Post on 01-Apr-2015
Chapter Two
A Tradition of Democracy Foundations of Government
~~~~~Why Americans Have
Governments
The U.S. Government
1. System of Laws and Authority
2. Protects our rights
3. Safeguards our freedoms
Shaping Government Differences
Governments differ in …
1. the way their leaders are chosen2. the amount of power held by the people
Governments shaped by …
3. the beliefs of the people4. the history of the people
Types of Governments
Nondemocratic Governments• the citizens do not have
the power to rule
Democratic Governments• the citizens have
the power to rule
Monarchy A form of government in which the power is held
by a king, queen, or other monarch.
Absoluteor
Constitutional
Dictatorship A form of government in which all power is in the hands of one person or
a small group of people.
Dictatoror
Oligarchy
Theocracy
A form of government controlled by one or
more religious leaders who claim to rule on
behalf of God or gods.
Nondemocratic Governments
Democracy A form of government in which the people of a
country either rule directly or through
elected representatives.
Director
Representative
U.S. Government = Republic (Representative Democracy)
Democratic Governments
Authoritarian = Controlled by rulers that answer only to themselves.
Totalitarian = Form of government that has total control over the lives of the people.
~~~~~
Direct Democracy = A form of government in which all the people meet together at one place to make laws and decide what actions to take.
Representative Democracy (Republic) = A form of government in which the people elect representatives to carry on the work of government for them.
Purposes of Government
1. Helping People Cooperate
2. Providing Services
3. Providing Laws
Purposes of Government
1. Helping People Cooperate
a means for people to unite
better protection against enemies
necessary and useful
makes life safer and easier
Purposes of Government
2. Providing Services
enable large groups of people to get demanding jobs done
jobs more difficult and expensive for any person to do
tasks difficult or impossible for individual citizens to provide for themselves
Purposes of Government
3. Providing Law
help them live together in peace
know what they may and may not do
prevent disagreements
to guide and protect everyone
Laws = Rules of conduct enforced by government.
Constitution = A written plan of government.
Purpose of the U.S. Government
Guarantee Citizens’ Freedoms
• people should rule themselves
• each person is important
• no one should be denied their rights
Safeguarding Liberties
protected by constitutionsand laws