Who Rules????Government Notes

What is government???When people decide to form the social

contracts we call government they make many different decisions about what their government will look and be like.

Who has the power and who gets to participate?

Who has the power?

How is power distributed within a:

UnitaryConfederationFederal

Who gets to participate?

What is the role of a citizen in the various types of government?

AutocraticOligarchicDemocratic

Major types of governmentsAnarchyCommunistRepublicDemocracyDictatorshipMonarchy

What does it mean…Part of Word Meaning

Arch Root Chief, most important

Mon-(mono) Prefix One, single

-cracy Suffix Rule or government by

Theo- Prefix God

Demo- Prefix People

-cratic Suffix A person who takes part in government

Auto- Prefix Self

Olig- from the Greek Oligos

Prefix A few or a little

This + That =Put it all together meaning

Monarchy Mon + arch Single + chief/ruler

Democracy Demo + cracy Government by the people

Theocracy Theo + cracy Rule by god

Oligarchy Olig + arch Government by a few

AnarchyThere is NO governmentThis can happen after a civil war in a

country, when a government has been destroyed and rival groups are fighting to take its place.

Anarchists are people who believe that government is a bad thing in that it stops people organizing their own lives.

Example: Rwanda during the 1994 genocide.

Communist

A system of government in which the state controls the economy.

A single party holds all the powerHead is usually a dictator.Citizens have no rights or voice in

government. They are often even told where to work and how much to get paid.

Examples: Russia prior to 1990, China today

Republic

A form of government in which people rule through elected representatives.

Citizens have a very active role in government through elections and help to make governmental decisions.

Examples: USA

Democracy

Any form of government in which political power is exercised by all citizens either directly or through their elected representatives.

There are two types of democracy:Parliamentary and PresidentialThe main difference between the two is

the relationship between the legislative and executive branches.

Parliamentary DemocracyThe legislature, parliament, controls the

power.Parliament is made up of representatives

(elected by the people).Prime Minister (head of government) is

chosen by the majority party within the legislature and answers to the legislature (fusion of power).

Israel is an example of a Parliamentary Democracy.

Presidential DemocracyExecutive and legislative branches

are separate bodies elected by citizens(separation of powers).

There are checks and balances where each can overrule the other.

The president is elected by and answers to the voter not the legislature.

Difference between Democracy and a Republic…A republic is a representative form of government

that is ruled according to a charter, or constitution. Democracy is a government that is ruled according

to the will of the majority (more than 50 percent).The main difference between a republic and a

democracy is the charter or constitution that limits the power of the republic, often to protect the individual’s rights against the desires of the majority. In a true democracy, the majority rules in all cases, regardless of any consequences for individuals or for those who are not the majority on an issue.

Autocracy

A form of government in which political power is controlled by one individual such as a monarch, dictator, or emperor, etc.

MonarchyRuled by kings, queens, princes, princesses…

sometimes by other names but always MONARCHS!!!

Two typesAbsolute: example – Saudi Arabia (very rare to

have an absolute monarchy today).Constitutional: example – Bahrain. A system of

government in which the power is shared between the monarchy and an elected branch of government.

Head of the government is usually the head of the elected branch…usually the monarch serves a more symbolic role.

DictatorshipIn a dictatorship, power is not inherited, but

is acquired by force (military or political).Dictators have absolute control over the

lives of their citizens and usually people are not allowed to voice their negative opinions.

North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, is considered a dictator.

Oligarchy“Rule by a few”Power can be based on several things: Military strength = military juntaFamily power = AristocracyReligious control = Theocratic

OligarchyOligarchies can often come from or lead to other forms of government (like autocracies).

Theocracy“Theo” means “god” in Greek… so if a

government is THEO-cratic that means it is rule by… A god or higher power.

Leaders (autocratic or oligarchic) are usually religious leaders and society uses religious law to settle its disputes.

Example: The Islamic Republic of Iran is a modern theocracy that uses the holy Islamic book, the Qur’an, as its guide.