Government Vocabulary
Use the descriptions of the vocabulary
terms to place them on your spectrum
of government descriptions.
Constitutional Government
• A constitutional government is any
government whose authority and construction
are defined by a constitution.
Totalitarian Government
• Totalitarian Government is where the
government recognizes no limits to its
authority and tries to regulate every aspect of
the public and private life of its citizens.
Absolute Monarchy
Government by a king, a queen, a prince, an
emir or other member of royalty.
This ruler has absolute power. His or her word is
law.
A Current Absolute Monarchy
Current Ruler of Saudi Arabia:
Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud
Dictatorship
A single person rules with unlimited power.
Example of a Dictator
Muammar Gaddafi
‫ُمعَ َّمر القَذَّافِي‬
Took control of Libya in 1969
Tyrant
A leader who misuses his power
and takes advantage of his
citizens
Example of a Tyrant
• Adolf Hitler was a tyrant
who abused the citizens of
his nation and many others
in World War II. He had
millions killed in the Nazi
concentration camps during
World War II.
Communism
A system of government in which a single party
controls the government and the economy
OR
theories developed by Karl Marx about the ideal
society where everything is shared equally.
Example of Communism: China
Oligarchy
Government ruled by a small, elite group
Recent Example of Oligarchy
• South Africa from 1948 to
1994 (during apartheid)
was ruled by the 25%
white population who
hold all the power and
wealth in the nation at
that time.
Direct Democracy
Citizens vote to decide every issue. No one
represents them, they decide themselves.
Example of a Direct Democracy
Representative Democracy
Rule by people you elect to make decisions for
you
Example of a
Representative Democracy
Theocracy
Religious leaders control the government. They
rely on the laws of their religion to run their
nation and they often seek the advice and
approval of religious scholars
Example of a Theocracy:
Islamic Republic of Iran
Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran