1. United Kingdom, Germany,
European
Governments
United Kingdom, Germany,
& Russia
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2. Government Systems – Who has the power?
Let’s Review
Government Systems – Who has the power?
Unitary--power is held by one central authority
Confederation--association of independent states that agree to certain limitations on their freedoms by joining together
Federal--power is divided between central authority & several regional authorities
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3. Government Types – how do citizens participate?
Let’s Review
Government Types – how do citizens participate?
Autocracy-- 1 person possesses unlimited power & citizens have limited role in government
Oligarchy-- small group exercises control & citizens have limited role in government
Democracy--supreme power is vested in the people & exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation involving free elections
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4. Two Types of Democratic Governments:
Let’s Review
Two Types of Democratic Governments:
Parliamentary– citizens elect members of Parliament, and then the members select the leader
Leader works with or through the legislature
Presidential--system of government in which the leader is constitutionally independent of the legislature; citizens directly elect leader
Leader works separate from legislature
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5. United
Kingdom
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6. (House of UK’s Parliament)
Palace of Westminster
(House of UK’s Parliament)
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7. Unitary System
The United Kingdom has a unitary system, which means that the central government has all of the power.
The central government can give power to or create lower levels of government.
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8. Unitary Governments
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9. Leadership
1. Prime Minister: holds the most political power and is the chief executive.
Leader of the British Parliament & works with the legislative branch.
2. Monarch: is the official head of state (a symbol for the country)
Duties are mostly ceremonial
Role is restricted by the constitution of the United Kingdom (constitutional monarchy)
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10. Queen Elizabeth II
Her Royal Highness
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11. David Cameron
UK’s Prime Minister
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12. How Leaders
Are Chosen
Prime Minister: the leader of the political party in the House of Commons with the most members is asked by the Queen to become the Prime Minister.
Monarch: hereditary
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13. Legislature
The Parliament is the country’s bicameral legislature (law-making body).
It consists of:
House of Lords
House of Commons
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14. House of Lords
In the past, these seats were passed down through wealthy families.
Now, Lords are elected by the House or are appointed by the monarch.
Members have little power, and can only make suggestions of ways to improve a bill that is on its way to becoming a law.
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15. House of Lords
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16. House of Commons UK’s citizens elect these members.
646 members total: 529 from England, 40 from Wales, 59 from Scotland, and 18 from Northern Ireland
This branch controls the countries budget (has lots of power).
The leader of the political party with the most members becomes the Prime Minister.
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17. House of Commons
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18. Parliamentary Democracy
The leader of the political party with the most members in the House of Commons is asked by the queen to become prime minister.
The prime minister is the head of the government and runs the government on a day-to-day basis.
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19. Role of the
Citizen
Citizens are treated equally & have many personal freedoms like freedom of speech, press, religion, and assembly.
They also have the right to vote.
Men and women who are 18 years of age may choose to vote in national elections.
Citizens can choose representatives from many political parties.
Citizens do NOT elect the leader, only members of the House of Commons.
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20. Germany
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21. Germany’s Reichstag Building
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22. Federal System
Germany has a federal system, which means that the national government and the state governments SHARE power.
There are 16 regional states in Germany.
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23. Federal Governments
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24. Leadership
1. Chancellor is the chief executive and head of the military.
Runs the government
2. President: is the official head of state
Duties are mostly ceremonial and is a symbol for the country
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25. Angela Merkel
Germany’s Chancellor
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26. Joachim Gauck
Germany’s President
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27. How Leaders
Are Chosen
Chancellor: Selected by members of Germany’s legislature; serves a 4-year term
President: Representatives of the legislature and representatives of the states choose the president
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28. Legislature Parliament is the country’s bicameral legislature.
It consists of two houses called the Bundestag and the Bundesrat.
Germany’s constitution is called the Basic Law.
It states that Germany is a welfare state: government guarantees people certain benefits when they are unemployed, sick, poor, or disabled.
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29. Bundestag The Bundestag is the lower house and has the most power.
Citizens of each German state elect its members.
Members of this house elect the Chancellor (chief executive of Germany).
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31. Bundesrat
The Bundesrat represents the interests of the state governments.
Each state government selects representatives for this house.
The 16 states each have differing numbers of representatives, depending on their population.
It is mainly concerned with laws that affect states, such as education and local government issues.
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33. Parliamentary Democracy
The chancellor is selected by members of the Bundestag.
The chancellor is the leader of the party with the most seats in the Bundestag.
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34. Role of the
Citizen
Citizens have same basic freedoms like those in the United Kingdom.
All citizens are treated equally and have the right to worship as they choose.
They have freedom of speech, right to a fair trial, the right to own property, and the right to security.
Citizens do not directly elect the leaders (only the Bundestag).
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35. Russia
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36. Russia’s White House
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37. Federal System
Russia has a federal system, which means that the national government and the federal districts (political units like states) SHARE power.
There are 7 federal districts in Russia, each run by its own regional governor.
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38. Leadership 1. President: holds the most political power
Is both the chief executive and the head of state
Elected by the people (presidential democracy)
2. Prime Minister: helps in day-to-day running of government
Appointed by the president
2nd in command
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39. Vladimir Putin
Russia’s President
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40. Russia’s Prime Minister
Dimitri Medvedev
Russia’s Prime Minister
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41. How Leaders
Are Chosen
1. President: elected by popular vote for a six-year term.
There is a two-consecutive term limitation.
2. Prime Minister: appointed by the President
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42. Legislature
The Federal Assembly is the country’s bicameral legislature.
It consists of two houses called the Federation Council and the State Duma.
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43. Federation Council
The Federation Council has two representatives from each state.
State governments appoint the council’s members; they are not directly elected by the people.
One important duty: approve the president’s choices of people to fill different government jobs.
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44. Federation Council in Session
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45. State Duma The State Duma is larger than the Federation Council.
It has 450 members who are elected directly by the people.
This house controls the budget and makes the laws.
It also approves the president’s choice for prime minister.
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46. State Duma Building in Moscow
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47. Presidential Democracy
The citizens directly elect the president (every six years).
The president works separately from Russia’s Federal Assembly (legislature).
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48. Role of the Citizen Russia ratified a new constitution in 1993.
It guarantees human and civil rights for its citizens, such as the right to vote, equal rights, freedom of religion and speech, etc.
Other important rights granted, which were denied during Communist rule, include freedom of movement, mail correspondence, and right to private telephone calls.
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49. Voting in Russia
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50. In Summary…
United Kingdom = parliamentary democracy, constitutional monarchy, unitary system
Germany = parliamentary democracy, federal system
Russia = presidential democracy, federal system
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