Types of Types of GovernmentGovernment

monarchy

ruled by a monarch who usually inherits the authority

•inherited•new ruler is related to previous ruler

•kingdom •Example: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

republic

a government in which the people elect representatives to make the laws

•people vote•lots of citizen participation•free elections•representative government

parliamentary democracy

a country whose head of government is the leader of the legislature

•usually has a prime minister

•often has ceremonial president

•people vote•lots of citizen participation•Example: State of Israel

presidential democracy

a type of government where the leader is the President and is chosen in a separate election from the legislature

•executive branch•separation of powers between executive and legislative branches

•national vote for president

theocracy

a government ruled by a religious leader or leaders

• faith based• holy leader• religious state• Example: Islamic Republic of

Iran (even though they call themselves a Parliamentary Democracy)

dictatorship

a system of government in which the ruler has absolute power and is not restricted by laws or a constitution

•authoritarian•Saddam Hussein•all powerful leader•repression•undemocratic•despot

Citizen Citizen ParticipationParticipation

3 categories that describe who has the

power in a country

autocratic

government in which one person possesses unlimited power and the citizen has little if any role in the government

examples

•dictatorship•monarchy (absolute type)

•theocracy (usually)

democratic

a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections

examples

•republic•parliamentary democracy (most common)

•presidential democracy (USA)

oligarchic

government by the few, sometimes a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes. The citizen has a very limited role.

no examples this unit

•Oligarchic countries are very rare; eventually one of the leaders will seize power from the others, creating an autocracy.

Systems of government are based on one question: How is

the power distributed or shared?

• There are three ways governments distribute power:

• Unitary• Confederation• Federal

unitary

A system of government in which authority is centralized.

•One central government controls everything

•Power is not shared between countries, states, or provinces.

•Examples: Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iran

confederation

A group of loosely allied states or nations that come together for a common cause.

•Nations can choose to follow or not to follow the lead of the weak central government.

•Examples: EU, Confederate States of America

federal

A form of government in which several states or regions defer some powers to a central government while retaining a limited measure of self-government

•Power is shared by a powerful central government

•States or provinces are given considerable self-rule, usually through their own legislature.

•Examples: United States,