Introduction to Government and
Forms of Government
a powerpoint of revolutionary proportions!!!
Group Talk
Brainstorm:
>>> list types of governments that you know or have heard of.
Q: Is there one form of government that is better
than all others, or does it depend on the
situation? (make an argument)
What is government?

Definition- Institution
through which a
society makes and
enforces its public
policies.
What is the “state” in which a
government exists?
A body of people, living in a defined
territory, organized politically.
 It has the power to make and enforce law
without the consent of any higher authority.
 Must have (1) population, (2) territory, (3)
sovereignty and a form of (4) government.

What is political power?



Power is the ability
of one person to
get another person
to act according to
their intentions.
Who will hold government
office?
What will (US federal)
government do ? (what
actions will it take?)
Mary Fallin –Current Governor of
Oklahoma!!!
More about Political Power


People who use political power may or may not
have the authority to do so.
Authority is the right to use power. Formal
authority is the right to exercise power that is
vested in a government office (i.e. president, senator,
federal judge…).
Legitimacy is political
authority conferred by law or
by a state/national constitution.

(i.e. U.S. Constitution).
Division(Separation) of Powers
3 Ways to Classify Forms of
Government

(1) Who can participate in government?

(2) Where is government power
geographically located?

(3) Who rules?
(1) Who Can Participate?
2 Basic Forms to consider:

Democracy
Compromise

Dictatorship
Is there any truth to this?
(b) Dictatorship
“Oldest,” most common
form of government
 Rulers are not held
responsible to the will of the people




Autocracy – single person holds unlimited power
Oligarchy – the power to rule is held by a small,
usually self-appointed elite
Examples: Fascist Italy (1922-1943), Nazi Germany (1933-1945),
Soviet Union (1917-late 1980s), People’s Republic of China (1949 to
present)
(2) Who has the power?

Where is it located geographically?

3 basic forms of
government:
(a) Unitary
 (b) Federal
 (c) Confederation

Why do people go to Washington D.C. to march?
(a) Unitary Government: Centrally Located
Centralized Government – all powers
held by government belong to a single,
central (national) agency
 Local units of government are only
created at the convenience of the national
government and lack real power

Example: Britain’s
parliament!!!
(b) Federal Government: Divide it Up!
Powers are divided
between a …
Other Examples:
Australia, Canada,
Mexico, Switzerland,
Germany, India
(world’s largest)…
Greatest Example:
USA! USA! USA!
central
government
AND
Several state and
local
governments.
(c) Confederate Government: Totally Weak!
 Alliance
of independent states
 CG
has Limited powers that states
assign
 Rare
today
Kind of Example: European Union (1993-present)
- Free trade, common currency (except
stubborn Brits), and attempts to coordinate
members’ foreign and defense policies

American Examples: U.S. under the Articles of
Confederation (1781-1789) and the Confederate
States of America (1861-1865)

Location of Power: Geography
**Central**
“
**State**
**Local**
***Central***
**State**
State
**Local**
**States**
**States**
Central
Local
(3) Who rules?

Is it…
(a) the legislative
(parliamentary) or
(b) the executive
(presidential)?
(b) Parliamentary Government
Executive branch = prime minister/premier + cabinet =
All are members of the legislative branch(parliament)
So, they perform both functions.
 Prime minister is leader of the majority party and is thus chosen
by the legislature, and subject to its direct control
 Executive remains in office as long as they have support of
parliamentary majority
 “Vote of no confidence” causes prime minister to resign then a
new government must be formed!
Example: Britain /most other democracies

+++Advantages - Avoids conflict and deadlock of presidential
governments
(a) Presidential Government




Separation of powers between
the executive and legislative
branches = independent,
coequal
Chief executive (president) is
chosen independently of
legislature (Citizens VOTE),
holds office for fixed term, and
has some independent powers
Separation of powers is usually
spelled out in a written
constitution .
Branches can block other
branches (Cks/Balances)
The Roman Republic: 1st Senate!






Open forum debate.
Political Elite
Council of 500 included
the poor.
US Senate patterned
after
****Representative
lawmaking***.
Ben Franklin “Gentlemen,
we have ourselves a
Republic.”
Roman Republic:
Best society promotes “the common good”.
 Common good achieved by good citizens.
 Citizens must share 3 characteristics:
1) Civic virtue
2) public education
3)small, uniform communities
Natural Rights necessary for citizens to govern themselves included : right to
vote; freedom to assemble, and open debate.

