Type of Government
1) Dictatorship
▬ Leader wears military uniforms and takes
and keeps power through brutal force
▬ Elections, if held, are not conducted fairly
(100% of popular vote)
▬ Example: Saddam Hussein in Iraq
Dictatorship
Former dictator of Iraq:
Saddam Hussein
Current dictator of
Cuba: Fidel Castro
Type of Government
2) Monarchy
▬ Leader is part of royal family and inherits
power
▬ Today can exist within another government,
but monarch has no power (i.e. modern
queen of England)
▬ Example: King George III of England
Monarchy
Former King George III
of England
Current Queen
Elizabeth of England
Type of Government
3) Oligarchy
▬ Small group of leaders are determined by
wealth or social position
▬ The majority of citizens are not members of
the powerful group
▬ Example: Communist Party in China
Oligarchy
Type of Government
4) Representative Democracy
▬ People vote for someone who is elected to
make decisions for people
▬ Example: United States
4) Representative Democracy
People of Baltimore
Voted
And Elected Stephanie
Rawlings-Blake to
Represent Them
Type of Government
5) Direct Democracy
▬ People vote on every issue themselves,
which is pretty unrealistic today
▬ Example: Massachusetts Town Hall
Meeting
5) Direct Democracy
Can you figure out what specific type of
government goes with each major type?
Next slide will provide you with information
about Authoritarian (Totalitarian) and
Democratic Governments
Write down Authoritarian Govt and
Democratic Govt in notebook
Read the information shown and place the
specific types (dictatorship, monarchy,
oligarchy, representative democracy, direct
democracy) where you think they belong
based on the criteria
Which types go in each category?
Authoritarian
Government (also
known as Totalitarian)
-Provides
the LEAST
citizen influence
-Govt has absolute or
unlimited power
-Citizens have no
individual freedoms
(controlled and censored)
Democratic
Government
-Provide
the MOST
citizen influence
-Govt has limited powers
outlined in Constitution
-Citizens have individual
rights, such as voting
and free speech
Which types go in each category?
Authoritarian
Government (also
known as Totalitarian)
-Dictatorship
-Monarchy
-Oligarchy
Democratic
Government
-Representative
Democracy
-Direct Democracy
Democratic
Authoritarian
Advantages
-We have rights
-We have freedoms;
speech, religion, press
-No dictator – we can
vote, we can change
leaders if you don’t like
how one has done
-If you’re friends with the
dictator or you are the dictator,
it can be a good life
-Strong military, dictator is
strongly in control
-Safe if you keep to yourself;
not much crime
Disadvantages
-Things take a lot of time
-Everyone gets a say and
we have to work out our
decisions
-People can hold up
change by voting “no”
-Dictators can do whatever they
want
-No “rule of law”
-Average people have limited
access to food
-No freedom, no rights
Review Types of Government
Slide # 1
• What category is this?
• What is life like here?
• What specific type of
government is this?
• How did you know?
Slide # 2
“Country is
dominated by
1% of the
population
who control
95% of all
goods and
resources”
• What category is this?
• What is life like here?
• What specific type of
government is this?
• How did you know?
Slide # 3
• What category is this?
• What is life like here?
• What specific type of
government is this?
• How did you know?
Slide # 4
“Towns People
Gather to Vote
on New Park
Being Built”
• What category is this?
• What is life like here?
• What specific type of
government is this?
• How did you know?
Slide # 5
• What category is this?
• What is life like here?
• What specific type of
government is this?
• How did you know?