1. Forms of Government
Ch 1 Sec 2

2. Classifying Government
Who can participate
Geographic distribution of power within state
Relationship between legislative and executive branches

3. Who can participate Democracy - The People are Sovereign
Direct Democracy - Works well in small communities. No national level examples exist today.
Indirect Democracy - Representative Democracy
Small group, chosen by the people, act as representatives
Republic - power held by those eligible to vote, political power exercised by their representatives.

4. Who can participate Dictatorship
Autocracy - single person holds unlimited power
Oligarchy - power held by small elite
All are Authoritarian, most are also Totalitarian (complete power over every aspect of human affairs)
Often hide where real keys to power lies (often with the military)
Examples: China, North Korea, Myanmar

5. Geographic distribution of power
Unitary - Centralized
All power in single, central agency.
May have local governments for convenience
Not always a dictatorship
Example: Great Britain

6. Geographic distribution of power
Federal - Power divided between central government and several local governments
Division of Power
Example: USA, Mexico
Confederation - Alliance of independent states
Cooperate on matters of common concern while retaining separate identities
Example: EU

7. Relationship between Leg. and Ex. branches
Presidential - 2 branches are separate and coequal
Chief Executive (president) chosen independent of legislature
Example: USA (we invented it)
Parliamentary - executive is made of Prime Minister and his Cabinet chosen from the legislature (parliament)
Usually the leader of the majority party
Example: The majority of the governments in the world today

8. Video

9. Assignment
Pg 16 (1-5)
Pg 17 (1-2)