Review for the exam

Helpful informationCharts and Graphs

Structure of United States Government

Democracy

Democracy

• Word comes from two Greek words – Demos (people) and Kratos (authority of the people) Supreme political authority rests with the peopleGovernment is only conducted w/ people’s consent

Democracy

Basic Concepts of Democracy(What is necessary for the establishment and maintenance of a

Democracy?)

1. Individual Liberty (Effective Participation) Citizens must be as free as possible to develop and

express their preferences through the decision-making process

Democracy2. Majority Rule with Minority Rights

• Govt. decisions must be based on the will of the majority (over half the voters)

• Will of minority always heard and protected

• Interest groups protect minority rights and promote minority opinion

3. Free Elections• People have chance to choose their leaders and voice opinions on

issues• Every vote carries same weight• Citizens free to support issue or help candidates get elected• Racial, ethnic, religious tests cannot restrict voting• Citizens vote by secret ballot w/out fear of punishment for their vote

Democracy

4. Competing Political Parties• Voters must have access to competing ideas• Democrats and Republicans (2 major U.S. parties)

5. Education• Voting makes little sense unless a large number of voters can read and

write to express their interests and opinions

Democracy

6. Equal Distribution of Wealth• Relatively prosperous nation with equitable distribution of

wealth• Extreme amount of wealth or poverty lessens possibility of

healthy democracy

Democracy

7. Inclusion• Citizenship open to all if Democratic

Types of Governments

Government

Government Types1. Autocracy

Absolute Monarchy, Constitutional Monarchy, Dictatorship

Unitary System Queen, King, Dictator, King or Queen w/leg.body AM: Saudi Arabia, Qutar, Bhutan, Swaziland CM: England, Netherlands, Denmark, Nepal, Sweden Dict: Cuba, North Korea

Government

Constitutional Monarch:• Shares govt. powers with

elected legislatures or serve as ceremonial leaders

Queen Elizabeth II (Great Britain)

Absolute Monarch:• Has complete and unlimited power to rule

King Fahd(Saudi Arabia)

Government

Dictators Govt. not responsible to the people and people lack the power to limit

their rulers

Fidel Castro (Cuba)

Kim Jong(N.Korea)

Government

Government Types2. Oligarchy

Unitary Small group rules Membership based on wealth, lineage, military power,

religion China

Government

Government Types3. Democracy

Federal Direct Democracy – people rule directly

Citizens come together to discuss and pass laws, and select rulers (most turn to mob rule)

Indirect Democracy (Representative) – people rule through elected representatives• Aka republic

DD: Switzerland has mixture of DD and ID ID: U.S., Canada, Australia, Italy

The American concept of democracy rests on these basic notions:

(1) A recognition of the fundamental worth and dignity of every person;

(2) A respect for the equality of all persons;(3) A faith in majority rule and an insistence

upon minority rights;(4) An acceptance of the necessity of

compromise; and(5) An insistence upon the widest possible

degree of individual freedom.