1. Who Participates Autocratic vs. Democratic

2. Selecting the Executive 3. Geographic Distribution of Power

Autocracy- “self-rule” one ruler who arbitrarily rules and controls the people’s lives in the name of the people Monarchy-Denmark Dictatorship-former Iraq Totalitarian- Peoples’ Republic of China,

former Soviet Union

Oligarchy-rule by few Junta- rule by

military (former Chile, Thailand, Pakistan)

Aristocracy- rule by landed classes (former Mexico)

Theocracy- rule by religious officials (Iran, Vatican)

Democracy- “rule of the people” Direct Indirect

Democracy and free enterprise go hand in hand- They promote individual freedom The governments participation in the

economy is limited but used to protect the public

PARLIAMENTARY-EXECUTIVE IS PART OF LEGISLATIVE BRANCH AND CHOSEN BY ITS MAJORITY PARTY

PRESIDENTIAL-EXECUTIVE CHOSEN AT LARGE BY VOTERS

Advantages of Parliamentary System

More cooperation between the executive and the legislature-questions with the Prime Minister once a week

More accountability for the executive-legislature can ask for vote of no confidence

Cabinet officials play an active role in enactment of legislation

Disadvantage of Parliamentary System

Prime Minister not as representative as the president

Allows one party to go unchecked

Instability

Unitary System People

Big Governmen

t

Local Governmen

t

Local Governmen

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The Big Government makes policies for the local governments as well as handle national affairs: examples France, Britain, China, Egypt

Confederal: The people establish the local governments which give to the national government (power that is extremely limited) (Articles of Confederation, Confederate States of America)

Federal: Power is constitutionally divided between levels of government, and their legitimacy comes from the people

Want stuffMore gov’t

Have stuffLess gov’t

Marxism/Leninism: central control of economy-total equality and security (totalitarianism, despotism, authoritarianism)

Socialism: government control of economy-economic equality, political liberty

Liberalism: active government to achieve economic and social equality-political liberty, economic security, equal opportunity

Conservative: protect capitalism, political liberty, economic liberty, social order

Libertarianism: least government is best government

Issue Locke: Second Treatise on Government

Hobbes: Leviathan

Human nature and natural law

Man is by nature a social animal and they have an ability to know right and wrong and what is theirs and someone else’s

Man is not by nature a social animal, society only exists through the state and property only exists through the state

The State of Nature

Men were honest, and while insecure it was peaceful, good and pleasant

No society, man lives in continual fear of death; life is solitary, poor, short

The Social Contract

We give up our right to ourselves exact retribution for crimes in return for impartial justice

If you shut up and do as your told, you have right not to be killed

Violation of Social Contract

If a ruler seeks absolute power, he is in a state of war with citizens and they have a right to kill the ruler

No right to rebel; ruler’s define good and evil

Role of the State

The only role of the state is to ensure that justice is being done

Whatever the state does is just by definition

Adapted from www.jim.com/hobbes.htm

Form a more perfect union Establish Justice Insure Domestic Tranquility Provide for the Common Defense Promote General Welfare Secure Blessings of Liberty

“A nation is formed by the willingness of each of us to share in the responsibility for upholding the common good…For the American idea, though it is shared by all of us, is realized in each one of us.” Barbara Jordan