Forms of Governments
To study governments, geographers look at the following:
Types – Who rules and who participates?
Systems – How the power is distributed?
Types of Government are based on one key question: Who governs and what is the citizen participation?
There are three types of governments:Autocracy, Oligarchy, and Democracy
Autocracy
Government in which the power to govern is held by one person.
Generally the power to rule is inherited or by military force.
There are three
types of Autocracy.
#1 Dictatorship
The leader has not been elected and uses force to control all aspects of social and economic life.
Examples: Adolf Hitler in Germany and Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union
#2 Absolute Monarchy
A monarchy has a king, queen, emperor or empress.
The power is usually inherited or passed down from family members.
The monarch has absolute power meaning they can make all decisions
without consulting anyone.
Brunei, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Vatican City.
#3 Constitutional Monarchy
Kings, queens or emperors share power with elected legislatures.
Generally they are nothing more than figureheads (ceremonial).
The government is a democratic one that limits the monarchs power.
Example: Great Britain
Oligarchy
A government in which a few people such as a dominant clan or clique have power.The group gets their power from either military, wealth or social status.Elections may be held but offer
only one candidate.Example:
Greek city states
CaudillosCaudillos - those who owned large estates throughout the land. SpartaSparta
DemocracyIn a democracy, the government is
“Ruled by the people”
There are two forms of democracy Direct Democracy – People vote on all the issues.
Representative Democracy – People elect representatives and give them the power to vote on issues.
Example: United States
In a democracy….
Individual freedom and equality is valued.
Free elections are held
Decisions are based on majority rule.
All candidates can express their views freely.
Citizens vote by secret ballot.
Democratic Governments
There are two major kinds of democratic governments:
Parliamentary
Presidential
Parliamentary DemocracyVoters elect members to the Parliament (legislature)
Parliament has two Houses: House of Commons: The Political Party with the most
votes in the House of Commons chooses the Prime Minister, the government’s leader with no set length of term.
House of Lords: Little power with most members being nobles having inherited their titles.
Presidential Democracy
Voters elect legislators
Voters elect (indirectly) the president.Therefore, in the presidential system voters
have a more direct say about those who serve in two branches of the government :
LegislativeExecutive
Parliamentary System
Presidential System
ExecutiveExecutive LegislativeLegislative
CitizensCitizensCitizensCitizens
LegislativeLegislative
ExecutiveExecutive
Elect
Elect
Elect
Elect
Select
Select
ElectElect
Systems of Government are based on one question: How is the power distributed?
There are three ways governments distribute power:UnitaryConfederationFederal
Unitary
One central government controls everything.
Power is not shared between states, counties or provinces.
Examples : United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, and Spain
Central Authority
UnitaryWays Government Distributes Power
Regional Authority
Regional Authority
Regional Authority
Regional Authority
Confederation
A voluntary association of independent states that agrees to follow a powerful central government.
Nations can choose to follow or not follow the lead of the weak central government.
Examples: Confederate States of America
( 1861-1865), Russian Federation.
Central Authority
ConfederationWays Government Distributes Power
Regional Authority
Regional Authority
Regional Authority
Regional Authority
Federal
Power is shared by a powerful central government.
States or provinces are given considerable self rule, usually through their own legislatures.
Examples: United States, Germany
Federation / FederalWays Government Distributes Power
Regional Authority
Central Authority
Regional Authority
Regional Authority
Regional Authority
How is the power distributed?
FederalShared power
Unitary Confederation
All key powers are held by the
central government
State/regional authorities
hold most of the power
Strong central government
Weaker central government
How Governments Determine Citizen Participation
DemocracyOligarchicAutocratic
Go
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Cit
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Go
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Ge
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Pa
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Go
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Cit
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n P
arti
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Se
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itiz
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Pa
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High Participation High Participation
Low or No Participation Low or No Participation Low or No Participation
Putting it all together….
The United Kingdom is an autocratic constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy and a unitary system.The United States is a presidential democracy with a federal system.
What do those statements mean?
What do you remember?
What are the three types of governments?
What are the three systems of government?
Autocracy, Oligarchy, and Democracy
Unitary, Confederation, and Federal