1. POLITICAL SYSTEMS

2. Vocabulary
Government – a group of people who have the power to make and enforce laws for a country or area
State – a region that shares a common government, also called nation-states.
City-state – an independent state that consists of a city and the surrounding territory
Empire – A state containing several countries

3. Powers of the Government
Governments are put in place to keep order, to provide services, and to protect the common good
Governments make laws to ensure that these things are provided
Governments with too much power can take advantage of the people
Today, most countries have a Constitution that limits the powers of the government.

4. Powers of the Government
Limited Government
Unlimited government
Government actions are limited by law
Work to protect the common good of all those who it serves
People may gather freely to protest or change government policies
Government actions are NOT limited by law
This much power usually leads to tyranny or the unjust use of power
Peoples rights are not protected
Information is usually censored by the government to prevent people from having access to information

5. Ancient Governments
Direct Democracy – all the people in the group have a vote
In ancient Athens, all citizens had a vote on all matters of the city-state

6. Ancient Gov’t cont…
Tribal rule – most people had a say in decision making, but important decisions are left to a group of elders
Native American tribes used this form of government
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7. Monarchy
A form of government ruled by a monarch (king, queen, sultan, emperor, etc…)
Power is inherited by family members
Absolute monarchs have unlimited power to do whatever they wish. Saudi Arabia and Brunei are two surviving absolute monarchies
Constitutional monarchs are limited by a Constitution – a system of basic rules by which a government is organized

8. King of England – King Henry VIII
He was an absolute monarch – his power
was unlimited
Queen of England – Queen Elizabeth II
She is a constitutional monarch – her power is limited by the Constitution of England
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King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. His is an absolute Monarch

9. Authoritarian Governments
Government in which all power is held by a single person - Dictatorship or small group – Oligarchy
Government may control ALL aspects of life and the governments power is unlimited
Common form of authoritarian government is COMMUNISM.

10. Dictator of North Korea
Kim Jong-Un
Dictator of North Korea
His power is absolute.
Got his power from his father who took power through a violent overthrow of the government
President Xi Jinping
Communist Party of China
The party holds all of the power in this country and controls most aspects of the lives of their people.

11. Democracy
A Democracy is a form of government in which citizens hold political power
The United States is a Representative Democracy known as a Republic - people elect officials to represent them in government.
The powers of the government in democracies are usually limited

12. His power is limited by the constitution.
President Obama
His power is limited by the constitution.
President Enrique Pena Nieto
His power is also limited by the constitution of Mexico.

13. International Organizations
Every nation-state values its sovereignty – supreme authority or power over its territory.
Most governments have a foreign policy – a set of goals describing how the country plans to interact with other countries’ governments.
Governments may create a treaty or agreement with one or more countries.
International organizations can help to manage treaties and help with diplomacy – managing communication and relationships between two countries.

14. Public Health Organizations These organizations help to promote health and safety around the world
International Red Cross – helps to distribute medical supplies and aid around the world
World Health Organization – helps
distribute medicine, health information,
and medical training around the world

15. Humanitarian Organizations These organizations seek to promote cooperation between nations, protect human rights, and achieve world peace.
The United Nations (UN) is the largest peace-keeping organization in the world
Amnesty International seeks to protect human rights around the world

16. Economic Organizations These organizations seek to promote economic development and resolve economic crisis's around the world.
IMF
International Monetary Fund
tries to prevent worldwide economic crisis’s
WTO
World Trade Organization
tries to make sure countries follow
global rules of trade

17. Military Organizations
These organizations help to provide defense or to ensure assistance if attacked
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty
Organization members
agree to assist each
other with defense
if attacked