1. Types of Governments

2. Questions to think about:
What types of government do you know about?
What types do you think work best? Why?
Does it really matter what form of government a country has?
How does the form of government impact its citizens?

3. What is government? The ruling authority for a community
The institution through which society makes and enforces its public policies

4. Classifying Governments
No two governments are or ever have been exactly alike.
Governments can be classifies according to their features:
Who holds the power?
Where is the power located geographically?
What is the relationship between the legislative and executive branches?

5. Unitary Oligarchy Democracy Who Holds the Power?
The most important question to many people
3 basic forms:
Unitary
Oligarchy
Democracy

6. 1. Unitary (or autocracy)
One person holds the power
Oldest and most common
Usually holds power by inheritance or force
Totalitarian dictatorship: government controls all aspects of life; citizens lack power to limit government’s power (Hitler’s Nazi Germany)
Monarchy: king, queen or emperor exercises supreme power; usually inherited
Absolute monarchy: unlimited power (Saudi Arabia)
Constitutional monarchy: share power with elected legislatures or serve only as a ceremonial leader (Great Britain, Japan)

7. 2. Oligarchy A small elite group holds power
Power derived from wealth, military power, social position or a combination
Usually suppress political opposition
Ex: China
Theocracy: a form of oligarchy where the rulers claim to be ruling on behalf of religious ideas or power (Iran)

8. 3. Democracy The people hold sovereign power
Greek: “demos”= the people, “kratia”= rule
Direct democracy: people govern themselves by voting on issues individually as citizens (cantons or states of Switzerland)
Representative democracy (or republic): people elect representatives to make laws and conduct government (U.S.)
Not every democracy is a republic (Great Britain)

9. Where is power located? Unitary Confederal Federal
Governments can also be classified according to how power is distributed geographically.
3 forms:
Unitary
Confederal
Federal

10. 1. Unitary (Centralized)
All powers held by the government belong to a single, central agency (the central or federal government)
Most common form of geographic distribution
May be local governments (state, city, county) but they are created by the central government and only have the powers the central government gives them
Ex. Great Britain (all power centered in national capital of London)
Don’t confuse with other unitary (autocracy)

11. 2. Confederal (Confederate)
An alliance of independent states
Central government has little power and only handles matters states assign to it
Rare form of government
Ex: U.S. under the Articles of Confederation, Confederate States of American during the Civil War, European Union (EU)

12. 3. Federal
Powers of government are divided between a central government and several local governments
An authority (like a constitution) superior to the central and local governments makes the division of power
Examples:
Canada, Mexico, Germany, Australia
United States- the Constitution divides power between the federal (national) and state governments; however, the relationship between the state governments and local (city, county) governments is unitary!

13. Relationship between Legislative and Executive Branches
Governments may be classified according to the relationship between the lawmaking and law enforcing branches of government
Two basic forms:
Presidential
Parliamentary

14. 1. Presidential 2 branches are separate, independent and coequal
Branches have power to check the power of each other
Chief executive is chosen independently of the legislative branch
Invented by the United States

15. 2. Parliamentary
The executive is made up of the prime minister or premier and that official’s cabinet
Prime minister and cabinet are members of and chosen by the legislature (parliament)
Most widely used of the two forms
Ex: Great Britain, Canada, Japan