1. Government Review
SS6CG4 The student will compare and contrast various forms of government.
Describe the ways government systems distribute power: unitary, confederation, and federal.
(b) Explain how governments determine citizen participations: autocratic,
oligarchic, and democratic.
(c) Describe the two predominant forms of democratic governments:
parliamentary and presidential.

2. Ways government systems distribute power
What is government?
A government is a body with the authority to make, enforce, and interpret laws for a country or area.
Governments distribute their power through three basic systems, what are they?
Think UFC…
Unitary, Federal, Confederation
Who has the power in a Unitary system?
The central government does!

3. Who has the power in a Federal system?
Power is divided between the central government and the government of smaller political units like states.
Who has the power in a Confederation system?
A group of independent states join together and give limited powers to a common government.
What are the three levels of the federal government?
Central, Regional, Local

4. How governments determine citizen participation: autocratic, oligarchic, and democratic
*ruled by a single person
*holds ALL power
*opposite of a democracy
Example: Hitler/Nazism
*ruled by a small group of people with wealth or power
Example: Kings and their advisers
POWER
POWER
Citizens, chosen few
Gov.
Citizens
Gov.
Democratic
*people hold supreme power
*people elect leaders and rule by majority
Example: Our government, President Obama
POWER
Gov.
Citizens

5. The two predominant forms of democratic governments: parliamentary and presidential.  
What are the three branches of government?
*Legislative branch – makes the laws
*Executive branch – carries out the laws
*Judicial branch – enforces the laws
What are some countries that have a parliamentary and presidential governments?
Parliamentary
United Kingdom Australia Jamaica Canada
Presidential
United States Mexico Argentina Brazil

6. Branches of the Parliamentary System
Voters
(Citizens)
elect
Legislative (Parliament)
appoint
Chosen by Majority Party
Judicial
Executive
(Prime Minister)
fusion of powers = executive and legislative branches are mixed, share power

7. Branches of the Presidential System
Voters
(Citizens)
elect
elect
Legislative
Executive
(Congress)
(President)
approve
nominate
Checks and balances = limits each branch’s power, keeps one branch from having too much power
Judicial
separation of powers = division of the branches of government
(US Supreme Court)