Governments of India, China,
and Japan
GPS and E.Q.
GPS: S7CG7a. Compare and contrast the federal
republic of The Republic of India, the communist
state of The People’s Republic of China, and the
constitutional monarchy of Japan, distinguishing
the form of leadership and the role of the citizen
in terms of voting rights and personal freedoms.
E.Q.: How do the governments of India, China,
and Japan compare?
Vocabulary
• Republic: type of government in which elected
individuals make decisions for the people
• Secular: favors no special religion
• Communism: government controls all the country’s
decisions
• Constitutional monarchy: government with a king or
emperor whose power is limited b a constitution.
• Bicameral – 2 house parliament
• Untouchables: lowest caste in India; social outcasts.
भारत गणराज्य
The Republic of India
Bharat Ganrajya
• Anthem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HReDR6Zw0pc
• India became independent in 1947, after
247 years of British rule.
• India modeled its government after Great
Britain’s and became the world’s largest
democracy.
• The Indian constitution was adopted in
1950; it guarantees all citizens basic
rights.
Where Parliament
is held
Where the
President lives
• Even untouchables and women were
granted voting rights.
• Indian law requires women and untouchables to
be allowed to run for office.
vice president and untouchable, 1996
• Today some untouchables are elected
government officials, and several women have
been elected prime minister (Indira Gandhi was
the first, in the 1990s).
http://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=HCRiwlw7ltY
(Read article on Untouchables from
National Geographic.)
India is a Republic
• Because one house of India’s Parliament
is elected, it is a republic.
• Elections for national office are held every
5 years.
No notes – just read
India’s Government
PARLIAMENT(BICAMERAL)
President – Elected by
Parliament & State Gov’ts –
Chief Executive – has most
power
Women and
untouchables
must be allowed
to run for offices
at these 3 levels,
according to
India’s laws
VILLAGE
COUNCIL
(PANCHAYAT
HOUSE OF
THE
PEOPLE
COUNCIL OF
STATES
Chosen by
state
legislatures Prime minister – leader of
majority party; appointed
by & advises the President;
head of gov’t
DISTRICT
COUNCIL
GROUP OF
VILLAGES
VILLAGE
COUNCIL
(PANCHAYAT
GROUP OF
VILLAGES
VILLAGE
COUNCIL
(PANCHAYAT
VILLAGE
COUNCIL
(PANCHAYAT
VILLAGE
COUNCIL
(PANCHAYAT
Issues
• India is large and diverse: many
– Languages
– Castes
– Religions
• National government has to work hard to make
sure all groups feel included and are equally
protected.
• The country is secular (favors no religion over
another) but the majority are Hindu.
No notes – just read
The People’s Republic of China
中國人民共和國
• Anthem:
• Communist country – 1 party
dictatorship; oligarchy
• Became communist in 1949 when
Communist Party Chairman Mao TseTung took power in a revolution.
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=%22March+of+the+Volunteers%
22+national+anthem&mid=7F90227F00EB739A71D17F90227F00EB73
9A71D1&view=detail&FORM=VIRE2
Communism in China
• The government has some control over
almost every aspect of people’s lives.
• The government decides who will do which jobs.
• All children must attend school (this was a big
improvement for the poor).
• Property was taken from wealthy landowners and
given to the poor.
• Rural farmers were organized
into communities and told what
and how to farm.
• Industries were controlled by the
government.
The Years Following the Revolution
• There was great suffering.
• Many Chinese starved.
• Most people were not
worried about losing personal freedoms because
they had none before the communists took over.
• Today the Communist Party still runs the
country.
Elections
• The National People’s Congress (NPC) is
elected every 5 years by a vote of every
Chinese citizen over 18.
• The Communist Party approves the
people who run for office.
• The NPC chooses a president and vice
president.
• The president chooses a premier.
Changes
• China is slowly becoming more free.
• Chinese people want European and American
goods.
• The internet has made the Chinese more aware
of other ways of life.
• But: the role of the citizen, including what job he
has and what education he has, is still controlled
by the government.
– No votes are cast in an election for anyone not
approved by the Party (NPC).
The Constitutional Monarchy of
Japan
日本国
• Anthem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaV3ggRAaBU
• Before WWII, Japan was a monarchy
ruled by emperor Hirohito.
• His people believed he was descended from the
Sun (they thought he was a god). Few people
had ever seen him.
• After WWII, the U.S. helped reorganize Japan as
a constitutional monarchy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ez85wg61r4
Japan…Reorganized
• 1947: Japan adopted their 1st constitution, which
set up a bicameral parliament, called the Diet.
• Japanese citizens over age 20 vote for members
of the Diet.
• The Diet elects a prime minister and cabinet
(group) of advisors.
• The prime minister is head of the
government.
