1. Comparative Governments

2. As we examine a few different types of governments, keep these questions in mind.  Who holds power?  Are the people represented and how?  How are they alike or different than our government?  How happy should we be with our founding fathers? Do you think they did pretty well for us?

3. Lets have a look at a few  Monarchy – Rule by one person. There are several types.  Theocracy: One individual represents a higher power and has ultimate authority. The Pope (Vatican City) Iran, Saudi Arabia  Dictatorship: Total rule, no bargaining. It’s “My way or the highway”…..or worse! Stalin  Kings and/or Queens: One person with advisors, sometimes without them. Very ancient form. Can go well or not so well.  Despots: One person rules. Usually a tyrannical ruler. Don’t cross them! In each case one person has ultimate authority over everyone else.

4. How does this one sound?  Oligarchy – Rule by the few. The government is run by a few party “elites” who make all the decisions. Only the privileged classes get to be members of the government. Whether or not we have a say in government depends on what they will allow. Often, power is held for selfish and self-serving purposes. Communism is often said to be a form of Oligarchy. Is an Oligarchy a bad thing? (Magna Carta)

5. You should know this one.  Republic – Representative government where common laws hold the fabric of society together. Representatives are chosen by the people and power is shared by a central government and more local governments (states). A republic is a representative government ruled by laws.  Many nations throughout the world have republics as their government.

6. This one sounds nice!  Democracy – The people have total power. “What’s good for most is good for everybody.” Picture yourself as either a wolf, or a sheep. Would you be the one imposing your beliefs on everybody else or would you be a victim of the whims of your neighbors?  Much more useful in small settings such as town governments and small town meetings. Not so effective in very large countries such as ours.  Don’t confuse this idea with having a democratic society. This means that we have freedom of choice. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We are free to live our lives within our Republic.

7. Too much freedom?  Anarchy – Rule by no-one! There is no governing body to set limits on freedoms or actions. Every man, woman and child for themselves!  Question. How free are you during a period of anarchy? Can you leave your house knowing anyone can take whatever they wanted? Who will protect you? Will society erode into total violence? *Anarchy is a temporary condition…not a real government. This usually happens after one government collapses and another takes form. It is a transitional state. Hopefully! *Anarchy is a temporary condition…not a real government. This usually happens after one government collapses and another takes form. It is a transitional state. Hopefully!

8. Where do we fit in?

9. Socialism and Communism defined Communism - An economic system where the “state” has ownership of everything. They own the farms, factories and industry. What is produced is shared among the people equally. This type of government does not exist in its pure form. Communism - An economic system where the “state” has ownership of everything. They own the farms, factories and industry. What is produced is shared among the people equally. This type of government does not exist in its pure form. Socialism – A system where the government owns major segments of the economy such as transportation, power companies, health care. They leave smaller business to private owners. Many countries have socialist elements along with other government types i.e. France.

10. Most common government types