Roman Empire: The Senate
Was the Republic truly
Representative of the people???
Athenian Demokratis Peaks 400 BC
All freedmen are
citizens.
Any citizens could
attend Assembly,
introduce laws, speak
or vote (suffrage).
“Polis” = city state
The Philosophers:
Socrates (469-399 BC)
Plato (429-347 BC)
Aristotle(384-322 BC)
The Polis (city-state)

Developed in many places into 2 levels:



(1) the Acropolis (high city) featuring great marble temples
dedicated to different gods and goddesses
(2) Flatter ground below lay the walled main city with its
marketplace, theatre, public buildings, and homes
Small city-states helped citizens (free male landowners) share a
sense of responsibility
The Acropolis
at Athens…
today
the Acropolis at Athens… today
Philosophers: Lovers of Wisdom
Rational thinking (logic) to understand the
universe
 Debated morality, ethics, and the best kind
of government…
3 significant philosophers:

1. Socrates
2. Plato
3. Aristotle
Socrates
• “The unexamined life is not
worth living”
 Socratic Dialogue
 Questioned assumptions,
accepted values
 At 70, put on trial for
“corrupting city’s youth and
failing to respect gods” by
jury of 501 citizens
 Accepted death penalty of
drinking poisonous hemlock
 Died for his beliefs
Plato

The Republic sets up his ideal
of Just Society



Rejected democracy (mob rule)
b/c of excesses (i.e. Socrates
death)
State should regulate every aspect
of citizens’ life in their best interest
3 classes (first 2 are guardian
classes):



Workers (produce necessities)
Soldiers (defend state)
Philosophers (to rule in best
interest)



Philosopher-King with Ultimate
Authority
Men and women equal in some
sense
State child care, no families
Aristotle

One of brightest students at
Plato’s Academy.
Studied there
for 20 yrs until Plato’s death.




Most often quoted Greek
philosopher
His work was the basis for the
Scientific method used today.
Opened the Lyceum , rivaled
Plato’s Academy.
Came close to summarizing all
the knowledge up to his time.
(a) Democracy
Popular sovereignty
 supreme political authority lies with
the people; the people are
sovereign
Athenian Democracy
 DEMOS= People
 KRATOS= Rule

2 types of Democracy:
 Direct- (Polis/Greece)
 Representative(Republican)
Rome
>> Founders later called it rule by
“Philosopher Kings” (Intellectual
rulers).
Classical Influences on the
Founding fathers
Roman Republic
Representative Republic
Virtuous Citizens
Senate
Open Forum
Vigorous Debate
Problem: Slavery/ Inequality
Ancient Greek(Athenian)
Direct Democracy
Popular sovereignty
Philosopher kings
Plato, Aristotle, Socrates
Suffrage
Referendum
Problem: Lack of Diversity, size
Why Ancient Greece?
Why Ancient Rome?
(1) They have
written history
 (2) Founders
looked to Ancient
Greece in writing
Constitution
 (3)Founders liked

idea of scholars as
leaders “philosopher
kings”.



(1) They promote civic
virtue. Favor rep.
govt- natural rights.
(2) Founders looked
to Rome to construct
Legislature.
(3) Founders like
public education, the
common good, a
moral society
supports a stable
gov’t.
What kind of government did
the Framers prefer?

The Framers of the
Constitution strongly
favored representative
government. Republic
Why?

They thought most citizens did
not have the time, information,
interest, or expertise to make
reasonable choices among
competing policy positions!
Is a direct democracy
impractical today?

Am Stu Stops Here….
Who REALLY has the power in a
Democracy ? (unofficial answer)

How is political power distributed in the
U.S.’s representative democracy?

4 Popular Theories:
 (1)
Marxist View
 (2) Power Elitist View
 (3) Bureaucratic View
 (4) Pluralist View
(a) Marxist View
Even Democratic governments
merely reflect(mirror) underlying
Economic forces. IOW- Moneymakers
call the shots.

Capitalists (bourgeoise) and workers
(proletariat) contend for power.(Class wars)
 Who really rules?: For Capitalists - “big
business” and “multinational corporations”

Q:Any evidence of this in US today????
Marxist View
What is this cartoon
saying?
What would Marxists
think about this cartoon?
(b) Power Elite View
Sociologist C. Wright Mills

Who really rules?: A few top leaders,
mostly outside of government and enjoy
great advantages in wealth, status, or
organizational position – thus, corporate
leaders, top military officials, handful of
elected officials... A democratic Oligarchy?
(c) Bureaucratic View
Who really rules?: Appointed officials - career
government workers (bureaucrats) exercise vast
power by deciding how to translate public laws
into administrative actions.
 Bureaucrats do not
simply implement public policies, but
they effectively make them as suits
their own ideas and interests.

Sociologist Max Weber
(d) Pluralist View
(No conspiracy, just conflicting interests…)

While pluralist theorists
do not go so far as to say
that resources are
distributed equally (on a
majoritarian basis), they
DO assert that
competition among all
affected interests shapes
public policy.
The End