1. Warmup 2/1
What kind of political system does the following government use?
Alpensloss: the rather small kingdom of Alpensloss is a monarchy. However, by agreement with his great grandfather, the King of Alpensloss has a strange deal. On each citizen’s 18th birthday, the King (or King’s representative) signs a contract with that citizen that clearly states whether that citizen will join society or not. If the citizen chooses not to join, they can still live within Alpensloss but are immune to all its laws and are not covered by any of its services.

2. The Age of Absolutism Roughly 1550-1800 Describes the period in which:
European countries developed absolute monarchies.
European countries became centralized.
Centralized: a country in which power and administration is focused in one place.

3. Absolute Monarchy
An absolute monarchy is any system in which the following are true:
Is a monarchy
Is an autocracy
The monarchs power approaches 100%

4. Absolute Monarchy
These things will be true of rulers whose power “approaches 100%”
Arbitrary Power: can do anything or make/unmake any law without consent of any other person(s).
Centralized: government focused in one place, not spread out (to lords, for example)
Power of the Purse: can decide when/how to raise taxes and how revenue is used.

5. Divine Right of Kings
Monarchs justified their power with Divine Right.
Divine Right: the belief that a monarch has been chosen by God to lead.
Therefore no one else may limit their power.

6. ASSIGNMENT: Age of Absolutism
Each person will be reading a different textbook section.
Your job is to decide if the monarchs described in this section actually achieved absolutism.

7. ASSIGNMENT: Age of Absolutism
Read assigned section.
Keep a score card: what did they do to increase absolutism? What did they do to decrease it? Record specific actions.
At the end: how successful were these monarchs at achieving Absolute Monarchy? Rate their absoluteness from 1-10 and give a brief explanation why.
20 minutes

8. ASSIGNMENT pt 2 Find someone who did each of the sections.
Record:
Monarchs of that section
Their absoluteness rating
The brief explanation of their rating

9. ASSIGNMENT pt 3
Some historians say that Absolute Monarchies were never actually achieved in this period.
Do you agree?
Support your answer with evidence from your work.