Political Understandings
of Europe
SS6CG4: The student will compare and contrast various forms of
government.
SS6CG5: The student will explain the structure of modern European
governments.
What is government?
• Definition: The system or form by which a community or
other political unit is governed. The study of government of
states and other political units. The organization that is the
governing authority of a political unit.
• Legislators (law-makers)
• Administrators
• Control a state/country
• Organization
• How state policy is enforced
• To govern
• To manage
Different governments
• Aristocracy
• Autocracy
• Communist state
• Confederation
• Democracy
• Empire
• Federation
• Monarchy
• Oligarchy
• Parliamentary state
• Presidential
• Republic
• Theocracy
• Tyranny
Forms of government in the world
What do you recognize about the types of
government all over the world?
UNITARY
• Single national government has all the power.
• There is no state or local government independent of the
national government.
Unitary
Ways Government Distributes Power
Regional
Regional
Authority
Authority
Central
Authority
Regional
Regional
Authority
Authority
List of Unitary States
Italy
Poland
Portugal
Spain
Ukraine
United Kingdom
CONFEDERATIONS
• Made up of state governments or provinces.
• Loose alliance between them.
• Most of the power rests with the state governments or
provinces.
• The national government has some power, but not as much as
the states.
Confederation
Ways Government Distributes Power
Regional
Authority
Regional
Authority
Central
Authority
Regional
Authority
Regional
Authority
List of ConfederationsToday
• European Union and OPEC (Organization of Petroleum
Exporting Countries)
FEDERAL
• Have a strong national government that shares power with
smaller state governments.
• Most of the power is in the hands of the national government,
but some authority is reserved for the states.
• The United States has a federal form of government.
• The federal (national) government shares power with fifty
state governments.
Federation / Federal
Ways Government Distributes Power
Regional
Regional
Authority
Authority
Central
Authority
Regional
Regional
Authority
Authority
List of countries with Federal Governments (24)
BELGIUM
GERMANY
RUSSIA
SPAIN
UNITED STATES
Federal government 3 branches
Ways Government Distributes Power
All key powers
are held by the
central
government
Unitary
Strong central
government
State/regional
authorities
hold most of
the power
Federal
Confederation
Weaker central
government
Questions—Power and how it is
distributed?
On a blank piece of paper #1-6 and write Unitary,
Confederation, or Federal for your answer. Spell out the word
1. In this form of government power is shared with smaller
governments (provinces/states).
2. In this form of government the power is in the smaller state
governments or provinces.
3. This type of government is where you would most likely see a
dictatorship.
4. In this type of government most of the power is in the hands of the
national government, but some power is reserved for the states.
5. In this type of government the national government has all the
power?
6. In this type of government there is no state or local government
independent of the national government.
How government systems
distribute power
• A unitary government does NOT distribute
power
• A confederation’s power is with the state
governments or provinces.
• A federal government shares power with
smaller states.
Sample test question
In Nigeria’s government, power is divided
between Central and regional authorities.
This is an example of which government
type?
A. Unitary
B. Confederation
C. Federal
D. Parliamentary
How governments determine
citizen participation
• Autocracies-Ruled by a dictator
• Oligarchies-Ruled by a small group
• Democracies-Citizens have a voice in their government
Autocracies(Autocracy)
•
•
•
•
•
Ruled by a dictator
Citizens do not have much say
Ruler usually do what he/she wants
Does not need the approval of the people
Leaders rule until they die, are overthrown, or decide to resign
from office
• Many rule for year, or even decades.
Speaking of dictators…
World's 13 deadliest dictators
Oligarchies (Oligarchy)
• Governments that are ruled by a small group
• Elite families, military officers, religious leaders and/or
members of the upper class
• Have a say in how the government is run
• Citizens who are outside the ruling group have very little to
say
Democracies (Democracy)
• Citizens have a voice in their government
• Citizens elect leaders and often get to vote on laws
• If the people do not like their leaders, they can vote to replace
them
• Many people think the United States is a democracy, but it is a
REPUBLIC (If anything the United States is a Federal
Presidential Constitutional Republic)—NOT a democracy
• People of ALL classes who are qualified citizens are allowed to
vote and have a say in their government
Practice questions
Who of the following would be the head of government in an
autocracy?
A. President
B. Dictator
C. Prime Minister
D. Members of the upper class
Practice questions
Steven lives in a country where one national government has all
the power. It sounds like Steven lives under which form of
government?
A. Unitary
B. Federation
C. Confederation
D. State
Forms of Democratic
Government
• Parliamentary Democracy
• Presidential Democracy
Parliamentary Democracy
• Most of the power rests with the legislative body or
parliament
• The parliament selects government ministers
• The parliament elects a prime minister who serves as both the
leader of the legislature and the nation’s head of government.
• Role of the citizens?
• Have a say through parliamentary elections
• Elect members of parliament who will then choose government
leaders
• There is often a head of state (King or Queen) but they have
very little power.
Presidential Democracy
• Power is divided between the legislature and an executive,
usually called the president
• Role of the citizens?
• People elect their legislators and the president separately
• The president and the legislature have different powers and
they work together, but neither has authority over the other.
Practice question
Which of the following is the best description of a prime
minister?
A. An executive independent of the legislative branch
B. An autocratic ruler
C. The leader of an elite ruling class
D. A head of government elected by members of a legislature