Classifications of Governments
• Unitary System, Federal System, and Confederacy.
• Autocracy, Oligarchy, and Democracy.
• Characteristics of a Democracy.
Geographical Distribution
of Power
Where is the power to govern
located?
Unitary System
• Unitary System-the
power to govern is
given to the national
or central government.
• Example - Great
Britain, Italy, and
France developed
unitary governments
as they emerged from
smaller kingdoms.
Federal System
• Federal System - the
power to govern is
shared between the
national, state, and
local levels.
• Example - The U.S.
after the 13 colonies
became states through
today.
Confederacy
• Confederacy - A loose
organization of
independent states
held together by a
weak central
government.
• Example - The U.S.
before the Constitution
and the South during
the Civil War.
Who has the power to
govern?
Autocracy
• Autocracy - any
system of government
in which the power
and authority to rule
are in the hands of a
single individual.
• Historically, this is
maintained by the
ruthless use of military
or police power.
Autocracy
• 1)Totalitarian
Dictatorship - a single
leader seeks to control
all aspects of social
and economic life.
• Examples - Adolf
Hitler, Joseph Stalin,
and Fidel Castro.
Autocracy
• 2)Monarchy - A king,
queen, or emperor
exercises the supreme
powers of
government.
• Positions are usually
inherited.
Autocracy - Monarchy
• A)Absolute
Monarchy-Monarchs
have complete and
unlimited power to
rule their
people.
• Ex. King of Saudi
Arabia, today they are
rare but they ruled
Western Europe from
1400s-1700s
Autocracy - Monarchy
• B)Constitutional
Monarchy - Monarch
shares government
powers with elected
legislature.
• Serves mainly as
ceremonial leaders of
their governments.
Oligarchy
• Oligarchy - any system
of government in which
a small group holds the
power.
• Example - Communist
China. As in
dictatorships, oligarchies
usually suppress all
political oppositionsometimes ruthlessly.
Democracy
• Democracy - any
system of government
in which rule is by the
people.
• Lincoln described it
as, "government of the
people, by the people,
and for the people."
Democracy
• 1)Direct Democracy-the people govern themselves by
voting on issues individually as citizens.
• No country has a government based on direct democracy.
Democracy
• 2)Representative Democracy - the people elect
representatives and give them the power to make laws
and conduct government.
• This is considered to be the most efficient way to ensure
the rights of the individual citizen.
Republic
• Republic - voters hold sovereign power.
Elected representatives who are responsible
to the people exercise that power.
• The terms representative democracy and
republic mean basically the same thing.
Characteristics of a
Democracy
Individual Liberty
• Individual Liberty-all
people are as free as
possible. People have
equal opportunity to
develop their talents.
Majority Rule with Minority
Rights
• Majority Rule with
Minority Rights-To
protect from the
'tyranny of the
majority.' This is to
insure that the rights
of the minority will be
protected. Why is it
difficult to maintain
this?
Free Elections
• Free Elections-Free
and open elections to
choose their leaders
and voice their
opinions on various
issues.
Competing Political Parties
• Competing Political
Parties-This is to give
voters choice among
candidates.
Free Enterprise
• Free Enterprisethe population
and businesses
control their
economic
decisions.
John F. Kennedy stated one of democracy’s basic
ideals when he said, “Ask not what your country
can do for you; ask what you can do for your
country.”
What can you do for your country
now and in the future?