marriage, more examples?

6. Geographic Distribution of Power
Unitary
Federal
Confederate
Power is located in a central form of government
- There is no local or small local control
Federal/central/national government shares power with the states/local
The states or local levels have independent power from the Central government. They don’t have to listen to them but work together on some issues, foreign policy and foreign defense
Great Britain
United States, Canada, Germany, India, Mexico
European Union, Confederate States of America, Articles of Confederation
EU – is a 27 member confederacy in Europe that has a common currency, and is currently trying to coordinate members foreign and defense policies. The United States of Europe?

7. United States – duh!
United Kingdom – duh!
Western Hemisphere only
We invented it.
Can get gridlock – but have checks and balances
Germany, Israel, Japan
Executive and Legislative Branch work well – no gridlock
less checks and balances

8. Review