1. Limited and Unlimited Governments

2. What is a monarchy? It is a government led by a king or queen. During the 1600s and 1700s, monarchs ruled much of Europe.

3. What does it mean to have absolute power? The ruler of a country has total power. This would make the ruler an unlimited ruler.

4. Unlimited Government There is virtually no ability to limit the actions of the government In an unlimited government, individual rights and freedoms are restricted and citizens are expected to display total obedience to the government as the ruler or rulers make all decisions. The government may be tyrannical. Why would rulers think they could do whatever they wanted?

5. What is divine right? It is the idea that rulers receive their power directly from God and are responsible only to God. Decisions made by the rulers were therefore not questioned by the citizens.

6. Unlimited Government France and Russia are examples of countries that had unlimited governments at this time. All power was held by the monarch. Rights and freedoms were severely limited and the few which did exist could be cast aside through the actions of the monarch. Ways they displayed their authority included raising taxes, dissolving the legislative body, and using the military to enforce its policies.

7. What does it mean to have a limited government? It is a system in which the power of a ruler is restricted by the people. Citizens are given individual rights and can participate in government decisions.

8. Give an example of limiting the power of a ruler.

9. The Magna Carta In 1215, King John of England was forced to sign the “Great Charter.” The Magna Carta stated that the king was not above the law. What do you think that means? The Magna Carta also limited the power of the king by establishing Parliament.

11. Describe how Louis XIV was an absolute monarch. He banned the French assembly. He took rights away from Protestants. He controlled taxes, military, and business.

12. King Louis XIV

13. How did Czar Peter I increase his power? He made himself head of the Russian Orthodox Church. He controlled peasants more closely. He built up the Russian military and expanded Russia’s borders.

14. Peter the Great

15. Why do you think Catherine the Great was the last of Europe’s major absolute monarchs?

16. Democracy Any system of government in which the people hold power, usually through the vote.

17. Republic A form of government in which the leader is a person, or people, elected by citizens.