1. Types of Governments
World and U.S. Studies

2. Section 1 at a Glance The Purposes of Government
Government is the formal structures and institutions through which decisions are made for a body of people.
Most governments today exercise power within the context of a state.
Governments function to ensure national security, maintain order, resolve conflict, provide services, and provide for the public good.
Many theories have been put forth to explain why governments exist and the source of government’s authority.

3. What Is Government?
Government is made up of the formal institutions and processes through which decisions are made for a group of people.
Three main components:
People—Elected officials with authority and control over others; public servants who carry out day-to-day governmental business
Power—Legislative to make laws; executive to carry out, enforce, and administer laws; judicial to interpret laws and to settle disputes
Policy—Decision made by government in pursuit of a goal; can be a law, a government program, or a set of government actions –

4. The Power of Government

5. These are the 6 major types of governments
Absolute monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Parliamentary democracy
Presidential democracy
Theocracies
Dictatorships

6. 1. Absolute Monarchy
Absolute monarchy is an idealized form of government, a monarchy where the ruler has the power to rule their country and citizens freely with no laws or legally-organized direct opposition telling the monarchy what to do.
In order of importance:
1. King
2. People

7. The Classic Forms Monarchy
Government is headed by one person with supreme authority
In absolute monarchy, powers are unlimited and unchecked
Constitutional monarchy most common form today
Monarch is ceremonial head of state
Real power belongs to another part of the government

8. Kings and Queens Get their power through birthright or heredity.
Raised to become head of state.
Highly educated and cultured
Louis XIV of France was an absolute monarch. ( )

9. Today’s absolute monarchies
1. Swaziland
Vatican City
3. Saudi Arabia
4. Oman

10. 2. Constitutional Monarchies
A constitutional monarchy is a political system in which the head of state is a king or queen ruling to the extent allowed by a constitution.
In order of importance:
1. The constitution
2. King or Queen
3. People

11. The biggest is… United Kingdom with the commonwealth nations of
New Zealand
Canada
Jamaica
Queen Elizabeth II is the monarch

12. Other constitutional monarchies

13. 3. Parliamentary democracy
This political system is based on the idea that Parliament is supreme.
The people choose representatives at regular elections

14. Who has this?
Australia
The people elect the parliament. Then Parliament makes the laws and decisions for the country.
Then Parliament elects a president.

15. Democracy “Rule by the people”
In a pure democracy, the people make major government decisions through a process of majority rule.
In a direct democracy, such as Athens, citizens meet regularly to discuss issues and vote for leaders.
Athens was actually an elite-based system.
In a republic, the people elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf.
In a representative democracy, the people are the source of authority.
Elected representatives closely follow the wishes of the people
Elections are free and fair
Everyone can participate equally in the political process

16. 4. Presidential democracy
The U.S.A.
The people elect the president to a 4 year term.
Congress is elected separately.
All branches of government work together within a system of checks and balances.

17. Presidents and Parliaments
Governments are formed through historical circumstances.
Today most countries have some form of democratic government, either a presidential system or a parliamentary system.
President—Elected by the people for a limited term of office
Head of state and in charge of executive branch
Deals with cabinet members, policy, armed forces, foreign affairs, domestic legislation
Powers checked by legislative branch
Presidential
Most democracies modeled after British system
Executive and legislative combined
Prime minister chosen by and from parliament (elected legislature); member of majority party
Appoints cabinet members from majority party
Parliamentary

18. Is this good?
It is effective, everyone can be heard. Every voice counts.
It is ineffective, it takes time to hear all points of views, discuss and vote.

19. 5. Theocracy
A government by a god or priests.

20. Who has it?
In the contemporary world, Iran and Afghanistan are considered theocracies because ultimate political authority in each is in the hands of religious leaders and a fundamentalist regime whose purpose is to organize society under religious law.

21. Dictatorship Dictatorship
One person, or a small group of people, holds unlimited power
Power is maintained by force
Most dictators head authoritarian or totalitarian regimes
An oligarchy is led by a small group of people
Dictatorships can be secular or theocracies

22. 6. Dictatorship
A form of government in which absolute power is concentrated in a dictator.
What is a dictator - a ruler who is unconstrained by law and usually rules with terror.
A dictator can do what he wants, when he wants to whomever he wants. If you question a dictator’s rule you can be killed.

23. The World's Worst Current Day Dictators  
Kim Jong-il (North Korea)
King Fahd and Prince Abdullah (Saudi Arabia)
Charles Taylor (Liberia)
Than Shwe (former Burma, now Myanmar)
Teodoro Obiang Nguema (Equatorial Guinea)
Saparmurat Niyazov (Turkmenistan)
Muammar Gaddafi (Libya)
Fidel Castro (Cuba)
Alexander Lukashenko (Belarus)
Robert Mugabe (Zimbabwe)

24. What is better?
There can be pros and cons for all forms of government.
Try to name one pro and one con for:
1. absolute monarchy
2. constitutional monarchy
3. parliamentary democracy
4. presidential democracy
5. theocracy
6. dictatorship
Now let’s rate the forms of government
1=best 6=worse