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

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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