Governments of the Middle East Study Guide Answers
Government Systems
1. What is the difference between a Federal and Unitary government structure? In a unitary
system the central authority decides how and to whom decision making power will be
given. Unitary DOES NOT MEAN the country has a dictator or is autocratic or oligarchic.
In a federal system, the power to make those kinds of decisions is shared.
2. What is purpose of OPEC? They decide how much petroleum to produce which controls
the price, based on supply and demand.
3. What type of government structure/system is OPEC? Confederation- NO COUNTRY HAS A
CONFEDERATION AS THEIR SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT.
4. Unitary, Confederation, or Federal?
a. Israel _UNITARY____
b. Iran ___UNITARY________
c. Saudi Arabia ____UNITARY_____
5. What type of government allows ALL qualified citizens to elect (vote for) their leaders? A
DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT/DEMOCRACY (DEMOS=PEOPLE)
6. When a citizen INDIRECTLY elects the leader of their country, WHO do they elect (VOTE
FOR)? LEGISLATURE
7. What type of government is described in #6? PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY
8. When a citizen DIRECTLY elects the leader of their country, what type of government is it?
PRESIDENTIAL DEMOCRACY
9. In which type of government, does a small group of a ‘few’ citizens make decisions or have
any type of role in government? OLIGARCHY/OLIGARCHIC
10. How are the members of the small group usually decided on? USUALLY RELATED TO THEIR
POLITICAL PARTY (COMMUNISTS) OR RELIGION (IRAN)
11. How is a democratic government different than a oligarchic one? IN A DEMOCRATIC
GOVERNMENT ALL CITIZENS HAVE POWER AND IN AN OLIGARCHY ONLY A SMALL GROUP DOES
(OLI=FEW)
12. Another name for the parliament is__LEGISLATURE______________.
13. What are the two types of democratic governments? PARLIAMENTARY & PRESIDENTIAL
14. What is the difference between the two types of democratic governments from #13? IN A
PRESIDENTIAL DEMOCRACY CITIZENS ACTUALLY VOTE DIRECTLY FOR THE LEADER AND THE
LEGISLATURE SEPERATELY; IN A PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY, THEY ONLY VOTE FOR THE
LEGISLATURE. THE LEGISLATURE ELECTS THE PRIME MINISTER/LEADER BASED ON THE
MAJORITY PARTY THAT WAS ELECTED.
15. What is the form of leadership in Israel? _PRIME MINISTER______
16. Two words that describe the State of Israel are _PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY
17. Two words that describe Saudi Arabia are ABSOLUTE MONARCHY.
18. How does the leader of Israel come to power? CHOSEN BY THE POLITICAL PARTY WITH THE
MOST MEMBERS ELECTED TO THE PARLIAMENT.
19. How does the leader of Saudi Arabia come to power? HE INHERITS HIS POSITION
20. How does the leader of Iran come to power? THE PRESIDENT IS ELECTED BY POPULAR
VOTE, THE SUPREME LEADER IS APPOINTED FOR LIFE
21. What is similar about the governments of Iran and Saudi Arabia? THEY ARE BOTH
THEOCRACIES
22. Place Iran, Israel, and Saudi Arabia on the continuum based on the personal freedoms of the
citizens.
Free
Partly Free
ISRAEL
Not Free
IRAN
SAUDI ARABIA