Forms of Government

Chapter 1Section 2

orange - parliamentary republics green - presidential republics, executive presidency linked to a parliament yellow - presidential republics, semi-presidential system blue - presidential republics, full presidential system red - parliamentary constitutional monarchies in which the monarch does not personally exercise power magenta - constitutional monarchies in which the monarch personally exercises power, often (but not always) alongside a weak parliament purple - absolute monarchies brown - republics where the dominant role of a single party is codified in the constitution beige - states where constitutional provisions for government have been suspended grey - countries which do not fit any of the above systems

• Its all Greek to me!– cracy = power– archy = rule– auto = self– oligos = few– demos = people

Who Can Participate

• Democracy– Political authority rests with the people– Direct – public policy directed by citizens

• Pros? Cons?

– Indirect – representatives for government• Pros? Cons?• Reps. Responsible for public policy on behalf of

constituents

“government of the people, by the people, for the people.”

- Abraham Lincoln

Who Can Participate

• Dictatorship– Government not accountable to the people

• Oldest most common form of government

– Autocracy – single person holds unlimited power

– Oligarchy – power to rule is held by few

Dictatorship

• All are authoritarian – unchallenged by the people– May control every aspect of your life– Votes are often taken, but usually controlled– Legislative bodies exist– Typically militaristic in nature

Geographic Distribution of Power

• Unitary Government – Central government– May distribute power to local governments– Can be unitary & democratic at the same time

• Federal Government – power is divided between a central and several local govts.– Power above both creates a division of power,

that neither can change alone– US – national and state governments

• Confederate Government – alliance of independent states– Central government has limited power

• Typically only to orchestrate a defense– Allows states to keep their identity

Legislative and Executive Branches

• Presidential Government – separate powers of executive and legislative– Independent, but coequal– Can block each other out (checks)

• Parliamentary Government – executive is from the parliament (prime minister)– Leader of the majority party– Remain in power until they lose support of the

majority of the party• Lost of confidence• Parliament may as a whole go to the voters• Helps avoid deadlock

Comparing Presidential and Parliamentary Systems of Government

Voters Voters

U.S. House of Representatives President Barack Obama

Prime Minister Gordon Brown

British Parliament

Presidential System Parliamentary System