• The emperor only has symbolic power, and the
constitution states he is no longer considered a
god.
Complete the chart on CRCT Test
Prep page 164
COUNTRY
JAPAN
CHINA
INDIA
TYPE OF
GOVERNMENT
WHO VOTES
ROLE OF
RELIGION
DESIGN OF
GOVERNMENT
CRCT Test Prep pages162-166
1. Which best describes the Japanese
government?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Monarchy
Theocracy
Federal democracy
Constitutional monarchy
D. Constitutional monarchy
CRCT Test Prep pages162-166
2. The Japanese parliament is called the
A.
B.
C.
D.
Diet.
Congress.
Knesset.
House of Representatives
A. Diet
CRCT Test Prep pages162-166
3. What role do religious leaders play in the Indian
government?
A. No religious leaders are allowed to run for political
office in India.
B. Religious leaders choose the candidates that run
from most rural areas.
C. They are guaranteed a certain number of
representatives in each election.
D. The country has a secular government in order to
avoid seeming to favor one group over another.
D. The country has a secular government in order to
avoid seeming to favor one group over another.
CRCT Test Prep pages162-166
4. Who is allowed to vote in Indian elections?
A.
B.
C.
D.
All citizens who are 16 years of age or older
All citizens who are 18 years of age or older
Only men who can prove they are Indian citizens
Only those who can prove they were born in India
B. All citizens who are 18 years of age or older
CRCT Test Prep pages162-166
5. Who is allowed to vote in Japan?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Only men can vote in Japanese elections.
All citizens who are 20 years of age or older
Only those who can read and write
Voters who can prove they were born in
Japan
B. All citizens who are 20 years of age or older
CRCT Test Prep pages162-166
6. What sort of government is the People’s
Republic of China?
A.
B.
C.
D.
monarchy
Federal democracy
Constitutional monarchy
Communist government
D. Communist government
CRCT Test Prep pages162-166
7. What is the name of the elected Chinese
legislative assembly?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The Diet
Political Bureau
Chinese Communist Party
National People’s Congress
D. National People’s Congress
CRCT Test Prep pages162-166
8. Who can vote in national elections in
China?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Only Chinese men
Only those who live in cities
All citizens who are 18 years of age or older
Voters who have completed 12 years of
school
C. All citizens who are 18 years of age or older
CRCT Test Prep pages162-166
9. How often are elections for the national
government held in India?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Elections are held every 6 years.
Party members are elected for life.
Elections for national office are held every 5 years.
Religious leaders can require new elections to be
held if they think it is necessary.
C. Elections for national office are held every 5 years.
CRCT Test Prep pages162-166
10. Which country is the world’s largest
democracy?
A.
B.
C.
D.
India
Japan
China
Korea
A. India
CRCT Test Prep pages162-166
11. Who was Indira Gandhi?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Mother of Mohandas Gandhi
Powerful religious leader in India
First woman prime minister in India
Leader of the effort to end the Untouchable
caste in India
C. First woman prime minister in India
CRCT Test Prep pages162-166
12. What role do the people play in a government
like that of Japan?
A. The people have the real power in Japan.
B. They have the power to vote the Japanese emperor
out of office.
C. The people get to approve the laws made by the
Japanese emperor.
D. They have little power because the emperor makes
most decisions.
A. The people have the real power in Japan.
CRCT Test Prep pages162-166
13. What was the position of the Japanese
emperor before WWII?
A. His power was weakened by a powerful parliament.
B. He was believed to be a god descended from the
sun.
C. The emperor played a part in selecting people to
run for public office.
D. The emperor was very involved running the
government on a daily basis.
B. He was believed to be a god descended from the
sun.
CRCT Test Prep pages162-166
14. What group makes most of the important
decisions in the government of the
People’s Republic of China today?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The wealthy landowners
The Chinese Communist Party
Mao Tse-Tung and his advisers
People in the local village councils
B. The Chinese Communist Party
CRCT Test Prep pages162-166
15. Who chooses the president and vice-president
of the National People’s Congress in China?
A. People are chosen for these jobs by the king.
B. The members of the National People’s Congress
choose them.
C. The voters choose people for these jobs in the
general election.
D. These jobs are filled by the 2 oldest members of the
National People’s Congress.
B. The members of the National People’s Congress
choose them.
CRCT Test Prep pages162-166
16. The premier of the National People’s
Congress in China is chosen by the
A.
B.
C.
D.
president.
National People’s Congress.
president and vice-president.
Chinese voters in general elections.
A. president.
CRCT Test Prep pages162-166
17. Who was the first leader of the People’s
Republic of China?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Hirohito
Mao Tse-Tung
Indira Gandhi
Mohandas Gandhi
B. Mao Tse-Tung