Africa: Governments
SS7CG1; SS7CG2
Citizen Participation in Govt.
CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
• In each country, the people have different
rights to participate in the government.
– In some countries, any citizen can run for office or
vote in elections.
– In other countries there are restrictions placed on
who can run for office and who can vote.
– There are also countries where no citizen can vote
and there are no elections.
TYPES OF GOVERNMENTS
•Autocratic
•Oligarchic
•Democratic
AUTOCRACY
• Oldest form of government.
• One of the most common forms of government.
• Maintain power through inheritance or ruthless
use of military and police power.
AUTOCRACY
• Has a single ruler with unlimited power.
• Citizens have no ability to participate in
the selection of the ruler or the creation
of laws.
• Positive: Decisions can be made quickly.
• Negative: Needs of the people may be
ignored.
AUTOCRACIES OF THE WORLD
OLIGARCHY
• “Rule by a Few” = country is ruled by a small
group of people.
• Compared to Autocracies, more people are
involved in the decision-making process.
• Citizens still do not participate in the
government.
• Leaders get power through military, wealth,
religion, or social status.
DEMOCRACY
• The people are in charge of the government because
they can VOTE!
• All citizens have the opportunity to be leaders, vote for
leaders, and vote for laws.
• All citizens participate in the decision-making process.
• All groups are represented.
• Negative: May be slow moving because all citizens
must meet together to discuss and vote on issues.
*This is a “Polity Data Series Map”
It tries to measure a country’s true democracy in government.
It gives scores of -10 to +10. The countries in the lightest pink
have the highest democracy score; darker colors have lower
scores.
HOW GOVERNMENTS DETERMINE CITIZEN
PARTICIPATION
High
Participation
Low or No
Participation
Low or No
Participation
AUTOCRACY
OLIGARCHY
DEMOCRACY
Parliamentary vs. Presidential
Democracy
• PARLIAMENTARY:
– Legislative and Executive Branches are the same.
– Power is in the Parliament.
– People elect Parliament; Parliament elects leaders.
• PRESIDENTIAL:
– Legislative and Executive Branches are separate.
– Power is divided between Federal and State
governments.
– People elect both the Legislative and Executive Branch
leadership.