FORMS of GOVERNMENT SS6CG4: The student will compare and contrast various forms of government.
Political Understandings of Europe SS6CG4: The student will compare and contrast various forms of...
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Transcript of Political Understandings of Europe SS6CG4: The student will compare and contrast various forms of...
Political Understandings of EuropeSS6CG4: The student will compare and contrast various forms of government.SS6CG5: The student will explain the structure of modern European governments.
UNITARY• Single national government has all the power. • There is no state or local government
independent of the national government.
Countries that have a unitary government:
•Italy •Poland •Portugal•Spain •Ukraine•United Kingdom
CONFEDERATIONS• Made up of state governments or provinces.• Loose alliance between them.• Most of the power rests with the state
governments or provinces.• The national government has some power, but not
as much as the states.
List of Confederations-
Today• European Union and OPEC
(Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries)
FEDERAL• Have a strong national government that shares
power with smaller state governments.• Most of the power is in the hands of the national
government, but some authority is reserved for the states.
• The United States has a federal form of government.
• The federal (national) government shares power with fifty state governments.
Countries with Federal Governments
•Belgium•Germany•Russia•Spain•United States
Questions—Power and how it is distributed?
Write Unitary, Confederation, or Federal for your answer.
1. In this form of government power is shared with smaller governments (provinces/states).2. In this form of government the power is in the smaller state governments or provinces.3. In this type of government most of the power is in the hands of the national government, but some power is reserved for the states.4. In this type of government the national government has all the power?5. In this type of government there is no state or local government independent of the national government.
How government systems distribute
power• A unitary government does NOT distribute power
• A confederation’s power is with the state governments or provinces.
• A federal government shares power with smaller states.
Sample test question
In Nigeria’s government, power is divided between Central and regional authorities. This is an example of which government type?
A. UnitaryB. ConfederationC. FederalD. Parliamentary
How governments determine citizen participation• Autocracies-Ruled by a dictator• Oligarchies-Ruled by a small group• Democracies-Citizens have a voice in their
government
Autocracies(Autocracy)
• Ruled by a dictator• Citizens do not have much say• Ruler usually do what he/she wants• Does not need the approval of the people• Leaders rule until they die, are overthrown, or
decide to resign from office• Many rule for years, or even decades.
Examples of Autocracies:• Cuba and North Korea
Oligarchies (Oligarchy)
• Governments that are ruled by a small group• Elite families, military officers, religious leaders
and/or members of the upper class have a say in how the government is run
• Citizens who are outside the ruling group have very little to say
Examples:• Soviet Union• South Africa
Democracies (Democracy)
• Citizens have a voice in their government• Citizens elect leaders and often get to vote on
laws• If the people do not like their leaders, they can
vote to replace them• People of ALL classes who are qualified citizens
are allowed to vote and have a say in their government
Examples:• Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Italy, United
Kingdom and the United States
Practice questionsWho of the following would be the head of government in an autocracy?A.PresidentB.DictatorC.Prime MinisterD.Members of the upper class
Practice questionsSteven lives in a country where one national government has all the power. It sounds like Steven lives under which form of government?A.UnitaryB.FederationC.ConfederationD.State
Forms of Democratic Government
• Parliamentary Democracy• Presidential Democracy
Parliamentary Democracy• Most of the power rests with the legislative body or
parliament• The parliament selects government ministers• The parliament elects a prime minister who serves as both the
leader of the legislature and the nation’s head of government.• Role of the citizens?
• Have a say through parliamentary elections• Elect members of parliament who will then choose government
leaders• There is often a head of state (King or Queen) but they have
very little power.
Presidential Democracy• Power is divided between the legislature and an executive,
usually called the president• Role of the citizens?
• People elect their legislators and the president separately• The president and the legislature have different powers and
they work together, but neither has authority over the other.
Practice questionWhich of the following is the best description of a prime minister?A.An executive independent of the legislative branchB.An autocratic rulerC.The leader of an elite ruling classD.A head of government elected by members of a legislature