Week 16 Notes: 1/4- 1/8
Comparative Systems
• Basic forms of government
– Democracy
– Autocracy
– Oligarchy
– Socialism
– Communism
Democracy
• Qualities of democracy:
– Free and fair elections
– Active participation of citizens in govt.
– Protection of human rights
– Equal application of laws to all
– Majority rule
• Ex. U.S., Europe, much of Asia/Latin America
Democracy
• Total democracy – citizens make all decisions
collectively
– Pro: all voices heard on all issues
– Con: very slow, complicated
– Ex. ancient Greece
• Representative democracy – citizens elect
representatives to make most decisions for them
– Pro: more efficient, less complicated
– Con: everyone may not feel represented
– Ex. all modern democracies
Democracy
• Types of representative democracy:
1. presidential system – executive and legislature elected
separately
• Pros: checks and balances, harder for one party to control
• Cons: gridlock – when nothing gets done in govt because
parties can’t agree
• Ex. U.S., Brazil
Democracy
2. parliamentary system – voters elect legislature,
legislature chooses chief executive
– Pros: executive more accountable, cooperation more
likely
– Cons: one party can push their agenda past minority
groups
– Ex. Britain, Canada, Japan
• Parliamentary democracy
• Presidential democracy
Democracy
• Pros of democracy: people have say, greater
freedom and equality
• Cons: slow, corruptible
Closing
1. Using diagrams or illustrations, show the difference
between:
– Total democracy and representative democracy
– Parliamentary systems and presidential systems
2. In what ways does the United States not fully
measure up to the 5 qualifications for a democracy?
Try to think of at least 2 specific ways.
Autocracy
• Qualities of autocracy:
– 1 authoritarian leader holds all power
– Little to no individual freedom
– Little to no tolerance of dissent
• Ex. North Korea, much of the Middle East, Africa
Autocracy
• Types of autocracy:
– Monarchy: Rule is passed down through a family blood
line
• Ex. Saudi Arabia
• Constitutional monarchy = unelected monarch and elected
legislature share power
– Ex. Jordan
– Fascism: Rule is held by a political party or ideology
• Ex. Nazi Germany
Autocracy
• Pros of autocracy: efficient, stable
• Cons: often violent, little freedom
Oligarchy
• Qualities of an oligarchy:
– Authoritarian power shared by a small group, such
as a single political party
– Little freedom for most citizens
– Little tolerance of dissent
• Ex. China, Russia
Oligarchy
• Types of oligarchy:
– Theocracy: rule by a religious group
• Ex. the Vatican, Iran, Israel
• Pros/Cons similar to an autocracy
Socialism and Communism
• States where govt. exerts significant control over
major industry, & equality is valued over individual
freedom
• Communism: control over all industry
• Socialism: control over major industries such as
transportation and communications
– “communism lite”
Socialism and Communism
• In the modern world:
– Democratic-socialists:
countries with strong
democratic govts and large
social welfare states
• Ex. Denmark, Sweden
– Autocratic-socialists:
countries with socialist
dictatorships
• Ex. Cuba, Venezuela
Socialism and Communism
• Pros: very little economic inequality
• Cons: less freedom, arguably little motivation
for innovation
– For Communism: no proven, functional model
Anarchy
• The lack of a functional govt.
– Govt may exist but is unable or unwilling to provide a
stable rule of law
– Violent, unsafe, corrupt
• Ex. Syria, Somalia