Southern & Eastern AsiaGovernment

SS7CG7a. Compare and contrast the federal republic of The Republic of India, the communist state of The People’s Republic of China, and the constitutional monarchy of Japan, distinguishing the form of leadership and the role of the

citizen in terms of voting rights and personal freedoms.

Use the Governments of Southern & Eastern Asia chart to take notes

Republic - form of government in which power is explicitly

vested in the people, who in turn exercise their power

through elected representatives.

India

The Republic of India has a parliamentary

system of government.

Structure of Government:

India

Form of Leadership:

India• The President is the head (chief) of state and

is elected by an electoral college to a 5-year term

• The Prime Minister is the head of the government and the head of the majority party of the legislative branch (and head of the cabinet).

Role of the Citizen:

India• Parliament is divided into two

houses. The “House of the People” is elected by Indian citizens. The “Council of States” is elected by the “House of the People”.

• All citizens 18 and over may vote for their legislators

Personal Freedoms:

India• Other than voting, the Indian constitution

also gives citizens the freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom of religion

• Indians are given the right to conserve their language and culture and to establish schools to teach about their cultures

http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/humanrightsreport/index.htm#wrapper

Federal Republic of India

India has 28 states and seven union territories that have the independence to

settle problems of law and order

*This is already typed on your table in the other column*

(individual states in India are more tightly controlled by the central government than states in the U.S.)

Based on the information about India, turn to a seat partner and answer the following questions

on your notes:

1. How does the government distribute power: unitary, confederation, or federal. Provide evidence for your answer.

2. How does the government determine citizen participation: autocratic, oligarchic, or democratic. If democratic, identify which type. Provide evidence for your answer.

China

The Communist state of the People’s

Republic of China

Structure of Government:

China

Structure of Government:

China• A communist state in theory is when all means

of production are owned in common, rather than by individuals. In practice, a single authoritarian party controls both the political and economic systems.

• Although China is called a republic, true power lies with the ruling Communist Party (Chinese Communist Party the CCP)

Form of leadership:

China• The President is the head of state and is

elected by the National People’s Congress (China’s legislature)

• The Premier is the head of government and is the head of the ruling party, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

• The State Council, which functions as a cabinet, is appointed by the National People’s Congress.

Role of the Citizen:

China• The communist constitution gives rights

to Chinese citizens, including the right to vote for every person over the age of 18.

• However, these rights are meaningless because in communist China the actions of citizens are dictated by the government.

Role of the Citizen:

China

For example, Chinese citizens have the right to vote, but only for candidates of the

CCP. These candidates when elected have little power because high-ranking officials appointed by the government

make the decisions.

Personal Freedoms:

China• China’s communist government has a history

of violating the personal freedoms of its citizens by denying them freedom of speech, freedom of worship, and even safety from physical harm and political persecution.

• Recently, China has begun to make efforts to better protect its citizens’ personal freedoms.

http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/humanrightsreport/index.htm#wrapper

China

China has 23 provinces which have provincial People’s

Congresses. However, only CCP approved candidates

may be elected.*This is already typed on your table in the other column*

China’s official name is The People’s Republic of China. Based

on our earlier definition of a republic and your knowledge now of China’s system of government,

why is this name inaccurate?

Based on the information about China, turn to a seat partner and answer the following questions

on your notes:

1. How does the government distribute power: unitary, confederation, or federal. Provide evidence for your answer.

2. How does the government determine citizen participation: autocratic, oligarchic, or democratic. If democratic, identify which type. Provide evidence for your answer.

Japan

Constitutional Monarchy that follows a

parliamentary system of government

Structure of Government:

Japan

Structure of Government:

Japan

After World War II, Japan worked with Western powers to establish a new

constitution that preserved the traditional empire of Japan while creating a

modern system of democracy

Form of leadership:

Japan• Japan is a constitutional monarchy because the

power of the Emperor is very limited. As a ceremonial figurehead, he is defined by the constitution as "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people.“

• Therefore, the Emperor is the head of state.• The Prime Minister is the head of government

that is elected by the Diet (Japan’s legislature)

Role of the Citizen: Japan

• The Prime Minister is also the leader of the majority party of the House of Representatives (one of the two houses of the Diet)

• Japanese citizens elect members of the House of Representatives

• Japanese citizens have the right to vote after the age of 20.

Personal Freedoms: Japan

• The constitution established rights and personal freedoms for Japanese citizens including freedom of speech, freedom of religion, equal rights for women, and equal education.

• The constitution renounces war as a method of solving problems in Japan and prohibits Japan from having a military.

Constitutional Monarchy of Japan

Japan has 47 Prefectures (Japan’s word for states), but they do not have any independent authority. Instead,

they carry out the laws and policies of the national government.

*This is already typed on your table in the other column*

Based on the information about Japan, turn to a seat partner and answer the following questions

on your notes:

1. How does the government distribute power: unitary, confederation, or federal. Provide evidence for your answer.

2. How does the government determine citizen participation: autocratic, oligarchic, or democratic. If democratic, identify which type. Provide evidence for your answer.

The next few slides are going to show different images. Your task

is to identify which country or countries the image could

represent. You must include an explanation for your choices.

1.

2.

3.

4.

4.

5.

Constitution

6.

7.