Government

Types of Government

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

Types of government define who rules and who participates

There are three types of governments:

1. Autocracy: Rule by one

2. Oligarchy: Rule by few

3. Democracy: Rule by all Forms: Direct and RepresentativeMethods: Parliamentary and

Presidential

Governments distribute power through systems.

A. Unitary All decisions and power held at a central level

B. Federal Decisions and power split between national and state

or provincial governments

AutocracyGovernment in which the power to govern is

held by one person.

Generally the power to rule is inherited or taken by military force.

There are three types of autocratic government.

1. Dictatorships

2. Absolute Monarchies

3. Constitutional Monarchies

Dictatorship A dictatorship consists of rule by one person or a group of people often taken by force.

Very few dictators admit they are dictators and almost always claim to be leaders of democracies

Dictatorship

DescriptionA leader has total power

Examples include:

Cuba (Castro) & North Korea (Kim Jong Il) .

MonarchyA monarchy consists of rule by a king/queen or “emperor”.

1. Absolute

2. Constitutional

Absolute MonarchyA 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 and laws without consulting anyone.

ExampleLouis XIV in France during the 1700s

Constitutional MonarchyKing/Queen has power that is limited by a

set of rules called a constitution) and shares power with elected officials

Generally the Kings are nothing more than figureheads.

The government is a democratic one that limits the monarchs power.

ExamplePresent day England

OligarchyWhen a family or small group of

people control all of the power to govern and make laws

The group gets their power from either military, wealth or social status.

Elections may be held but offer only one candidate.

ExamplesChina

Only one party (communist) allowed

Theocracytype of oligarchy where religious leaders

govern

ExampleIran

Democracy“Democracy” literally means “rule

by the people.”

In a democracy, the people govern – by voting.

In a democracy….Individual freedom and equality is valued.Free elections are heldDecisions are based on majority rule.All candidates can express their views freely.Citizens vote by secret ballot.

Kinds of democracies

1. Direct Democracy

2. Representative Democracy

Direct DemocracyDescription

The power of government is controlled directly by the people

Everyone votes on every issue

Example:In some American states, town meetings are held where every citizen votes by publicly proclaiming their vote.

Direct democracy is impossible in a political system containing more than a few people.

In a representative democracy, delegates are selected by the people through a defined process to make and enforce laws.

Representative DemocracyThe people elect representatives who

then make decisions for them

Example:

Canada, United States

Forms of Representative Democracy

1. Parliamentary

2. Presidential

Parliamentary Democracy

Voters elect members to a Parliament (legislature)

Example: Canada, Britain,

Parliamentary DemocracyParliaments are bicameral in that they have

two houses where decisions are made

1. House of Commons The political party with the most elected

members in the House of Commons forms the government. The leader of that party becomes the Prime Minister.

2. Senate or House of LordsElected government chooses people to

govern in the senate.

Presidential DemocracyVoters elect legislators and also elect,

directly or indirectly, the President.

Therefore, in the presidential system voters have a more direct say about those who serve in two branches of the government :• Legislative• Executive

Parliamentary System Presidential System

Executive Legislative

CitizensCitizens

Legislative

Executive

Elect

Elect

Select

Elect

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.

Putting it all together….