Answer Document
Unitary Government pg 134-135
Who has the power? Central government has ALL of the power
How is power distributed to local governments? The central government has the choice of sharing
power, but it can be taken back at ANY time!
What country in Europe has a unitary government?
France
Federal Government- pg 134-135
Who has the power? Power is divided EQUALLY between the central and local government
What does the constitution explain? The responsibilities of the central and local government
Can the central government take back power from the local government? NO!!! THEY ARE EQUAL!
What country in Europe has a Federal government? Germany
What is the Basic Law? The constitution in Germany
Confederation- pg134-135
Who has the power? The local governments that choose to come together. ALL members are equal.
Can a confederation ever be just one country or state? NO!! It must be a group that comes together!
Why does a confederation come together? To work on a common problem/issues. They believe that
together they will accomplish more than alone.
How is membership obtained? (voluntary, mandatory?) VOLUNTARY!!! NO ONE can be forced.
Complete the chart pg136
Type of Rule
Autocratic
=
Automatic
Oligarchic
=
Olive Garden
Democratic
=
FREEDOM!
1 single ruler
Who holds the
power?
Unlimited power
for the ruler
Small group of
people
Group only
answers to each
other
Citizens of the
country
The voters
Who can be
elected?
No one- citizens
have no choice in
selecting a ruler
No one outside
the ruling group
Any citizen (some
restrictions)
Who can vote?
No citizen
participation- no
elections are held
No citizen
participationleaders choose
from within the
ruling group
Any citizen (some
restrictions)
Citizen Participation
In which types of government do citizens have no voting rights? Autocratic
An autocracy puts the power of the government into the hands of whom? A single person
How can autocratic rulers come to power? Through their bloodline
Describe how decisions are made in an oligarchic government. A small group of people make the
choices. They do not ask for decisions from an outside group!
Parliamentary and Presidential Democracy 137-138
Which type of democracy is most common in Europe? Parliamentary
Describe the role of a monarch. They are a king or queen who is a figure head. They have no real
power.
Who is the leader of parliamentary democracy? Prime Minister
Who is the leader of a presidential democracy? President
What person in Germany is most like a prime minster? Chancellor
Who selects the prime minister? Parliament
How are the prime minister and president alike? The leader heads the military and runs the government
What house has the most power in a parliamentary system? The House of Commons
To be a prime minister, a person must first be elected to what governing body? The House of Commons
United Kingdom pg 139
What type of government system is found here? Parliamentary democracy
What are the two lawmaking bodies? House of Lords and House of Commons
Explain the role of the monarch? (yes, again  ) They are a king or queen who is a figure head. They
have no real power.
Which house has the most power? (remember, reversed from what one would think?!) House of
COMMONS!
How is the prime minister appointed? The leader of the political party with the most members in the
House of Commons becomes PM.
What is the prime minister’s job? They are the head of the government and make the decisions for the
government on a day-to-day basis.
Describe the rights of the citizens. Citizens in the United Kingdom have many of the person freedoms
like the United States.
Federal System of Germany pg 140
What two houses are the German parliament made up of? Bundestag and Bundesrat
Which is the most powerful house? Bundestag
What is the name of the constitution in Germany? The Basic Law
Explain the rights of the citizens. People have freedom and are viewed equal in the eyes of the law.
They are a welfare state. This means the government guarantees people certain benefits when they are
unemployed, poor, sick, disabled, or old.
Russia pg 141
Who is the head of the state? How are they elected? The president, who is elected by the people.
The federal assembly is divided into what TWO parts? Federation Council and State Duma
What is the job of the Federation Council? They approve the president’s choices of people to fill
different government jobs.
What is the job of the State Duma? They control the budget and make the laws.
Which of these two has the most members? The State Duma, 450 members
European Union&**** Example of a confederation pg 142
How many countries are part of the European Union? 27
What is the purpose of the EU? The members work together for advantages that would be out of their
reach if each were working alone.
Why do they believe it is better to work together? They believe they are a more powerful force in the
world because they involve more people and money.
What currency did the EU create? Euro
What currency does the United Kingdom have? British Pound
What does the EU work to improve? Trade, education, industry, and farming