Governmental

Systems:Enlightenment and Revolution

●Good Morning!

●The last two days we have focused on

economic systems, but today we will

examine government systems.

●What is the difference between the

economy and the government?

Absolute Monarchy●Monarch is King/Queen, Tsar, Emperor, Shah, etc.

●Monarch has absolute, or total, control over

subjects

●Monarch’s power comes from divine right, or

through the will of God

●Royal bloodline of high importance

●Citizens have no role in choosing their leader

●Generally, the Monarch has a group of advisors to

help make decisions

●Citizens may face punishment if they express

criticism

●Modern Day Example: Saudi Arabia

Constitutional Monarchy

●King/Queen’s power’s are limited; “limited

monarchy”

●Citizens and Parliament, or the law-

making branch of government, have rights

guaranteed under a Constitution

●Monarch and Parliament share power

●Modern-Day Example: Great Britain

Presidential Democracy

●Voters elect Executive (President) and

Legislative Branch (Parliament or

Congress) separately

●There is a separation of powers and

checks and balances, so that no single

branch becomes too powerful

●Modern Day Example: U.S.A.

Democracy

Presidential

●Voters ElectoExecutive & Legislative

Parliamentary

●Voters ElectoLegislative Branch

(Parliament)

●Parliament selects ohead of Executive

Branch (Prime Minister)

Parliamentary

Democracy●Voters elect Legislature, or Parliament

●Parliament selects the chief Executive, or Prime Minister

●Prime Minister leads Parliament and carries out its laws

●Parliament may remove Prime Minister and/or cabinet (P.M.’s advisors) from office

●Most popular system of government

●Modern Day Example: Canada

Dictatorship

●Single ruler, or Dictator, has absolute

power

●A dictatorship will begin when a person

either

oSeizes control by force (coup d'état or

military revolution)

oTakes additional power after being

elected

oCitizens generally have very few rights

oDissent is generally not tolerated b/c of

fear of severe punishment

oModern Day Example: North Korea

Theocracy

●Religious leaders rule a nation and impose

religious law

●No tolerance for other forms of religion,

traditions, and customs

●Modern day example: Iran

●Where have you head the word the

“totalitarian” before? What do you think it

means?

●Does it have anything to do with dissent?

●If so, what is the difference between

totalitarianism and absolutism?

●Which of these systems tolerate dissent

and which do not?

●Tolerate DissentoConstitutional

Monarchy

oPresidential

Democracy

oParliamentary

Democracy

●Do NOT tolerate

dissentoAbsolute Monarchy

oDictatorship

oTheocracy

Totalitarianism vs. DemocracyTotalitarian ●AdvantagesoQuick, efficient decision-

makingoStability, order, security

●DisadvantagesoMust sacrifice natural

rights and civil libertiesoCannot select leaderoNo minority rightsoNo access to unbiased

news/information—everything is state-run

Democracy ●Advantages

o“General Will” of the majority

oCitizens select leader

oCitizens have natural rights

oCitizens can voice political

dissent

●Disadvantages

oIs majority always correct?

oSLOW decision-making (can

this be good as well?)

o“Tyranny of the majority”? Are minority rights

protected?