A GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING SYSTEMS OF GOVERNMENT

SIMPLIFYING SYSTEMS

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Describe the images you see by either:Carousel Activity •Diagrams are posted around the classroom. •The class will be divided into three groups.•In your groups, rotate from poster to poster writing words you would use to describe the diagram.

PowerPoint ID •Take out a sheet of paper•Describe the diagrams on the following slides – you can use complete sentences or just descriptive words.

DIAGRAM #1

CentralGovernment

State/Regional

Government

State/Regional

Government

State/Regional

Government

State/Regional

Government

State/Regional

Government

DIAGRAM #2

State/Regional

Government

State/Regional

Government

State/Regional

Government

DIAGRAM #3

CentralGovernment

State/Regional

Government

State/Regional

Government

State/Regional

Government

State/Regional

Government

DIAGRAMMING SYSTEMS

The diagrams you just looked at were outlining three different systems of government:

The diagrams of these systems of government show how power is distributed among the central government and state/regional governments. The

kind of system depends on the level of government which makes the decisions.

DISTRIBUTION V. SEPARATION

Distribution of Power•The distribution of power is about how the government divides power between a central authority and the people/states/regions; relationship between governments •Example: central government and state governments

What is the difference between distributing power and separating power?

Separation of Power•The separation of power is about how the government is divided internally; relationship within government •Example: branches of government – legislative, executive, judicial

SYSTEMS OF THE PASTThe United States is a federal system of government, but it has not always been that way.

• Under the Articles of Confederation, the United States was a confederal government.• A confederal government is one

where the state/regional governments have the concentration of power with a weak central government. The central government is essentially run by the state/regional governments.

Which diagram would

represent a confederal system of

government?

CentralGovernment

State/Regional

Government

State/Regional

Government

State/Regional

Government

State/Regional

Government

ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

• Under the Articles of Confederation, the state governments retained most of the power.• The central or national government

commanded little respect and was not able to accomplish much because it had little jurisdiction/power over states or individuals.

StatesNat’l Gov.

PROBLEMS WITH THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

• Under the Articles of Confederation, states often argued amongst themselves.• They also refused to financially support the

national government. • The national government was powerless to

enforce any acts it did pass. • Some states began making agreements with

foreign governments. • Most had their own military. • Most states printed their own money. There was

no stable economy.

CONFLICT OVER THE CONFEDERAL SYSTEM

There were major disagreements during the writing of the Constitution over the confederal system of government.

Who was doing the disagreeing?

Federalists•The Federalists wanted a stronger central government. They favored limiting state power.

Anti-Federalists•The Anti-Federalists opposed a stronger central government. They worried that the states would lose influence with the growth of the national government’s power. The Articles needed to be amended not abandoned.

WHAT THE FEDERALISTS WANTED

• They believed in a unitary system of government where the concentration of power should be in the central government, with state governments having little power. Which

diagram would

represent a unitary

system of government?

CentralGovernment

State/Regional

Government

State/Regional

Government

State/Regional

Government

State/Regional

Government Unitary System

WHAT THE ANTI-FEDERALISTS WANTED

• They believed in the confederal system, where the states hold most of the power and the central government is weak.

CentralGovernment

State/Regional

Government

State/Regional

Government

State/Regional

Government

State/Regional

Government

Which diagram would

represent a confederal system of

government? ConfederalSystem

COMPROMISING IN THE CONSTITUTION

• During the Philadelphia convention, the Federalists and Anti-Federalists had to reach a compromise about the distribution of power between the central government and the state governments. What would be the compromise

between these two systems?

CentralGovernment

State/Regional

Government

CentralGovernment

State/Regional

Government

State/Regional

Government

State/Regional

Government

State/Regional

Government

State/Regional

Government

State/Regional

Government

State/Regional

Government

Unitary System

ConfederalSystem

State/Regional

Government

State/Regional

Government

State/Regional

Government

State/Regional

Government

Federal System

In a Federal system, power is shared by the

central government and the state/regional

governments.

Both the central and state governments have their own

powers, in addition to the powers that they share. This system

ensures that neither the central government nor the state

governments can become too powerful.

LINE THEM UP!

• These three systems of government, are all about the distribution of power. • How would you place these systems on a “power

line”, from most centralized power to least centralized power?

FIRST OF ALL….FOLDABLE NOTES!

• Follow these steps to make foldable notes for this lesson:

1.Fold one sheet of paper in half, long ways (hot dog), to create a crease. Unfold paper and lie flat.

2.Cut one side in 3 equal parts, creating flaps.3.When folded in half, it will look like the image below.

FLREA Copyright 2012

LABEL YOUR FOLDABLE:

FLREA Copyright 2012

Draw a line across your foldable. On the outside write the names of the systems of government in order from most centralized

to least centralized.

Most Centralize

d

Least Centralized

ON THE INSIDE: Draw a diagram of each system under the

appropriate flap and a written description of each system of government.

Diagram

Diagram

Diagram

Description

Description

Description

Most Centralized

Least Centralize

dExamples:•France•Japan•Saudi Arabia

Examples:•Australia •Germany•United States

Examples:•US under Articles of Confederation•Confederate States of America