Three forms of Government
5th grade social studies
What is a Monarchy?
• A monarchy has a king, queen, emperor, or empress
• The ruling position can be passed onto heirs
• In some traditional monarchies, the monarch has
absolute power.
• A constitutional monarchy, like in England, has a
democratic government and limits the monarchs
control.
Monarchies Continued
• Queen Elizabeth of England
• King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al
Saud of Saudi Arabia
• King Abdulaziz has absolute
power
What is a Dictatorship?
• A country ruled by a single
leader
• The leader has not been elected
and may use force to keep
control
• Toughest guy who uses bullying • Illegitimate form of government
• Saddam Hussein was
considered the dictator/
president of Iraq
What is a Democracy?
• Democracy is a type of government in which the people of
a country hold the power to rule by electing
representatives. • In modern democracies, the legislature, composed of the
people's representatives, is elected by popular vote
• The executive head of government is either directly elected
by the people, or chosen by the legislature according to the
country's legal procedures. Certain social liberties such as
freedom of speech and political expression, and a free
press are essential precursors to democracy