2. Types of Government

3. Our Government Canada’s government operates on the principle of democracy. Democracy means “rule by the people”. A true democracy must include the following:  Regularly scheduled elections  A choice between at least 2 parties  Universal suffrage  An independent court system  A constitution

5. There are 2 types of democracies: Direct Democracy: o Citizens vote on all decisions made by government. Representative Democracy: o Elected representatives make decisions on our behalf. o This is the type of democracy we have in Canada.

6. Which type of democracy do you believe is better? Why?

9. Canada is also a monarchy: Monarchy means “rule by one person” – the Queen.

10. There are 2 types of monarchies: Absolute Monarchy: o King or Queen has absolute power. Constitutional Monarchy: o King or Queen’s powers are limited by a constitution. o Monarch’s role is to provide “royal assent”. o This is the type of monarchy we have in Canada o *Because the Queen lives in England, the governor general represents her in Canada.

12. Other types of government: Communism: o It is the duty of the government to enforce economic equality. o This means that everyone shares equally in a country’s wealth. o How can we achieve this? o The rich must be overthrown in a violent revolution, so that the workers can take over. o Reality: Communist countries were actually characterized by censorship, dictatorship, and a lack on individual freedoms.

14. Other types of government: Socialism: o This is a mild, democratic form of communism o How is it different from communism? o Equality can be achieved through elections – revolution is not necessary o Government is democratic o People are still allowed to own private property o Government owns only some aspects of the economy

16. Other types of government: Fascism: o The most dominant features of fascism are o Extreme nationalism o Purpose of individual is to serve the state o All resources are used to build a powerful military o Belief in action over thought o Belief in imperial wars of conquest